Crime & Safety

Alleged Wife-Killer Wants Wine Soaked Communion in Jail: What Do You Think?

A prosecutor objected but the judge gave the go-ahead for a Tinley Park man to receive wine-soaked communion in the alcohol-free Will County jail. What do you think?

Bahaa Sam, the Tinley Park man charged with beating his wife to death with a weightlifting bar, wanted to receive wine-soaked Holy Communion from a Coptic Orthodox priest while he's locked up in the Will County jail.

A prosecutor objected on the grounds that alcohol is forbidden in the county detention facility. Sam's lawyer, John Eannace, countered that the communion host is a "small piece of bread that's been dipped in wine" at a church before it's ever taken to the jail.

Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak overruled the objection by Assistant State's Attorney Frank Byers and allowed Sam to receive the wine-soaked communion. This elicited quite a reaction on the Orland Park Patch Facebook page. Let's take a look at what they were saying, and then tell us what you think in the comments below:

  • Tony Carone: No. It's bad enough the piece of s--- still gets to breathe oxygen.
  • Kelly Leeson Dirks: Whatever makes him feel he like he won't burn in hell someday. Why are we giving attention to him?
  • Sue Malarick Weber: nope!
  • Sue Malarick Weber: NOPE! Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time. NO COMMUNION. He's lucky to be getting 3 hot meals a day and a bed.
  • Jill Plucinski Erdman: Why do we treat prisoners better than law-abiding citizens?Jill Reilly White: I always thought prisoners loose their rights but now they get free college educations. How can you be religious and have felony in uour heart? Everybody gets God after the crime.
  • Katie Anne: Absolutely. Jesus loved the murders just as much as the next person. How can any of you people judge so harshly? I'm curious to know if you all claim to be 'religious or spiritual'? If so you're all equally as guilty as this man, and equally forgiven. Jesus taught forgiveness. Whoever hasn't sinned throw the first stone...the way I see it is we all deserve and are clearly in need the same things: forgiveness, patience, tolerance, kindness and love. All sin is equal, you are no worse or better, but that's not what society teaches, so there's a lot of ideas that we don't even take the time to question, and claim them as our own. If you took away that automatic belief/programmed response that this man doesn't deserve communion and actually thought about how backwards that idea is you might change your thinking about a lot of things and in turn find the freedom that is in forgiveness.you'd learn to love and not judge, not only for others but yourselves too. That's what communion is, about  we all deserve the same things, there's a bit of good in all the bad and a bit of bad in all the good. We need to remember the truth. I've experienced wonderful things by looking past whatever typical judgement we tend to put on people (homeless, liars,theives,prostitutes, drug addicts, know it alls, cheaters ect) and treat them as a human being that's deserving and have learned so much and saw and heard things you'd never expect. It's a truly beautiful thing. If this comment hits home to one of you, it's another beautiful thing,a miracle
  • Tony Carone: @Katie He bashed in his wife's skull with a barbell on their front lawn in full view of their child. Save your preaching.
  • Joshua Andrew: Katie. I bet you would change your mind if it was your moms brains he left all over the lawn. Get off your high horse.
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