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Afraid of the Dark

The "Salon Bandit" never used violence, but the troubled talent still terrorized a community

A A A Comments (5) By Sarah Fenske Thursday, May 17 2007

...continued from page 2

I keep thinking about how I became afraid of the dark last summer. But while I lost my fearlessness because of things that happened to other people, the women who were closing up at Bath & Body Works and Subway and Tan Factory lost theirs because of something much more personal — and surely much more frightening.

Watson could have robbed banks, but that would have required the chutzpah to risk a confrontation with a security guard or a teller. One of them might have been a man, and might have been stronger than him.

Joe Watson, in his pre-Tent City days.

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Instead, he chose women who were alone, and alone at night, because he knew he could frighten the hell out of them.

I've been thinking about those women. I hope they don't lie awake at night, as I do, and worry about every noise outside their window. I hope they don't distrust every stranger who smiles at them on a dark night.

But thanks to Joe Watson, it can't be easy for them.

And I hate him for that.

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Family Member 07/25/2008 12:00:00 AM

Sarah you are an ignorant bitch. Jeanne so are you. None of you know Joey and what he has been through OR what made him snap that day and has caused his distortion of judgment. Only people like me who grew up with him in the same household and are in our family know Joey. He is far from being placed in a category of hardened criminals. Hes someone who needs help THAT NO ONE EVER LISTENED TO HIS CRYS FOR! Yes he is accountable for his actions, yes he should be and IS being punished for his wrong doings. Rehabilitation, Therapy, and Medication are needed, not 25 to life. He had no weapon, just simulated one. My heart does go out to those girls who were cornered and scared, but Ive been through MUCH worse trauma in my life and am stronger because of it. Apparently you are just a weak bitch trying to find something to write about because you lack creativity. So lets pick the easy route and make Joey the scapegoat! You are a pig.

Shari P 05/19/2007 6:20:00 PM

This was a good column, Sarah. You blended the personal side of things with some actual reporting, which is what your paper's coverage of this story previously has been lacking. It's not that big of a story in the scheme of things, but you put some stuff into perspective to make it more interesting and meaningful than the crap I've seen about the guy in other parts of the paper.

Andrew 05/18/2007 1:01:00 PM

Sarah, This is an excellent article and you touched on a lot of really nice points. I know Joe and agree with most of what you say, including his refusal to accept responsibility. However, I don't think you can read his letter asking for legal fees as evidence of him lacking contrition (although there is plenty of other evidence of that)... given the phase of the criminal process Joe is currently in, if he said anything along the lines of "I'm sorry to the people I hurt," or "to the women I scared," it would be an admission that would certainly come back to haunt him by way of additional jail time. I'm sure he's accepted that he'll be in jail for a while, but that doesn't mean he should cavalierly double his time by apologizing in that forum when there will be plenty of time to do that later. Whether he'll do that later is another story.

Mindy 05/18/2007 12:13:00 AM

This guy is a F$cking LOSER. He is in tent city where he belongs. Its so funny how he is asking people to support his cause, well whoopty f#cking do. How about supporting your child you abandoned. How about leaving your responsibilities, thank GOD for her real dad that takes care of that child. You are a loser and I hope you rot in tent city with your pink panties and green bologna. B$TCH

Jeanne 05/17/2007 11:51:00 PM

So Sarah I didn't get to finish my rant on your answering machine, but again thank you for not sensationalizing Joe Watson!! He is and has always been a manipulator and has never had the balls to admit that he and only he is responsible for his actions and bad judgement in his life! I met Joey about 10 years ago and he showed the same puppy dog eyes to me and well 4 months later I was pregnent. I can't explain what came over me but I needed to "Loose the Looser", and so I did. I later found out by his own sister that Joey had racked up substancial bills calling phone sex companies. To make a long story short after seven years of him bouncing from job to job because the state would find him and start garnishing his wages, I gave up and agreed to him relinquishing his rights without him having to pay a cent of the over $30,000.00 in back child support that had incurred. The kicker is that the last time he ever saw my child was 9 years ago, and the only times that he contacted me was when the state started garnishing his wages! I just want those who are even contemplating donating to Joe Watsons cause to read this and think for a minute, if he wouldn't pay for his own child, do you really think he would give you a cent if you were in the same situation? Well personally I can tell you absolutilly not!!