I also abide by the credo that one should not judge others unless they have walked in the same shoes. Have posted that philosophy on these boards--except I say moccasins. Today it would be flip flops.

I am not making a judgment about others when I say that I would not hesitate to rat the scumbag out to the police that would be my choice. I understand fear.   It consumes me.

Like LVal, I was a crime victim.   In my case my spouse was my attacker.  He pinned me to my bed and stabbed me with a butcher knife.   Upon releasing his weight/grip on me, he began rambling "where's the gun, I've got to kill myself."  Rather than stick around and risk being shot in addition to my near-fatal stab wounds, I ran to the neighbor's house for help.   Also much like LVal's story, the neighbors did not want to let me in.  Concerned that he--my spouse might follow me to finish what he started, I put my fist through the window in my neighbor's front door, reached in, unlocked the deadbolt and let myself in. Unlike LVal's situation, my neighbor's wife eventually recognized me and they were "less disturbed" about what I had done.   Once inside, I collapsed inside the doorway--I also nearly bled out; they covered my wounds and applied pressure in an effort to stop the bleeding until the ambulance arrived.   While that was going on, the neighbor from across the street arrived with a shotgun which he kept aimed at the door in the event my spouse did follow me.  He did not hide, peering through curtains, he acted to help.

"Fortunately," other than a punctured, collapsed lung, and the loss of nearly half of my blood, none of my other vital organs were damaged.  My wounds were very deep; a couple centimeters either way, could easily have changed the outcome. I survived without physical limitations, though my scars are daily reminders; the mental repercussions have been debilitating.

I was lucky because he killed himself.  I did not have to experience the ordeal of a trial, pretrial or parole hearings, etc.  Because it was domestic violence, a sentence commensurate with what he did to me was unlikely anyway.   Best of all, I did not have to worry about him following me, finding me, stalking me, and wonder when and where he would show up to try again.   I do, however, live in fear, do not leave forwarding addresses when I move, only have unlisted phone numbers; other members of his demented family could show up one day.   I certainly do not have a page or blog on any of the popular sights that many do.

I don't know anything about witness protection programs.  I am certain that little funding is available, and that option is only available in the most egregious circumstances.   I would still make a great deal of noise to get the attention of anyone in a position to help.   I also understand distrust of the police; I have several friends in law enforcement I do trust, one a U.S Marshall another in the F.B.I., not to mention a plethora of attorney friends. Yes, I am in a different position than your co-workers, few people have my contacts.

As far as the theory that "what goes around comes around" goes, I believe that eventually it does for some; however, how many more murders will the person commit before "he gets his?"  The families have a right to see justice, although there is no true justice when you have lost a loved one.  Nor do I believe anyone in these circumstance ever truly finds closure, whatever the outcome in the justice system.  I don't believe many of us believe that imprisonment serves to rehabilitate.   Nor do I believe the prospect of incarceration serves as a deterrent to others inclined to commit violent crimes; prison deters each particular criminal from committing crime (outside the prison) during his term which protects the public from him until his release.  That leaves retribution. (I am not going into utilitarian philosophy)   I firmly subscribe to the practice of retributive justice.   Most people in this country do.

Nobody deserves to endure what that family, many others, LVal and I went through.   No innocent person should have to live with the demons and fear crime survivors experience.   No family should have to live through the murder of a loved one.   From my perspective, there would be no choice.  If I was in a position to help that family and prevent it from happening to others, I would have to.  I would risk my life if necessary.  And if faced with the situation, I would not hesitate to shoot to kill to protect my life or anothers.   I know how I react when my life is threatened.   Heroically.