AGREED: Racism is ugly and so are its consequences, intended or not.

How can someone be so spinless? Why didn’t he tell his Dad and the rest of the family, “You accept her or your out of my life”!! He should have moved far away and started a new life with his wife and baby girl.

Ricky Ria is pathetic, as pathetic as his father.

Since the little girls dad is such a COWARD and WUSS, she’s better off without him or his family in her life. I wonder what Ricky Rai was thinking when he married someone outside of his race knowing the consequences that he would face as well as the wife and any children. It’s so sad because the person who suffers the most is the little girl…she’s lost her mom for good and has a no-good COWARD as a father.
IF the dad feels the way he does about other nationalities then why are they in America….the biggest melting pot! It would seem to me tht he would stay in India with his bigotry!!!!!!!!!!

Racism… What is it called when a black man killes a beautiful black women with her beautiful baby in the same room, and two black teenagers… teenagers mind you watch, oh yeah and one of them helps out by holding the dying womens baby Then tells only to cover her butt in yet another criminal case she’s involved in. Not to mention their stories don’t even match up. Explain this to all of us Jami. If Mr Rai allegedly hated blacks so much , why would allegedly hire a black man to allegedly murder for him. Loosers come in all colors, he could have picked one of them…Oh and I’am glad Mr Bachner didn,t coddle you on your last question like most of your cowokers.

Hateful, Anti-semetic, Racist people can live in your community,
act friendly towards you, open stores in your community to make money from you and still not want you to sit at their dinner table,
come to their wedding, or marry into their family.
So YES, Rai is most certainly guilty of hiring a hitman to kill that
young lady. There were many professional businessmen who people in Germany could say nice things about but, they still provided, research, chemicals, and knowledge of ways to kill Jews.
I know caucasians who are very nice to African-Americans and will even give them half of their lunch if need be, but once that African-American has left the table, they will remark how much they can’t stand those people, or will say ” they are alright as long as they don’t date their son or daughter”. I know Asians with businesses in African-American neighborhoods who will even extend a little credit to them, but cannot stand the thought of those people marrying into their family or coming to their home.
So, every racist person is not blantant.

The culture in India is one that allows for the killing of women without
remorse or consequence. Families have killed their daughter or sister -in-laws on many occasions.

Indians should be ashamed of themselves and they do not deserve to come to this country or live the American Dream, when they come
with hate. We have enough homegrown hate without inviting non-Americans to make matters worse.

How dare anyone from outside the U.S.A. to come to our country and kill any of our people, black, white, red, green, or blue. Don’t bring more hate and violence here.

Jami, I don’t know of any person in the US that is more racist
than you are and it shows every time you give your ‘Last Word’.
Can’t you think of anything else ? You only contribute to the problems
with racism in this country.

It’s no surprise considering Indian culture has, until recently, had an entire segment of the population called “untouchables”. However, I’m not convinced that Mr. Rai had anything to do with this murder. I need to see more convincing evidence.

I’m confused. Wasn’t this guy convicted of this crime this summer? I have not found any news reports stating that the conviction was tossed.

Hi i am a college student majoring in criminal justice. I am interested in presenting this case on Chiman Rai for my ‘courts class’. Could you be so kind as to tell me where i can find a copy of this court case. Thank you very much.

sad state of affairs. Racism among Indians is rampant. Gandhi supported
segregation and apartheid in South Africa by saying the Indians were better off than the “kafirs” and sought to give Indians higher status in SA. Chiman Rai should be prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law and his son made to pay child support. They should be banned from ever calling themselves Americans and stopped from soiling our land.

Shame on them and those among the Indian community that support such behavior.

Racism should never be tolerated. I have been a victim of racism from blacks, being a Sikh but that usually boils down to ignorance or low education. Chiman rais racist dogma comes from the caste system that he doggedly follows knowing it is utterly ridiculous in the environment we live in. His son is no exception, he should ahve supported his daughter and his wife but he cowardly hid behind his fathers skirt.

