[Jeff Higgins]

How on Earth does this happen? The son of one of my oldest friends has been arrested after a string of bank robberies spanning several months. This is his third go at this, having been convicted in 2012 and 2016 for multiple counts of bank robbery and retail robbery. He was often armed when conducting these heists.

He is only 34 years old, splitting my own two sons at 35 and 32. They played together as kids. Not next door neighbors or anything, they only spent time together when my wife and I would have his parents over, or we would head out to their place. Nevertheless, I pretty much watched this kid grow up. Perfectly normal, upper middle class upbringing. Neither spoiled nor indulged, and from everything I could see, disciplined like any other kid. Just nothing out of the ordinary.

Funny, though, as my kids got older, especially after they could drive and therefore see him any time they wanted to, they had nothing to do with him. I never asked why, not until the first convictions. Both of my boys told me they wanted nothing to do with him, even long before all of this. Both told me he was "trouble", and was always trying to entice them into doing things they knew damn well they shouldn't. So, I have to wonder, at what age does this start?

He is now looking at life without parole under Washington's "Three Strikes" law. Three separate convictions for violent felonies. Just unbelievable to me. My heart goes out to his parents, who remain very close friends with my wife and I. I cannot imagine what this is doing to them.

I've mentioned this "kid" here before, the last time he got convicted. I also mentioned that he is a drug addict, probably hopelessly addicted. Some cretin showed up at his rural high school peddling heroin, and he got hooked. Looking at his mug shot today, I barely recognize him. Reminds me of the "faces of meth" transitions we see. Vacant, hollow eyes, completely expressionless. Just heartbreaking.

This kid, as an adolescent and teenager, had a bright future ahead of him. Could have gone to pretty much any school he wanted. Now his life is, effectively, over at 34. He'll never taste freedom again. And, well, from a completely objective point of view, he should not. But, man, I watched him grow up... I'm kind of a wreck right now...