Criminal's misuse of system is wrong

Time and time again, I voice frustration, confusion and downright disgust for the legal system in this country. I believe in my heart it is the best system on the face of this Earth but it's far from perfect. For some insane reason, we allow criminals to "play" the system in such a blatant manner that simply defies logic and common sense. And in the end, we're wrong to allow it.

Wesley Ira Purkey, 53, is a bottom-feeder of society. A convicted murderer, Purkey now resides in a Kansas state prison for the 1998 murder of an 80-

year-old woman he beat to death. He is serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole.

But Purkey wants out of the Kansas prison system and wants instead to end up in a federal penitentiary. Seems he is having some "problems" with fellow inmates in Kansas and thinks that a federal prison would be more to his liking.

So Purkey tried to cut a deal. He would confess to yet another murder in return for spending the rest of his life in the federal penitentiary system. Purkey confessed to killing a 16-year-old, dismembering her body and burning the remains in his fireplace.

Nice guy this Purkey!

So Purkey began to tell ample details of the murder and dismemberment. Long a suspect, Purkey provided the final keys that put the murder to rest. And as you would expect, Purkey was quickly found guilty of the second murder. But alas, the court did not grant his wish to move to the federal system.

And here is where I begin to have a problem with the legal system.

Because of the lack of a prison transfer, Purkey's taxpayer-paid lawyers filed an appeal to throw out his confession. The lawyers said that police had reneged on their promise of a transfer and since that deal fell through, his confession should be tossed. Fortunately, a judge sided with police and said no promise was made and no transfer would be executed. Purkey will now spend what is left of his life in the same prison.

I don't know what taxpayers paid for Purkey's appeal of his confession but regardless, it should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. A system is wrong that would disallow a murder confession simply because the murderer did not get his wish of a transfer. It is a waste of resources and an insult to law-abiding citizens.

Wesley Ira Purkey is guilty of two murders and will die in prison. The lawyers who argued in his defense will go home at night and feel as if they did their job. Yet something is wrong that permits the abuse of the system. Something is terribly wrong.