Let’s hope that Chiman Rai has a jury of East Indian origin so he gets a fair trial.

Wasn’t this case aired not so long ago? What is happening with TrueTV? I don’t think they have run out of newer cases to show their audience. Mr. Rai has been sentenced to life in prison. That is the outcome. And Rai should have known better to defy his father marrying into another culture, its not a matter of race, but culture.

I’m watching the coverage of Rai V. Georgia now, and it’s driving me crazy! The commentators are coming from a place of not knowing or understanding racism. It doesn’t mean wearing a Klan robe or being an overt racist towards any group. There are quite a few families who have parents who are okay with their children having friends of different races, may work(or own a business) in places that are full of a different race, and have friends and acqaintences of many races. But when it comes to a different races marrying their child, if it isn’t a race they deem “acceptable”, there’s a problem. It’s always a different issue when there’s marriage. I’ve heard people say “(Insert minority here)people are great, I have friends of that race, but I don’t believe in interracial dating/marriage for my kids”. As for the pointing out that Mr. Rai taught courses in an African American college and owned a liquor store in a Black community, I say who cares? I’ve had Caucasian teachers as a child who I knew didn’t like me(despite me being in the top 10 in grades), and Mr. Rai could’ve opened a store that lots of Black communities lack, like a well stocked market. He knew liquor would be an instant moneymaker(and yes I grew up in a densely populated Black community in a big city and the liquor stores did big business).

Dear Lisa,

““““The more i hear of this case the more convinced that Mr. Rae did indeed kill Sparkle, Mr. Ricky Rae, that is.
““““Faced with losing his controll of Daddys money thru his own devices he had to get to it through pleasing the Father. He is the only one with anything to gain from this. He has already shown he knows how to spend others money, so getting the money from his fathers account was the easy part. I do not think he indended for his father to get the blame but if happened it would only mean he could get to Daddys money quicker.

I think the defendants relationship with the Black community was that of a good business man who knew which side his bread was buttered on;and who would have the nerve to show his racism in a prison inhabited by mostly black inmates

Who did the cleveland get paid. Green or evans did not have money why would green or evans want the girl diad. how did green or evans know where to find this couple at. thru the family

The defense showed how Mr. Rai got out of the murder with his hands clean. His daughter mentioned on the stand she paid a debt of $5000.00 on behalf of her father to clear her brother. Why didn’t he just pay it? She clearly did what the father asked. It brings up another question, did they check the bank records of the other family members?

How ironic that the young woman was allegedly hated and eventually killed, because of the color of her skin, and in the pictures accompanying this article, there is virtually no difference in her skin color and that of Chiman Rai.

Why is court tv showing a trial that was just broadcast a couple of months ago? Oh i forgot….cnn owns it now…no explanation necessary

Mr. Rai’s judgement is desperately relying on the racism of the jurors. Jurors who’ve instinctively believe that most young female afro -americans typically live random drug-related death lifestyles. Sparkle was the living catalyst activating Rikki’s lifestyle that was unwelcome in Dr Rai’s life and future. Sparkle’s death is proof if not indicative. Let us not forget that although Sparkle’s “race” may have not been motive, the brightness or darkness of Her skin will color most jurors’ opinion. Mr. Tonal Racism is sitting in that courtroom as well.

Why is this case not a hate crime. He had her killed because she was balck.

Jami,
I was in an interracial marriage… People don’t understand, some people are racist, they may be nice or tolerate other races, work with other races, live in the same neighborhood is one thing but, when you marry into their families, then is when there ugly faces and show and it IS a whole new ball game all together…..!!!!

Anick,
Santa Barbara, California

It’s hard for me to believe how “kind” this man is as his children say. A kind person doesn’t pay people to kill in-laws.
However I think Life without parole is the correct sentence.

I was looking at the picture of Sparkle and Ricky. They look like they are happy and the same race. If I did not know about this case I would not have none two group were represented here. I wish we could finally look at how we are all of the human race. I am a product of a biracial marriage and I am in a biracial marriage with children. It is so heart breaking to see how treat each other like animals after all these years. After we are supposed to be so civilized a nation.

