I’ve been reading article after article about Vince Weiguang Li “allegedly stabbing” a man to death, “allegedly” cutting his head off, “allegedly” waving it about in front of witnesses, and eating little bits of his victims flesh.

The common definition of alleged is “asserted but not proved; supposed but doubtful” - what is “alleged” about this event?

If the bus had pulled into a station and the driver had walked to the back of the bus and found a headless Tim McLean showing evidence of multiple stab wounds to the upper body then we could properly say that Vince Weiguang Li “allegedly” stabbed the man to death, and “allegedly” cut off his head, and if there were pieces of the victim missing we might say that Li “allegedly” ate those pieces…. in other words there is doubt.

But that ain’t what happened is it?

Li has been charged with second degree murder and he may be found legally guilty of that, or he may be found legally guilty of something else, or he may be found not legally guilty of anything at all because of insanity, temporary or otherwise.

– but none of that will change the fact that witnesses saw Vince Weiguang Li actually stab a man to death and actually wave his head around in front of them will it?

Where is the doubt?