[Sistermadly]

But didn't the article say that they had a better chance for prosecution -- and a stiffer penalty -- if they didn't charge the perps with a hate crime?

Hate crime convictions are a double-edged sword. Sure, it gets put on the books as such, but hate is such a difficult thing to prove. We might know it when we see it, but folks on the jury might see differently. However kidnapping isn't as ambiguous as a hate crime charge.