I was sitting down styling my hair getting ready for school when the verdict was read. Overall I was over whelmed I thought the system was going to show it’s real colors of being cohearsed, but after all justice was served.

A person’s life is not worth anything in these days. It is more evident that racism, bigotry, & prejudice are still prevelant here in the US. There is blatant racism and suttle instances like this case. Rai wa good enough to take black people’s money & teach their children, but didn’t want a black woman to shame his family.
Ricky actions are disgraceful. To leave his daughter,
and she has no parents. She is better off than to associate with them.

I found it very distressing how In Session allowed the Chiman Rai famiily members more time to express how they felt about their father. It does not matter how good he was, this evil man paid to have a human being killed. I think this men should have gotten what he gave DEATH. The son that was married to poor Sparkle should be sitting in jail right next to his evil father, this evil man ran out on his child. I also want to say to Sparkle’s family, may god bless and keep you and I hope Sparkle’s child find nothing but love.

Jami,
Chiman Raj is a very smart man, he is not going to leave a paper trail of where he got the money. I’m sure he doesn’t put all his money in the bank and if he had been planning this for a while, he was probably keeping the money stashed somewhere. I also know that a person can be friends with someone of another race, but, that doesn’t mean that he wants that race in his family.

Chiman Rai is not an honorable person. Indian women are considered indispensible. Ricky NEW the rules, that’s why he kept it a secret & couldn’t tell his family. That’s ashame Rick was living a life of lies.

sparkle rai case….what sickens me about the indian community and other eastern asian communities that believe in honor killings is that they left their land for a better life, therefore something about their culture was not right, yet something makes them hang onto it. india is a country that once upon a time was under british rule. i have seen lots of indians mixed with white. is it superior if they mix with white, but dispicable if mixed with black or any other race? it is mentioned how great chaiman rai was as a person. so was jesus and lucifer once upon a time. india, a country of people who are known for the caste system. at the bottom are the untouchables. there is no way up for these people. if the untouchables had a way to come to the USA for a better life, would the rai family embrace them because they are indians or dispise them because they are at the bottom of the caste system? i am all for foreigners coming over here for a better life. what they don’t seem to understand is this..”when in rome do as the romans do.” the USA is a melting pot. u know this before u get here. if you have children, chances are they will see and embrace this. if the thought of having someone of another race enter your family sickens you, then stay at home. we don’t need you. the USA already has enough issues. we don’t need you all coming over here adding on to the ignorance. people who can pass for black. the only way you can tell that some of them are indian is because of their hair. put a hat on some of them and they would pass for a black person. as a matter of fact a lot of them are soooo black that they looke bluepurple. what makes another race come over to the USA and think that they are superior to the blacks born in the USA is something that i will never understand. i am glad that they gave rai life in prison even though he took a life. i hope that someday his grandaughter will ask him why he did it and the most that he can say is no comment. as strong of a gene that indians have, the grandaughter probably looks 100% indian. the sad thing about this whole case is that the family probably doesn’t blame their father, but blames anallah’s dad. in the indian community he is probably looked up to as a hero and anallah’s dad is back to the status of being the black sheep of the family. people who believe in honor killings remind me of the behavior of a socio/psychopath. to all you dark people of eastern asia (india, pakistan, bangladesh, all arab countries, etc… the next time you look at a black person in disgust, be sure to take a look at a world map to see how close you are to africa. take a look at a old map to see how all countries were together before the parting of the red sea. maybe u r afraid that if you checked your geneology you wil find that you too are from the mother land.

Ok, I am a little confused. I don’t understand why Jamie Floyd is being attacked. I read her words above and I don’t see where she is being racist. I don’t know if I am not reading in between the lines or what. In any case, someone needs to point that out to me than I can get a better understanding on Jamie being racist.

