Police Say "Workplace Violence" is Motive for Yale Annie Le Murder
Could Handling and Treatment of Animals Be Motive for Annie Le Murder?
As a case of "workplace violence," this case may stand out as an unusual one unless one is familiar with the culture and activities of research labs around the country. Press reports refer to Raymond Clark's employment as a "lab technician," an appellation that is correct in a general sense. Other terms for what Raymond Clark did are "animal service worker" or the term used when I was myself employed years ago in a research lab: animal care technician.
This seemingly pedantic bit of new is worthy of note for one reason only, and it involves an area of frequent controversy and conflict in the research community. The conflict stems from the treatment of animals in research facilities. In times past, animal research was done with little regard for animal welfare, and research animals could be traumatized and tormented in a variety of ways that were both licentious and revolting. It was common to remove the vocal cords and teeth of dogs and other animals such as primates so that researchers could conduct their work with less opprobrium.
In recent years there has been a tremendous change of culture regarding these "in vivo" studies. Live animal studies are discouraged, except when absolutely required, and lab rats are de rigeur whenever such studies are to be done. Of course, rats and mice do not find this a particularly appealing option, but killing mice in large numbers is often deemed necessary in the protocols of drug testing.
A common pharmacological research procedure is the "LD-50," an experiment in which 50 percent of the lab rats will most certainly die to yield accepted data results. LD-50 literally means that the "LD" or lethal dose is the amount of a substance required to kill 50 percent of the test subject population. Of course, this is to emphasize the negative aspect of "in vivo" research, for we all know the positive benefits of today's super-medications.
Surprisingly, animal care technicians have often been the staunchest protectors of animal rights and lab conflicts stemming from animal treatment are inherent in many research labs. This is not to say that Raymond Clark and Annie Le were in conflict about animal welfare for there are other reasons for laboratory conflicts such as disposal and contamination. But the research laboratory, in spite of its sterile, controlled environment, may be anything but serene.
Little is known of Raymond Clark and the motive for Annie Le's murder will not be a matter of speculation. What is known is that neighbors describe him as being "in love with his dog." The New Haven Independent reported September 15 that Clark has a fiancée, and that they have a couples website which describes a shared love for animals. The fiancée has "two horses, a Shiba Inu, and two cats," according to the blog. Raymond Clark's girlfriend also works at the same research facility as her fiancée and where Annie Le was murdered.
Certainly, any love for animals that Raymond Clark had is not going to be the chief focus of the mass of evidence obtained by more than 100 law enforcement assigned to the Annie Le murder. But the culture and conflict of the research laboratory system is bound to enter into the media spotlight when police begin to discuss the case and its motives.
Source: Live newscast of New Haven press conference broadcast on CNN News. The New Haven Independent newspaper was used (and linked in the content) to obtain background on Raymond Clark's alleged fiancee. Much of the story about research and laboratory animals was taken from personal experience when I worked as a research assistant in the Life Sciences and Pharmacological department at a well-known "think tank' in California.
Published by Anthony Ventre
I have a background in traditional print media and radio news. The proliferation of online writing opportunities has changed things for me, largely for the better. News moves quickly in the information a... View profile
Yale Murder -DNA Match Will Result in Imediate Arrest A DNA match from the murder of Anna Le at Yale New Haven, will result in imediate arrest police report. Newest update in case.- Annie Le Suspect Eyed by PoliceAccording to ABC News, police may have a suspect in the murder of 24-year-old Yale graduate student Annie Le, whose body was found stuffed into a wall in the basement of a campus medical research building Sunday.
- Why is Raymond Clark III "Person of Interest" in Annie Le Slaying?Raymond Clark III, an animal research lab technician at the Yale medical lab facility where Annie Le's body was found Sunday, was taken into custody late Tuesday night by New Haven authorities. He was held overnight...
- Lab Tech Key Suspect in Murder of Annie Le at Yale UniversityA suspect is being watched by the police and has failed a lie detector test. How long will it take to solve who murdered Annie Le?
- Annie Le, Yale Student Still Missing: Murder of Suzanne Jovin of Yale Still Remai...Annie Le was about to get married and instead on the day scheduled for her wedding landfills are being searched for her body. Is a murderer loose in New Haven?
- Raymond Clark: Annie Le Murder Case May Have a Suspect
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- Raymond Clark Arrest Brings Forth Awareness of Workplace Violence
- Police Find Likely Body of Annie Le on Yale Campus
- Annie Le Autopsy Results Released, Cause of Death Determined
- Yale Student Death: Raymond Clark III Person of Interest
33 Comments
Post a CommentThis article was wordy and obnoxious...so little to say so much pomp.
