As the years passed, the story of the mysterious disappearance of the notorious Janelle Stone gradually faded, except for occasional features on cold case shows and a few movies made about her. By the time the 2020s rolled around, she was all over the Internet on the 20th anniversary of her escape. Steven and Byron knew that Janelle would have been horrified had the Internet been what it now was back in the year 2000.
Janelle became the butt of many jokes, a novelty toy, and even a target in some rap songs. For some, it was a way of “rebelling” against her perceived racism and pissing her off if she ever discovered she was included in lyrics sung by Black artists.
She was featured in many insulting memes. One such meme depicted her "expectation" with curvaceous hips, bright brown eyes, and light brown hair with golden streaks. Her facial features were well-proportioned, and she smiled happily with a crowd of admirers looking on with envy. Below it was the "reality" drawing of her—disproportionate body, overly round face with tiny features, dark beady eyes, and brown-gray, thin, stringy hair. The onlookers gazed at her with contempt and disgust.
"Hulahips" became her nickname, among many others, given the way her large, flabby hips would bounce up and down as she walked, creating a comical sight. She became the topic of numerous discussions, debates, polls, theories, and opinions.
Police officers who were active at the time decided to use the Internet as bait, in case she was still alive somewhere. Under the advice of a psychologist, they agreed that the best way to get her to respond would be to challenge her, knowing Janelle often liked to prove herself and get the last word.
They crafted a public appeal that they believed she would be most likely to respond to, urging her to let the authorities know where she was if she was still alive because things had "changed" and law enforcement had come a long way. They claimed they no longer lied to people and wanted to compensate her for the way the law had wronged her. They insisted the officer who shot her was wrong and even acknowledged the jail’s wrongdoings, such as when she wasn’t given her medication.
“Today, we don’t make deals and promises we don’t keep,” the captain of the Police Department said in a live interview. “I am absolutely horrified and embarrassed by my predecessors. To think that they deceived, tricked, and manipulated you the way they did is an abomination. Today, the Santa Fe Police Department would like to make it up to you. So please—please—if you’re out there, find a way to get in touch with us. I’m telling you in front of the entire world that absolutely no harm or imprisonment will come to you. You will not be arrested. You will not be charged. You will not be jailed. You have my word as a sworn officer of the law.”
The captain looked down at the sheet of paper before him. “Believe it or not, you did have friends out there. Friends who cared about you, as well as people you didn’t even know, who could see you were getting a raw deal in so many ways. You have many supporters who believe you’re innocent and still alive and would love to hear from you. If you don’t want to come forward just yet and claim your reward, we totally understand that. But please, please at least let us know you’re alive and how you’ve been surviving. We know you need regular medical treatment, and that has been a concern to many of us. We’ve wondered how you’ve gotten by all this time. Many people believe that you somehow managed to get out of the U.S. and to a country with no extradition laws. Again, we’re begging you, Janelle Stone, to please let us know if you’re out there. You’re welcome to contact us anonymously via the Internet, phone, or postal mail.”
Given the passage of so many years, no one in law enforcement expected to hear from the elusive Janelle Stone. But, much to their delight and surprise, their tactic worked, and they received a letter.
So you guys miss me, huh? Funny how you can shoot me, put me in comas, bullshit me for the testimony of the brutal things I witnessed and endured—among so many other wrongdoings on your part—that no one cared to rectify in any way. But now you want to ‘make it up’ to me? Good God, you guys are even dumber than I was if you think I’m ever going to fall for such bullshit after the hell various members of law enforcement have put me through!
Let’s be honest. You don’t want to give me shit. You know it and I know it, so let’s just drop the act. What you really want is to know where I am so you can come and arrest me and fuck me up some more. Well, I’ll give you the first part of that. The second part you’ll never get. I told you guys that if I ever came to believe you weren’t going to keep your end of the bargain in exchange for my testimony, I would wash my hands clean of courts, cops, and whatnot and walk—and that’s exactly what I did. You’re welcome to play God with other people’s lives with absolutely no regard for their feelings or health, but you’ll never get the chance to do it with mine again.
Tata!
Janelle
ns216.73.216.154da2
