quote: Just out of curiosity…in your original post it sounded like your father was a police officer, is that the case or did I miss interpret what you said. If he was, why is the guy even up for parole? Isn’t killing a police officer a capital crime...or does your state not do that? Sorry if that is to personal, I was just wondering if that could be used somehow in the hearings…showing that others in his situation faced the death penalty, so in his case life in prison should be thought of as a less harsh sentence than what he could have gotten
Lupus
yes, my father was a law enforcement officer (highway patrol trooper). NOWADAYS, killing a cop is a capital offense. This was 23 years ago. Kansas at that time did not have capital murder, hard 40 sentence, hard 50 sentence, or capital punishment, all of which it now has. At the time this was committed "life" (up for parole in 15) was the worst sentence you could get.
I did make that exact point to the parole board (for what it was worth). That under current law his punishment would have been much, much more severe and we wouldn't even be having these parole hearings. But it is kind of a moot point, and unfortunately, parole board positions are "political" in nature, so they tip-toe a fine line...
posted
Ouch. That letter just screams "Okay, fine, I'm sorry. Now let me out of jail." I'm sorry you have to deal with this on top of the pain the loss of your father has caused, and the stress of the parole hearings. This man has hurt your family so much already, and now he has tried to hurt you more for his own gain.
posted
FG, allow me to add my compliments to everyone else's. I'm moved and inspired by the way you're handling this terrible situation.
As to the letter, I think that if he was truly remorseful, he wouldn't ask for forgiveness at all. A truly remorseful person would pray for you to find comfort and peace from the pain his crime caused your family.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Farmgirl, when I first read your thread about the parole hearing my first response was sympathy for the guy who did it as well as you. But after reading this... Yeah, the guy is nowhere near ready to be let out. I still want to know more about him and his history though... how come he can't seem to write correctly? Why is he so uncaring about anyone but himself? What happened to him before he went nuts and killed, and whats happened to him those 21 years in prison? (the little research I found said he wasn't actually convicted till 1983).
The letter read as completely empty, written with the hope of getting out of prison and as an appeal to you for forgiveness that he doesn't really deserve. However, a lot of people here seem to be reading a lot more from those two than I think is there... how can you really know that much about a person becuase of one random act of murder and an empty letter of apology that reads like something an elementary schooler wrote to escape detention? I would be in favor of establishing a correspondance with him in an attempt to find out more about his past, and who he is. I don't think that that is necesarily your job Farmgirl... you are entirely justified in just wanting him locked up and kept there forever. But someone needs to look into him. To find out about him. To find out his story, why is he so empty? Why can he commit the act of murder like that and not think about it, then write such an empty letter that is clearly doing more damage than help? Is there any way he can be helped?
*HUG* Farmgirl, you must be amazingly strong to have dealt with this as you have, for so long.
Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
Farmgirl, I haven't read every reply so I'm probably echoing what many others have said. I felt much the same as CT when she said something about the tenor of the note being manipulative.
The only type of apology that I could believe was sincere is one that spoke solely about the remorse he felt for taking another's life. His spiel about forgiveness on your part is pure BS.
In your shoes forgiveness would be forever beyond me. I might hope for the murderer to see the error of his earlier ways and seek redemption in whatever way he could. But I would never forgive him.
I would point out to him that if he truly has found the Lord that spreading the word of God to his fellow inmates would be a glorious way to salve his conscience. Perhaps service to God while in prison will somewhat reduce the stain on his soul.
Seek forgiveness from God, not me. Pay your penance and quit belly aching about your current misery.
Best of luck to you in dealing with this. (((((Farmgirl)))))
Posts: 2022 | Registered: Mar 2004
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