Steve Cameron/Coeur d'Alene Press reports:

North Idaho citizens aren’t just sad over the murder of Kelly Pease.

They’re angry.

There is a widespread sense that, somehow, the justice system failed the 37-year-old mother of five — leaving her vulnerable to the violent intentions of alleged killer Steven Denson.

Square in the middle of all the public outrage is an obvious question: Why couldn’t a protection order, or even a court-mandated “no-contact order,” keep Denson away from Pease — who was found dead in her car at Kootenai Health on March 8?

“Unfortunately, we can’t arrest someone for what they’re going to do,” said Jared Reneau, spokesman for the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.

Reneau, however, made it clear that his statement doesn’t mean police were ignoring Denson. In fact, officers were trying to take Denson into custody at the time he allegedly shot Pease. More here.

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