A Fact-Check for the Four-Color World

Monday, July 23, 2007

A "Fell" Follow-Up

I was a latecomer to Fell, the $1.99 Image series by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith. It's a book that I highly recommend, and it's probably the best bang-for-your-buck among current series.

This past weekend I caught up on the back issues I'd bought, and Warren's comments at the end of #6 piqued my curiosity. As with most issues, he shares what news story inspired the issue, and in the case of #6, it was a particularly horrific story of child abuse. I don't want to spoil it here, but you can read the details at the link below. Or better yet, buy the issue.

Anyhow, in the course of relating his inspiration, Ellis mentions that he didn't know what happened to the real-life parent. So I found out. (The specific form of abuse is referenced in paragraph six.) Her first trial ended in a mistrial, and although she eventually pled guilty to a lesser charge, she never admitted to the particular actions that police charged her with, and which Ellis utilized in his story.

She was sentenced to three months in prison. If you notice, the date on that article is April 20, 2007. Which means that if she began her sentence immediately, and served the entire term, she was likely released late last week.