Gypsy Blood

David Cunniff Lives in Pain. Skinhead Jesse Chaddock lives in a Texas Prison. Who got the raw deal?

A A A Comments By Sarah Hepola Thursday, Jul 28 2005

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"I hate that thing," Courtney says.

He smiles and winks at her. "Don't worry. I'm gonna get rid of it some day."

Allison V. Smith

David Cunniff was beaten after an Old 97's show at Deep Ellum's popular Gypsy Tea Room. The incident occurred between the bar and the merchandise area, to the left of the entrance. Cunniff recently filed a civil suit against the club.

Although Jesse Chaddock had covered some of his racist skinhead tattoos, several remained. Clockwise, from top left: an SS symbol; four kings (from a Social Distortion song) and "Skrewdriver," the name of a skinhead band; crossed hammers, the symbol of the Confederate Hammerskins, on the inside of his arm and on his belly. Bottom right: Chaddock's police mugshot.

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Before Chaddock was sentenced, his mother took the stand to talk about the mistakes she'd made in her son's childhood, the guilt and sadness of watching his life unravel. As she spoke, Chaddock crumpled into tears.

"I could see the hurt in his mother," Cunniff says. "And I remember somebody saying something about how his niece and his nephew pray for him, and I realized that a lot of people were hurt by this." It was a trial no one won. Not really. In his victim's statement, read before the sentencing, Cunniff told his attacker that he prayed for him and would continue to pray for him. "But I don't feel sorry for him," he says. "He deserved exactly what he got. I'd be happy if he'd gotten more."

Scott Beggs disagrees. "I understand there's a lot of people who do not like Jesse, and they have very good reasons not to like him," he says. "But 'skinhead' had nothing to do with that fight. Skinheads had nothing to do with that, period. Jesse was wrong, and he probably needed to serve some time for that. But 19 years is a pretty stiff sentence."

David Cunniff knows about unfair sentences. "Jesse will be eligible for parole in nine and a half years," he says. "And I'm not gonna be able to get out of this body in nine and a half years and be healthy again." He shifts uncomfortably, once again, in his chair. "I hope I'm wrong."