Helen, those are good points. I think Yale had a responsibility to ensure a safe workplace. It is not for nothing that most institutions have rules prohibiting the hiring of family members through backdoor channels rather than in the competitive process.
You have worked in such settings yourself, so maybe you would know the truth of the strength of hostilities expressed by some bloggers who work as lab assistants, There is so much envy and jealous and they seem to have a lot of power over the research students. How Clark'w whole family (all high school graudautes in their twenties) could be employed in one lab thus partially enabling to develop a bossy and possessive attitude towards the work place should be looked into. A panel to address any seething resentment of people working in such a closed setting might be considered.
Helen Li, I think it is clear Yale could have done more to protect Annie Le from monster man, at least within its science laboratories and study areas. AS for the police, they have the responsibility for protecting the prosecution case which is very strong, I'm sure.
Moeursalen, it is right for you to point out Annie's background making this tragedy even more poignant. I have nieces in England around her age. Like Annie, they have worked so hard to achieve their goals and fulfill their immigrant mother's ultimate dream. It is very hard for the Le family. Instead of pride and hope, putting their roots down in their new country in a meaningful and constructive way through the achievement of their children, they now have questions and fear and guilt, doubting their own worth and place in their new home. Annie had done everything right, but that was not enough. That really really hurt. I agree with you that the police and Yale President should be careful in what they say. I believe that announcing it was a "work place violence" right AFTER Clark was arrested was prejudicial and could probably be raised by his lawyers. There is so much pre-trial publicity that I fear that justice could be jeopardized.
Aside from the tone-deaf statement about "workplace violence," we have to understand that the police and prosecution are at risk by anything they say publicly. The defense would claim they were "poisoning" the jury pool and creating grounds for "unfair trial," perhaps getting the case thrown out on technicalities.
Helen Li... Thanks for your kind words and for your understanding. You raise some interesting pointd and I agree that Yale is worried about their image and responsibility to protect students. The Yale president's recent statements reflect that. However, I think the police are caught between the politics of Yale and the demands of collecting evidence and developing an airtight case. At this point, it is probably best that the police say little, although to come out with the "workplace violence" statement sounds tone-deaf and makes it appear the statement was written by the Yale public relations department. It does sound dehumanized and demeaning to hear that, especially with regard to a young woman of such recognized talent, who was born poor, raised by aunt and uncle, and who accomplished so much .
I have since read other people writing about "anical rights issue" in relation to this case. So you were not the only one and anyways, you have apologizied already. I agree with you that once the case goes to court, the defence could raise any number of "issues" in mitigation of the defendant's crime. And court cases could go horribly awry, note the Dommique Dunne case. I have big problem about the way the New Haven Police and the Yale President's choice to "package" this horrific murder with a neat little label of "work place violence." It robs Annie of her individuality and the personal loss of her family. It is done more, I think, to protect the image of Yale University and shows a disrespect to Annie. The union woman who stood with the Yale President on the steps banging the drums of "need for action against work place violence against women" need to ponder whether it was the time and place to do so and to examine the policy of employing a whole family in one lab and the issue of t
cont: important to Annie's family now. Court cases can go so wrong: clown judges, inadmissable evidence, mistakes in legal proceedings, biased jury, media hype and dishonesty, etc etc. Think of the Domminique case, what a farce of an outcome! Even the Yale President saw it fit to stand on the steps with a union woman baning the drums of "need for action against violence against women in the work place." Again, why the urgency to package the crime? To minimize the damage to Yale's image? The union woman might want to look into why Clark's whole family have taken over the lab where Annie worked and how unsackable a union member like Clark is. You write well and I apologize for insulting your blood termperature and brain function, however much it was tongue-in-cheek.
Moeursalen, you probably noticed in my last post that I was not really angry at you by my tone; and since then I have read other writers raising the "animal rights" issue, so you were not the only one. Anyways, you already apologized for writing this post. I do agree that when the case starts, all kinds of "issues" would be raised by the defence. When I heard the New Haven police enunciating that "it was about university violence, not about domestic violence, not about urban violence, it is about work place violence," a chill went down my spine. Why were they saying such bureaucratic speak; why were they so anxious to tie it up neatly with a little label "work place violence." It was the most horrific and cruel killing of a 90 pound, 4 ft. 11 in. tall young woman. The only reason I can think of is an attempt, conscious or otherwise, to de-personalize Annie Le's tragedy and her person. That is just the wrong thing to do, to rob her of her individuality. Justice is what is the most impor