Alvin Ridley murder charge exoneration

For me, this episode suggested many people’s lack of awareness or understanding of differing degrees of mental illness. It’s a touchy subject that affects almost everyone’s lives in one way or another. Alvin seemed to demonstrate “victimization” traits, indicated throughout the episode. With only a 20-minute episode, such a diagnosis be me is asinine, but the episode demonstrated that Alvin might have been the cause of some of his own problems.

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

Virginia seemed to have her issues as well. Epilepsy can cause severe seizures and it’s understandable that Virginia might’ve wanted to be sheltered from the world to avoid embarrassment. Not everyone is equally capable of dealing with the “outside world” and might prefer someone like Alvin as a partner. Her perceived lack of personal care, nourishment, and doctor visits cast Alvin in a bad light, almost as Virginia’s “captor”. But the evidence seemed to show that this lifestyle was likely Virginia’s own choosing. The countless love letters throughout Alvin’s house as touching.

Despite this evidence, Virginia’s sister still seemed bitter and accusing of Alvin during her interviews. I felt she continued to suspect Alvin’s involvement in his wife’s demise. When seeking help for Virginia, it was suspicious that Alvin drove by the local fire station, and eventually called a far-off hospital to tell them (with no urgency or perceived emotion) that his wife might be dead. But I think the assessments of Alvin’s actions that morning also have to take into account his own paradigm before rushing to judgement. Alvin and Virginia both lived in mentally and emotionally different worlds than most others.