Listening to Victims

MVFHR members Bill Pelke and Bess Klassen-Landis were among those who spoke on "Listening to Crime Victims" panel at the 3rd National Conference on Restorative Justice in Raleigh, North Carolina last month. Now Lisa Rea, the moderator, has blogged about the event and their testimony:

As I considered each victim/survivor I thought of how different each story was from the other. Bill Pelke's grandmother, Ruth, was brutally murdered by a group of ninth grade girls in 1985. Stephen Watt, a Wyoming state trooper at the time, was shot multiple times by a fleeing bank robber in 1982 leaving Watt in his police vehicle bleeding to death. Bess Klassen-Landis 's mother, Helen, was brutally raped and murdered by a man in 1969 in the family's Indiana home Bess was 13 years old. Kim Book's only daughter, Nicole, was murdered in 1995 at 17 years of age in her father's home in Delaware by a boy known by her daughter. Again, there is no way to hear such horrible stories and not be affected.

Read the rest of Lisa's post.

Don't respond with more violence

An article in the July 7th edition of The Union.com quotes MVFHR members Amanda and Nick Wilcox:

A bill that seeks to abolish California's death penalty advanced Thursday after its first legislative hearing with support from the author of the state's death penalty and a former warden who presided over executions.

Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, said she introduced the bill because California can no longer afford a capital punishment system that is both expensive and ineffective as it battles persistent multibillion-dollar budget deficits.

It has the backing of two Nevada County residents — Nick and Amanda Wilcox, whose 19-year-old daughter Laura was gunned down in 2001 by a mentally ill man, Scott Thorpe, in Grass Valley. The Wilcoxes traveled to the hearing Thursday in Sacramento to lend their support to the measure.

“We've been advocates for ending the death penalty for a long time,” said Nick Wilcox.

“We add our voice because the death penalty is often justified in the name of victims, and not all victims support it,” Amanda Wilcox said. “We were opposed to the death penalty before Laura was killed, and after she was killed it did not change our view. We don't believe in responding to violence with more violence.”

Former Nevada County District Attorney Mike Ferguson did not seek the death penalty in Thorpe's case, which was in line with the family's wishes, Nick Wilcox said.

“We believe healing comes from within, not with what happens to the offender,” Amanda Wilcox said.

If eventually signed into law, the bill would put the question before voters in November 2012.

Read the full article.

Turned his pain into action

From Saturday's online edition of The [Texas] Valley Morning Star:

Chris Castillo remembers how he felt when he first learned his mother had been murdered.

He felt rage, he felt anger, and he wanted to go after her killers himself and hurt them. When he learned they had fled to Honduras and that the United States had no extradition treaty with that country, he felt even more anger. His mother, Pilar, a former Brownsville resident who was living in Houston when she died, had taught Castillo and his siblings so many things about life, and in a moment, she was gone. There was an empty space in his heart that could never be filled.

That was 20 years ago, and Castillo, a former Harlingen resident who now lives in Beaumont, has turned his pain into action. He’s the national outreach coordinator for Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation (MVFR), an organization that works to abolish the death penalty. He’s also contributes to Bridges to Life, whose members go into prisons and work to make inmates understand the impact of crime on victims’ families.

“It’s about a 13-week program and it’s about three hours once a week,” Castillo said. “They meet in small groups, so we get pretty intimate. The victims share their stories, and the inmates share their stories as well of how they got there … If they lost someone to DWI, had someone (been) taken through homicide, they share their stories as well.”

MVFR also partners with The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. He went to Brownsville in May to speak to a Catholic church and a United Methodist church that are members of that organization.

Castillo, who is Catholic, said he opposes the death penalty for a number of reasons.

“I guess one reason why I’m against the death penalty is because I feel that the amount of money spent on the death penalty is just astronomical,” he said. “It actually costs three to four times more for the death penalty than it does for life without parole and I really would love to see that money spent on cold cases and on victims’ services. I just don’t believe that taking another life will make any difference.”

Pilar Castillo’s case recently was re-opened to check for DNA evidence, but investigators found nothing. But police believe the people who were renovating his mother’s house entered the residence in the middle of the night, forced her to sign some checks, and then strangled her to death. The perpetrators then fled the country and cashed the checks internationally.

When Chris Castillo tells his story to inmates, they seem sympathetic.

