Relating Theory to Current Events On September 27, 2012, Kyle Langreder and Wayne “Trey” Stone were riding their ATV in the fields near Chesapeake Executive Airport. Although they were most likely aware that the airport was a restricted area, as airports usually have many “NO TRESPASSING” signs throughout the grounds, they decided to ride their four-wheelers anyway. An airport employee named Charles Silva noticed Langreder and Stone in the fields and told them that they were trespassing on airport property. An argument between Langreder and Stone and Silva ensued from a distance, and the two men started riding towards the older man. Silva, a seventy-seven year old Vietnam veteran, carried a rifle with him; part of his duties were to maintain …show more content…
Initially, police only arrested and charged Kyle Langreder with murder. In October of 2013, he was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding. The jury recommended a sentence of twenty-five years in prison. His formal sentencing has yet to occur. Seven months after Langreder’s conviction, Jon Crum was charged with aggravated malicious wounding and voluntary manslaughter. A jury sentenced Crum with five and a half years in prison and a fine of 2,500 dollars. Michael Coleman was not charged, but testified against Langreder and Crum. Wayne Stone has not been …show more content…
Although many of these crimes go unpunished, law enforcement officers work around the clock to keep communities safe. Due to budget cuts, limited staffing, and other problems, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary system are not able to work as efficiently as possible. With the help of criminologists and criminological theories, law enforcement agencies are able to better assess why criminals commit crime. Rational choice theory states that an offender weighs the potential benefits and consequences of committing a particular crime before committing the crime. This theory is very prominent in the study of crime and can be applied to many criminal cases. Rational choice theory is very simple, in that it deals only with the decisions that the offender makes. Rational choice theory best fits the cases of Chesapeake v. Langreder and Chesapeake v. Crum. Beginning with the first crime, trespassing, Kyle Langreder was riding his ATV in the fields of the airport. He made a conscious decision to ride where he knew he should not be. Perhaps he was content with the punishment for trespassing if he were to be arrested for that. Rational choice theory applies perfectly to the fist crime; the offender, Langreder, made a rational decision to trespass in order to enjoy riding his