Lanie, a new poster here at Crime Rant, gets the honors for Letter of the Week by posting her calm and insightful missive in the firestorm of posts about Drew Peterson, Joel Brotsky and our own M. William Phelps (Movie title: Dumb, Dumber and Da Bomb).

Here’s what Lanie wrote:

Since Joe Hosey is writing a book about Peterson and constantly reports even the smallest tidbit about him whenever he can. (I mean, seriously… was that story about Drew picking up a girl that works at a tanning salon– in the wee hours of the night– because her friend got arrested for a DUI… really necessary?).

I think it’s obvious that Brodsky and Peterson are trying to exploit the deaths of these two women anyway he can. I believe Matt 100%… Hosey writing the book and writing such positive articles about Peterson tells me this story is true.

I know that Matt is a professional and doesn’t want to get drawn more into this vile mess, but I think a lot of people would appreciate it if he released the tapes. I understand if he decides not to — it would be a tough spot to be in. If Brodsky keeps yapping his trap. Maybe Matt will feel compelled to release them.

I don’t think I have ever seen a lawyer like Brodsky before. He allows his client to go on numerous talk shows and comment about TWO cases — where he is the prime suspect.

They keep burying Drew deeper and deeper. If I were his lawyer, I would tell Drew to zip it. and I would DEFINITELY not be involved in brokering any type of book or news interviews.

That’s the bottomline, for sure.

Alexis chimed in with this little missive about Cynthia Sommer the San Diego woman recently freed from a murder conviction. Apparently, Cynthia is internet panhandling for some dough.

Here’s what Alexis posted this week on CR:

Cynthia Sommer is my daughters father’s (Ross Ritter) girlfriend. They are planning a nice life on the money she thinks she will get. I talked to her personally and she thinks she is worth 20 million dollars. I believe that it is wrong of her to beg people for their hard earned money when she thinks that she will be a millionaire. I just would like everyone that is thinking about sending her money to know that the minute she got out she went and got a facial and went to get drunk. If she is going to have all this money I believe she can pay her own fees. If it were not for her getting arrested she would still be a low class telemarketer. She now thinks she will be rich and is even saying that she is driving a new 08 Infinity right now. I do not think she deserves peoples hard earned money… BEWARE!! Her and Ross will be living it up on your money.

[CR Note: As our regular readers know, we get a lot of traffic from folks who knew criminals -- Google is great, right? This week's Letter of the Week, is from greg, who says he knew Billy Flynn, one of the teens caught in Pam Smart's web.]

I KNEW BILLY FLYNN. When I was a teenager my sister and I Babysat him and his little brothers. His mother was one of the nicest people I have ever met in my entire life. His dad… maybe not so. His mother and my mother were close friends. He lived 2 houses north of us back in the day when “Little Billy” was like 5 yrs old. I’ve often wondered what happened to his mom. I know this must have been the near death of her.. if not the death. I havent heard from her in years. ever since my own mother passed. His mom asked me to write him a letter in prison immediately after his sentencing. I did..but never received a response. Sad as it gets… the kid was a super nice little young man. But like I said….I “KNEW” a Billy Flynn some years ago. obviously he grew up and made some very evil wrong decisions. Should he pay for his crimes…..absolutely.

[CR Note: The Lori Drew indictment  -- the mom who perpetrated the MySpace hoax that ended up with a teen's suicide -- has been the subject of much chatter and cheer. This comment by Scarlett hits all the right notes...and is Crime Rant's Letter of the Week.]

Scarlett says:

Just like that cheerleader Mom years ago that hired someone to kill her daughter’s friend because the friend was better than her daughter at cheerleading. Good God Almighty, give me a freakin’ break.

These women definately had something missing in their childhood. But trying to lead your life thru your OWN CHILD, and to wreak havoc in the process is just plain SICK. Instead, they should be trying to DO THE OPPOSITE, and protect their children from this sort of crapola.

Reminds me years ago of the bad kids in school whose parents would come to the school and RANT AND RAVE that their child COULD DO NO WRONG. Cripe, my parents had me grounded before they even got to the school!!! LOL.