You hear a lot of jokes about politicians being no better than criminals, but voters in Maine just took the punchline a step further:
On Tuesday, a woman named Angela Walker was elected to the Bangor, Maine’s city council.
Voters were apparently undeterred by the fact that Walker served nearly nine years in prison after she and her brother were convicted of violently killing a Canadian tourist.
According to a report from the Bangor Daily News, Walker pleaded guilty to manslaughter and perjury charges in 2003 and was given a 10-year sentence.
The newspaper reports that in 2002, Walker — who was still using her maiden name, Humphrey — became involved in an altercation at Old Orchard Beach.
The Canadian tourist, Derek Rogers, allegedly called Walker by a derogatory name for Native Americans, and was later found dead, suffocated by sand.
Walker is not affiliated with any political party, but her campaign was sponsored by the progressive Maine nonprofit organization Food and Medicine.
“That’s my past. I don’t live there anymore and I’m a different person,” she said when asked about the conviction.
It’s important to note that Walker has been open about her difficult past, explaining that she dealt with addiction and homelessness at her lowest point.
These days, she says she hopes to use her influence to help others who have fallen into similar troubles.
Still, it’s not hard to see why not everyone considers Walker’s story a source of inspiration.
In fact, many are now calling on authorities to overturn Walker’s election before she’s sworn into office.
“In 2002, Angela Walker and her brother savagely killed a White tourist from Canada, Derek Rogers, beating him nearly to death, then forcing sand down his throat and nose until he suffocated to death,” wrote one X user, adding:
“Rogers suffered a broken skull, broken ribs, and massive internal bleeding before being suffocated with the sand of Old Orchard Beach … The details of what this woman did are truly beyond words.”
It’s unclear if any public officials intend to take action to prevent Walker from taking office, but the controversy over her election is almost certain to continue.