“I think that it really has a deep impact on them because they all have a mother, and they all have brothers and sisters, and I think there’s a close bond between someone and their mother,” he said.

The people who killed his mother still haven’t been brought to justice. Castillo said he’d like see those involved held accountable.

“A lot of people are confused,” he said. “They feel like people who are against the death penalty want everyone let go, and that’s not really the case. But I feel like they should be held accountable. Right now we have life in prison without parole. I think that’s a suitable sentence.”

Read the full article.

After the Execution

Randy Gardner, brother of Ronnie Lee Gardner, who was executed in Utah last June, sent us a link to a television news story in which he talks about how the execution has affected Gardner's surviving family members:

Randy Gardner was never one to rally openly for any cause, but after his brother, Ronnie Lee Gardner was executed by firing squad last year, that changed.

"I just got on the internet to see if there were other people in the same situation I was in," said Gardner. He found there were many other Americans who mourned the loss of their loved ones who also died after being executed in other states.

Gardner does not defend the fact that his brother shot and killed two people and seriously injured another, but he has a hard time with the state's execution of his brother. "I feel like they did the same thing that Ronnie did," he said.

On the Fourth of July weekend, Gardner spent time with other activist like him fasting and holding vigils and informing citizens about the Death Penalty and why they believe it should be abolished.

"We're not the ultimate judge in someone's life. Even if someone does kill, it is not our choice to take another life," said Gardner.

View the clip here.

And read last year's post with a news story about the execution and comments from the victim's family expressing opposition to it here.

Genuine Justice

On her blog Genuine Justice, Virginia attorney Sylvia Chute posted yesterday about the presentation that Walter Long and I gave in Halifax a couple of weeks ago. Here's an excerpt from the post:

Sheffer’s and Long’s workshop at the recent 14^th IIRP International Restorative Justice Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia focused on victims of the death penalty who go mostly unrecognized: the families of the executed and the defense attorneys who handle their death penalty appeals.

For the families of the executed, the period of bereavement begins before the death. The trauma includes shopping for a casket for a loved one who is going to be murdered - before it happens. The exact date and time of their death is known. If a stay of execution is granted at the last minute, there is joy over the victory that is often followed by the execution that was merely delayed. Then there is the death certificate that describes the cause of death as homicide. We ambiguously identify the perpetrator of this murder as “the state.” Who killed their son, daughter, brother or father for “the state”?

We rarely consider the impact on the children of the executed. How do you explain to the children that the “state of Texas” killed their dad? How does this impact their future relationship with the state? How to they reconcile being told that killing is wrong, but it was okay for “the state” to kill their dad?

Misty was 14 when her dad was charged with a capitol offense and 28 when he was executed. There were no victims’ advocates ready to help her. Misty tried to commit suicide after her father’s execution.

Among the Texas After Violence Project's reports of stories located at theUniversity of Texas’ Human Rights Documentation Initiative is a video of Jamaal, Napoleon Beazley’s younger brother. After Napoleon was put on death row for a crime he committed at age 17, Jamaal lost his parent’s attention during the years they were consumed with Napoleon’s appeals. Every weekend for 7 or 8 years Jamaal and his parents visited his brother on death row. Napoleon was executed three days before Jamaal graduated from high school. After that, Jamaal’s father seemed to pull away, which Jamaal speculates is because of the pain of losing one son, and not wanting to be hurt that deeply again. The family’s grief was in essence “disenfranchised” because the loss could not be openly mourned or socially acknowledged. There was no space for the mitigation of his loss.

There is little space for the family members of the executed to discuss their grief. They face the question, do you hold a funeral, and if so, who should attend? They are innocent people who often feel ostracized.

What can be done about this? If we recognize the family members of the executed as victims, how will we define the framework for meeting their needs; is it state violence, a human rights violation, a murder? Who should provide counseling: school counselors, therapists, victim rights advocates, human rights activists?

Read the full post.

Radio Interview

MVFHR board member member and Journey of Hope co-founder Bill Pelke was interviewed on the radio show The Path to Justice earlier this week. In the interview, which lasts for about 40 minutes, Bill talks about his grandmother's murder, his initial support for the death penalty, his experience of changing his mind, and his eventual work against the death penalty, including, specifically, his involvement in the campaign to save the life of Paula Cooper, who had been one of the four teenagers responsible for the murder of Bill's grandmother and who became the youngest woman to be sentenced to death in the U.S. (Her sentence was subsequently reduced to 60 years in prison.)