The issue at hand is an innocent woman was killed and her child left motherless and unfortunately without a father too. I can’t really comment too much on Ricky Rai and why he gave full custody of his daughter to Sparkle’s stepmother Donna Lowry. What I will say is he may have done this out of cowardness, for the safety of his child, inheritance, or no reason at all.

Ricky Rai is the only person who knows his family better than anyone. Ricky Rai knew before marrying Sparkle that his family was traditional and would not approve of his marriage to Sparkle. I don’t know why Ricky thought he could pull this off. Being a lunatic, crazy, and mentally disturb doesn’t happen overnight. Ricky knew his father wasn’t mentally stable, but now Ricky will live with the lost of a loved one for the rest of his life. What will hurt Ricky is that his father is the cause of the lost. Who knows what the other family members are capable of doing if they don’t want blacks or any other race in their gene line.

Where do Indians think they get there dark complexion from? I have seen Indians darker than Black Americans, which is why I can’t understand their racism towards blacks. Not to be graphic, but if things went back to the past when Black Americans were getting lynched, I don’t think Indians of darker complexion, who look black would get a pass from KKK to not be lynched.

Wake up to all Indians who want to be racist. If you are here in the USA, know that some of your traditions will not fly in the USA. We have culture and diversity, which is what I and some other nationalities like. If you only want to mingle with your race than you should consider staying in India.

Consider this people. Maybe Ricky Rai was threatened in some form or another that if he didn’t severe all ties with his beautiful daughter, she too would end up dead like her mother. This is enough to make a man turn the other cheek for the safety of his child. If this was the case than Ricky made the right decision. I would hate to see that beautiful girl harmed.

Ricky Rai will always have to live with the murder of his wife by his father’s hands. This alone will eat him alive and the daughter will have questions someday.

First of all I am becoming very frustrated that CNN has turned CourtTV into another mediocre media channel. I miss the old CourtTV, the one that celebrated those who are interested in the court system and the cases that are of interest to those who find law to be a passion for them. So, with that said, I am also annoyed that we don’t get to see a new trial. This one was just covered. Grr. Lastly, in regards to the case, I don’t find it to be coincidence that the black people involved said the Mr. Rai was nothing but nice and the white inmate who testified talked about Mr. Rai’s ranting about black people. If you ask white people if they are racist or what their thoughts are on other races, very rarely will you find someone that will flat out say out loud that they dislike or hate that other race especially in front of that different race. So of course he was nothing but nice to his black customers because they were putting food on his table. Perhaps having to be around black people all day long that asked for help and didn’t always have enough money to pay their bill, he started to resent them. Perhaps he put on a nice face to appear helpful and secretly detested them all. And when his son married a black woman that was more than he could handle. I think this was absolutely an honor killing. It’s a shame that the son didn’t stand up for his wife and daughter, but perhaps after seeing what his father was capable of he thought he might be next.

i luv tru tv, and i must admit that i had never heard of this case until it was shown, but i thought that tru tv showed live cases? i had no idea that this was an old case until i googled information about the case. any reason why they show cases a few weeks or months later instead of when it actually happens? maybe they should change the name of the show again? late tv?

There is no winner in this trial, however justice needs to happen no one should be targeted as this young girl was & waht ever they say I belive that race was always the issue. I have kids ranging from 27yrs
to 11yrs, & I would never dictate there love lives.

Thank’s
Fidel. CA.

I think that it is really sad about the killing of a beautiful young mom.
killed in the prime of her life,because she was black.and what happened to the two young ladies that accompied cleveland clark?
i hope that analla have a beautiful life,and that her grand parents get
some inner peace.

