how can these social issues over-ride the conviction today of the most horrific killing of the 21st Century? Wher is Slate on this atrocity? Yes, pot should be left to individual choice, and yes, gays should be given rights, but come on, where is the post for this American tragedy?

Why is this murder more horrific than all other murders?

bsharp: While all life is valuable, the details of this double rape, mutilation, and murder are way off the charts of "horrific." Even the somewhat sanitized account at Wikipedia is shocking.

Would it be better to make such cases and their details well-publicized, to stoke outrage against the perpetrators? Or completely swept under the carpet to avoid inspiring future copycats (or movies like Copycat).

bsharp: neither you nor I controls who gets publicity. That's the mainstream media, and it is obvious that black-on-white crime is swept under the carpet. (You never heard of the Wichita Kansas massacre either because of the MSM). When black man Dennis Byrd was tragically dragged to his death in Texas 10 years ago, it was all over the news. That's appropriate--the rotten whites who killed him deserved full punishment. But the point is it was a national story, while Channon Christian is never going to be mentioned on Slate. I hope your argument is not that torture should be downplayed if the victim is white.