Punks, Jocks and Justice

Of course, Camp was also drinking, had failed to aid his victim, didn't report the incident to police and had already used his car as a weapon on two other occasions. Furthermore, Devore had no recollection of being the endangered person in Clark's scenario of self-defense.

Sitting in his modest office a couple blocks from the courthouse, Clark does an admirable job of concealing his glee that his client got off so easily.

Chris Oles and Jacqui Balderaz return to the scene of Deneke's death.

Mark Graham

Friends say Brian Deneke had the magnetic charm to be a punk leader.

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Clark "didn't know the difference between a skin, a punk and a Goth," concludes David Trew. "He took the view that all punks were these violent, aggressive people."

He did it, Trew adds, "because people in Amarillo would buy it."

You cannot feel his pain.

Dustin Camp sits at home, sunken into a couch, eyes fixed on the TV. The crackling humor has dulled; Mr. Obnoxious has grown up, slowed down, something. He's not quite the same, say two buddies, Justin Devore and John Lyon, who've stuck with him through everything.

You think this is easy for him? Well, Dustin's gotta be home by ten every night. He can't even go hunting -- that involves firearms. Heck, his family is into guns. And he can't even party -- that would show up on a drug test.

He goes to the mall, and people stare. They whisper. They point.

And -- Can you believe it? -- on Mondays after work, he has to go to a rage management class. And Dustin's no angry dude, his friends say. He's a good kid. A good kid, they say again, as though repetition will convince you.

Okay, so someone got killed. No one really wanted someone to get killed.

"They think because he murdered someone, he's a bad person," Lyon says.

Life is rough.

At least it's life.