Anita,the story you tell is very SAD and TWISTED also; but apparently you need to hear and listen to this case that Jami Floyd was talking about!!! YES it was PURE RACISM as Ricky Rai wasn’t even able to tell his family that he had married Sparkle and later had a baby…..the reason being….she (Sparkle) was black!! However you are right about the facts of “LOSER’S” come in all color’s and from all over the world!! Jami, i commend you for your work and all you do-just keep up the good job you do!! I enjoy watching your program!! OH, by the way i’am a “white woman”. And Jami, you are soooo right; as unfortunately we do indeed still have racism problems, and it is soooo scary!! And the folks that keep accusing you of always “playing the race card” need to wake up!!!!

indians are KNOWN for being highly disrespectful to indian woman, killing this woman was just business ALMOST as usual, as she is black and not indian.

those people need to get it together stat!

thank god, i was not born one of them.

sheesh!

He is guilty as sin. His son is as guilty and I think his father is doing what’s best for his family by taking the rap. How could he fight so hard for something and walk away. Someone needs to find out if Rick received any insurance money and he should have to pay child support to her grandparents. Rickie started this all and I don’t think he’s innocent .

How in the world does the other two country thugs and the young mindless girls get off without concequence. That’s crazy, they held on to this information for four years.

Also, how does the other brother fit into the crime, no one put’s him there. All of the players should be played and punished.

So, where IS the child?

Defense witnesses testified that the father was not racist. I think the murdered wife was not accepted because she was blamed (which I would not agree) for the bad behavior of Ricky.

Isn’t it interesting that those that have posted are indignant about the alleged racism by indians but at the same time have made comments lumping all indians in with this one man? If he is truly as traditional as he claims, he may not have accepted any girl that was not exactly what his family wanted. Not all indians are the same- it was not even a unified country until 1947. As such, each state varies so much in culture, history, religion, and beliefs.
Just because so many people live in America does not mean that we all mix well– but it would be nice if we could at least work for a measure of tolerance and acceptance.

I am so disappointed in this site. It’s not court tiv, but rather CNN trying to acquire new viewers. While I like some of the commentators on court tv, I’m primarily interested in the trials not the opinions of the commentators. This is the third time the Rai case has been broadcast. I didn’t view the case the first time and I missed the verdict the second time the case was aired. I wasn’t going to want watch the coverage again, luckily I read the comments of the other viewers and acquired the verdict.

My thanks to those who revealed the verdict.

chiman rai should have stayed in india,HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN
EXECUTED. his children learned nothing but his india thoughts,not seeing rickis child. i hope i never meet you in the medical system i would spit on you . all of you go back to india you have nothing to
offer this country,other than how to disown a child and how to murder
a non india.

By abandoning the child he had with Sparkle, Ricky condoned his father’s monstrous actions. Apparently he thinks no child is better than a half black child - whatever it takes to make big daddy Chiman happy, I suppose . Disgusting - the whole ugly bunch of them.

i also believe ricky rai wanted his wife gone and he is behind the whole killing

this whole trail was sad to begin with,, how could a father in law ,, take the life of his daughter in law just because she was african american,,,, i know there are other cultures,, but i think this was an excuse for this man,, because he just did not like sparkle,, from the pictures ive seen of her,, she was a graduate ,, had her whole life ahead of her with her child,, and i think ricky or whatever his name is,, the husband is a coward,,, a coward in the truest sense of the word,, what,, he was afraid of his father,, so then move,,, dont talk to him,, get on with your life with your wife and baby daughter. a sad very sad family case,, hey im from a mixed nationality but my family all got along,, sure we had our ups and down like most folks,, but we didnt plot out to kill each other,,, the son should have stuck up for his wife, i feel he was a wuss ,., and the other blogger saying something about collecting an insurance policy,, that would be my best bet.. investigate that

RE: Casey Anthony: IF SHE WANTS TO HELP FIND HER DAUGHTER WHY DOESN’T SHE JUST COOPERATE WITH THE POLICE????

If she is allowed to roam around scott free, she might tamper with evidence or even create evidence.

I think she used the cholorform to put her daughter to sleep in her car while she went out partying. She couldn’t continue to ask her parents to babysit and didn’t want hear a lecture about her responsibilities as a mother from them — plus she couldn’t afford to pay a babysitter, so she devised this idea to make sure her daughter slept through the night, in her car, while she was out having a good time. She literally “put her to sleep” and accidentally over dosed her to death.

