Sometimes the apple does fall far from the tree.

Sometimes, the apple falls so far from the tree it should be granted a new zip code.

The town is abuzz with the news of the recent dramatic arrest of Shawn Womack, a Corvallis resident who, along with his friend Cevelino Capuia, has been charged with murdering two men in the Portland area, as well as possibly a third victim, Capuia's 17-year-old girlfriend. Womack and Capuia were caught driving Honda Civics owned by the two Portland victims. Other than that, no possible motive has been discussed in the news. Some reports indicate drugs may have been involved, but nothing concrete is known.

I've debated for several days whether or not I should tackle this topic at all, but finally decided I would... only because I know Shawn Womack's parents. To protect their privacy, I will not give their names or explain how I know them, but they are known and loved by many, so that part isn't anything exceptional. But knowing the two of them makes this news all the more shocking. They are the sort of couple you want to befriend... warm, generous, kind-hearted. They are a loving pair who share that love with anyone who crosses their paths. They have spent their lives working hard, raising their children, taking care of their aging parents, giving back to the community and with the grace of what my snarky friends and I refer to as "good" Christians, the kind who are devout and faithful, without being self-righteous and pushy.

To watch them go through this is horrible. They don't deserve it. I know that the families of the victims are suffering in a vastly different kind of hell, but to put it bluntly, they are outside my monkeysphere. I don't know them, so the degree of empathy is lessened.

Womack's parents found out about their son's arrest by watching the news. They haven't spoken to their son; as of Monday, he hadn't bothered putting them on the jail visitor list yet. To say they are stunned and devastated would be a huge understatement. Shawn ran for president of his community college last term. He was working hard at school and doing well. He had just fallen in love in a big way. This doesn't make any sense to them at all. But because he ran from police, because he resisted arrest, and most damningly, because he was driving the stolen car of a murder victim, they are not defending him. They are simply trying to understand how. Why. We all are.

For now, the rest of us are watching them struggle to get up every morning and go on with their lives. They are both still working, still going to church, still doing kind deeds for their friends. Somehow, they still manage to think of the people around them. Me? I'd either be hospitalized, heavily sedated or both. I am amazed by their strength, but heartbroken by it, just the same.