Listen to the full interview here.

They might need help too

MVFHR member Bill Babbitt is featured in this article published in the 6/25/11 Albuquerque Journal, "Families of Murderers Also Are Victims for Life," by Diane Dimond:

How wonderful to see the recent photos of a smiling Rep. Gabrielle Giffords as she left the hospital five months after being viciously shot in the head by 21-year-old Jared Loughner. Our hearts went out to Giffords and to the families of the 19 other victims, six of whom died.

But what about the family of Jared Loughner? Did you stop to think about them? The pain and suffering of Jared’s parents makes them victims, too. And, in the end, if Jared is declared fit to stand trial, Arizona’s death penalty might be used to take away their only son.

It is easy to forget about the plight of the families of those who commit these murders – Tucson, Virginia Tech, Columbine, Oklahoma City to name just a few of the most infamous.

When families are remembered, it is often with pointed fingers of blame and condemnation.

Whether the offense makes national headlines or not these ghastly crimes have two things in common: Nearly all involve shooters who have been clinically diagnosed with mental illness, including Loughner.

And, second – their families will never shake the shock, guilt and embarrassment of having a relative who kills.

In addition, these families have usually struggled for years trying to manage their loved ones psychological deterioration only to be told by medical experts to take them home, give them their medication and hope for the best. When the worst arrives these folks are often left on their own to cope. Victim assistance programs don’t consider the killer’s family might need help, too.

You likely never heard of Bill Babbitt, but as he told me his story the other day we both cried.

“It is the epitome of suffering,” he said as he told me about his little brother, Manny. “I’ve lost the love and support of much of my family over it.”

You see, Bill, now a 68-year-old war veteran living in California, was the first to realize his brother had caused someone to die – and he turned him over to police.

The story of Bill and Manny is too rich in detail to adequately fit in this small space, but the summary is this: Manny’s mental problems began in 1962 when his bike collided with a car and the boy was thrown into the air. He escaped death but was never “right” after that.

At 17, Manny joined the Marines. He wasn’t bright enough to pass the written test, but during the Vietnam War the military needed every good man.

Handsome Manny did two tours of duty and was so badly wounded during the bloody 77-day siege at Khe Sanh that his seemingly lifeless body was rescued from an active battlefield and medevaced out among a pile of corpses. Manny had sustained another major head wound.

Once home, post-traumatic demons set in and Manny was sent by the VA to two different mental institutions.

Finally, big brother Bill brought him to live at his house. Bill could tell from the frequent nightmares that his brother still was not “right.”

One rainy night in December 1980, Manny was out drinking with friends, some PCP-laced marijuana was passed around and on the walk home Manny’s demons returned.

The wet weather reminded him of Vietnam, a wide street morphed into the airstrip back in Khe Sanh and a loud TV set blaring a war movie sent him over the edge. He opened the homeowner’s unlocked screen door, as if to get closer to the war action, and encountered 78 year old Leah Schendel.

There was a violent scuffle and the elderly grandmother died of a heart attack.

He wouldn’t remember, but Manny grabbed a piggy bank and some rolls of coins as he fled. Bill and his wife found the unexplained money, along with a cigarette lighter bearing Schendel’s initials.

After reading about their neighbor’s death, the Babbitts knew what they had to do to get Manny the help he desperately needed. Bill turned in his own brother and, he told me, as the squad car pulled away, “I ran alongside and said, ‘Manny, Manny. Please forgive me!’ And he said, ‘Billy, I already have forgiven you.’”

Manny didn’t get the mental health treatment he needed. He got a bad lawyer who never mentioned post traumatic stress or head injuries during the trial. On May 14, 1982, Manny was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Upon hearing of his situation the U.S. Marines sent officers to San Quentin prison where they pinned a Purple Heart on Manny as he stood shackled before them. He was executed one day after his 50th birthday.

His brother Bill was on hand to watch. “It seems like it was just yesterday,” he told me through tears, “or just an hour ago.” Being a victim often lasts a lifetime.

This is the other side to the too-frequent stories we hear about “mad gunmen” who seemingly kill for “no reason.” There is almost always a reason. And most often it's family members who plead the loudest for help. Let’s remember them, too.