Now she is involved in trying to cover up what a terrible mistake she made by being uncooperative with police and lying all the time.

I hope the Judge does not allow her to go where ever she wants. Either obey the rules of being out on bail or go back to jail.

I watched part of that trial and became angry at that young man Rajeev for returning home to his parents after his wife was killed, for not having contact with his daughter at the time, an infant. He gave her up and moved back into the Indian culture and family . He is now likely into some arranged marriage and lives the way his parents wanted him to. It sickens me as I wonder….did he have anything to do with his wife’s murder? Did he know his father was going to kill her? I think a “normal” man would have stuck with his baby, his wife’s memory and their life together before she was murdered. Rajeev’s behavior is different. It is that of a person that subconsciously admits he made a mistake by marrying a black woman and he moved on, forgetting the past. It is sad and a terrible example of what racism can be. I pity that young man. He is soft and spineless.

I am thinking about the parents of Sparkle Rai who are now raising the child whose father is Indian and has in fact ignored her existence.
These sweet people are the salt of the earth as they loved their daughter, they love her child as well no matter who her father is.
Poor little girl whose mother was murdered and whose father fled as a coward back to his roots. Thank God for the grandparents! I think they should make Rajeev pay support for her but maybe they are too proud to do so and want nothing to do with the Rai’s; justice would be good.

I missed the verdict. What was it?

Sad. Racism, the big ugly elephant in the room of society has yet again reared it’s ugly head, and yet again we are plauged with a young citizen of our country. Succuming to ethnic differences, this country is yet again struck with what in the last past centuary has fueled violent epidemics, and the news. Although this case pertains to an unpopular marriage, it’s bewildering and ultimately horrifying that one can just blatantly execute one’s own son’s love, due to just misconceptions in tradition. One normal American would just see a loving couple, while another man see’s a horrible sin staining his faith. Ludricrous if you ask me, have we succumbed ourselves to simple pagans where we execute humans on custom differences? The economy is failing, world economics are toppling, and yet we are still plauged with downright human cruelty at it’s ugliest. Sickening.

he probly will walk cause hes old.we feel soory for the old.like they didnt know.send him to jail.

Whether you agree or not, this is a culture argument. This is the nature of other countries. This is their belief. The older generations are like this.

If the male were a coward or not the young woman should have been a little less in love and a little more wary of her race and what it means in America. Blacks have that extra added task, discernment, unless they become full of themselves or so educated that they buy that; we are one, crap that spills out of the mouths of more young folks than older folks, whom are mislabeled as stuck in their old ways. I am not stuck in my old ways I am just a little closer to remembering, which is why I am losing sleep. My daughter is running around in the backwoods of Arkansas with a white druggie (because he is a druggie, as she is) whose family will only eat white’s only pies. I pray she will awaken soon from underneath whatever cloud she’s resting on and come home before it’s too late.

It shouldnt matter what race. Look at how that man let his rascist father force him to turn his back on his child. He most likely despises his indian wife. Why did they even come to america if they just wanted to stay with their own kind. I cant stand people like that. Free your minds and the rest will follow

I have to say the whole thing is sad….I don’t know the details but I read some of these comments.

what a COWARD chiman rai is. Making money off of black people and then having his black daughter in law killed . I hope he has to shine all the black inmates shoes and I hope his spineless son Ricky has to go on welfare and clean the sewers where he belongs.sparkle was way too good to be in this family God Bless Her Little Girl

Jamie,
Do you honestly think every person on trial is not guilty, even when the jury finds them guilty? Rai was found guilty, yet you use words like “if he is guilty” You have even made comments about whether Simpson is guilty - the latest jury found him so. I know you respresent the defense, but you are not even fair..me thinks you protest too much,…,

The son was ashamed of his child, not to mention his own chose in a wife. Is this man guilty? do the stars come out at night?