"When my 28 year old daughter Amy was murdered by the father of her 22 month old son, I had to rethink my belief in capital punishment. Some day his son will ask about his birth dad, and I would have to explain everything to him. How could I explain his father was killed because he killed Amy? If I cannot explain the logic of the death penalty to a child, then it is wrong. I … [Read more...] about Victim Voices: Carol Samuelson
Victim Voices: Candy Ruff
"Because my brother was murdered in 1982, I am often asked if I want his perpetrator to be punished with the death penalty. My unequivocal answer is NO. My faith confirms my belief that the person who took my brother's life will pay for his crime in the here after. The punishment the Lord has in mind is much harsher than anything our legal system could inflict on earth. … [Read more...] about Victim Voices: Candy Ruff
Victim Voices: Sue Norton
"The execution of Robert Knighton in 2003 was another crisis in my life, another trauma to heal from. He had been convicted of murdering my Daddy and Step-mother in 1990. My husband and I watched that execution not for vengeance but as a form of support since I had become the man’s only friend. Our immediate family had befriended him, all on different levels. I forgave him … [Read more...] about Victim Voices: Sue Norton
Victim Voices: Bob and Ruth Hessman
"Four years before he was executed, we began to correspond with Gregg Braun who killed our daughter, Mary. At first, he was belligerent with us; but later he began to release his bitterness, eventually expressing regret and apologized for killing her. We didn’t find forgiveness just by saying, ‘We forgive’ and moving on. We found we needed to start each day with a prayer of … [Read more...] about Victim Voices: Bob and Ruth Hessman