Against Violent Extremism

MVFHR members Bud Welch and Jo Berry have been invited to participate in the Summit Against Violent Extremism, held this week in Dublin and convened by Google Ideas. Here's Google's description of the event:

Why does a 13-year old boy in a tough neighborhood in South Central LA join a gang? Why does a high school student in a quiet, Midwestern American town sign on neo-Nazis who preach white supremacy? Why does a young woman in the Middle East abandon her family and future and become a suicide bomber?

In order to advance our understanding, Google Ideas is today convening the Summit Against Violent Extremism, bringing together former gang members, right-wing extremists, jihadists and militants in Dublin for three days of debates and workshops. All these "formers" have rejected violence and are working for groups recognized by governments and law enforcement that fight extremism. Extremists have taken advantage of new Internet technologies to spread their message. We believe technology also can become part of the solution, helping to engineer a turn away from violence.

We're also inviting survivors of violent extremism who are engaged in some of the most important activism around this issue. They will remind us of the horrors and loss associated with the challenge of violent extremism. Representatives from civil society, along with a stellar group of academics, will participate and provide additional texture.

Our partners in this venture are the Council on Foreign Relations, which will look at the policy implications, and the Tribeca Film Festival, which emerged out of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the the World Trade Center and which will explore the role of film and music on and in fighting extremism.

Together, we aim to initiate a global conversation on how best to prevent young people from becoming radicalised and how to de-radicalise others. The ideas generated at the Dublin summit will be included in a study to be published later in the year. We are undertaking this project without preconceptions. We aren't expecting quick answers or "silver bullets." Instead, we're looking to increase understanding of a critical problem and find some new approaches to combat it. Stay tuned as we attempt to marry ideas and action.

New MVFHR board member

We are delighted to welcome Stanley Allridge to the MVFHR Board of Directors. Stan, who lives in Texas, has been an active participant in MVHFR's "No Silence, No Shame" project, was part of our panel at the U.S. Human Rights Network conference a couple of years ago, spoke at a press conference in Jamaica, and has made several other presentations throughout the years, helping audiences to understand the effects of the death penalty.

Stan is a family member of murder victims (both his mother's parents were murdered, in separate incidents, and his maternal aunt was murdered as well) and also a family member of the executed (two of his brothers were executed in Texas). Stanley was just 18 when his brother Ronald was executed in 1995. His brother James was executed nine years later. Stan witnessed both executions, and he says, “After the first execution, I knew my life had totally changed. I had witnessed something most 18 year olds can’t imagine. I didn’t plan on being an activist, but I feel like I’m obligated to talk about the death penalty and what happened in our family. I don’t think we need to be ashamed. We are marching and protesting and trying to put an end to the death penalty, and we shouldn’t be embarrassed to be part of that.”

After working with Stan as an MVFHR member for several years, we are honored to have him join our board of directors.

In Halifax

I (Susannah Sheffer) am in Halifax, Nova Scotia today, at the International Institute for Restorative Practices conference. With Walter Long of the Texas After Violence Project, I'm presenting a session on "How Should Communities Respond to Those Harmed by the Death Penalty?" Here's the description:

The death penalty has a traumatic impact on many people involved in capital cases in addition to the individual sentenced to die. Drawing on the presenters’ extensive experience, this session will focus on how two groups in particular are emotionally harmed by death sentences: families of the offender and capital defense attorneys. We will consider what obligations society has toward members of these groups and what possibilities exist for addressing the harms they experience. Our session is rooted in restorative justice’s basic questions: who has been harmed, what are their needs, and who is obligated to address those needs? Families of the executed and capital defense attorneys are harmed by executions in ways that have not yet received significant attention, and the time is ripe for an exploration of their experience within the context of restorative justice practices.

Walter C. Long founded the non-profit Texas After Violence Project, an independent oral history project designed to listen empathetically to people directly affected by criminal violence and state executions in Texas and to engage all voices in the creation of a less violent, more just community. As a criminal defense attorney, he has represented Texas death row inmates in their final appeals for many years.

Susannah Sheffer is staff writer and project director for the Massachusetts-based international non-profit Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights. She works closely with survivors of homicide victims and families of the executed, and is co-author of the report Creating More Victims: How Executions Hurt the Families Left Behind. She is at work on the book Fighting for Their Lives, about the emotional experience of capital defense attorneys.