Wacko of the Week -- 06/016/07

*NOTE: Mike Nifong, that crackerjack prosecutor from North Carolina who made war on the Lacrosse team, deserves mention this week, but we're not giving him the award. He had it once before, and we try to reserve the Wacko Award for new candidates, George Bush excepted.
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"Come Watson, the game's afoot ..." --- (Sherlock Holmes)

ERICK HEINRICH, of Waukesha (that's pronounced 'Walk-eesha') Wisconsin who stole, allegedly, 1500 pairs of women's shoes, many of them from girls' high school lockers, is our award recipient. Actually, the evidence against him seems pretty solid, at first impression, but he pleads innocent anyway, for what's that's worth in the modern world. I mean, after all, O.J. pleaded innocent too. So did Hermann Goering.

If we don't handle this case very carefully, this suspect might walk, so let's insist that he is "alleged" to have committed these crimes. However, it's hard not to notice this:

"Heinrich has a previous conviction for stealing shoes from Kenosha Tremper High School in 2005. He entered no contest pleas to felony burglary and misdemeanor counts of obstructing an officer, disorderly conduct and theft.

And it's hard not to notice the keys he has to schools, the bolt cutters, the broken locks, and, naturally, the 3000 shoes.

Let's admit that petty theft does not signify Wacko-ness, although the combined retail price of 1500 pair of w0men's shoes must be astronomical. Also, bear this in mind:

" 'He liked to smell them,' said Lt. William H. Graham of the Waukesha, Wisconsin police."

I can't say with any certainty that the Lieutenant's depiction of Mr. Heinrich's proclivity is accurate, but let's say this: Whatever the guy was doing with 1,500 pair of stolen shoes, he was doing it OFTEN!

You cand read more about it HERE or HERE
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* Another note: I don't have a picture of the culprit,-- ahem, the accusd culprit -- so I'm substituting a picture of another Wacko., If you can identify him and the name of his character, I'll give you a gold star for the day.