RICHARD LANGERT, NANCY BISHOP LANGERT and their BABY

Nancy and Richard were absolutely wonderful people, full of life, love, and friends. They had a very bright future. They are pictured here on the happy day in 1990 that they found out they were expecting their first baby. Nancy's glow was only to last a few months.

Richard was 28 and Nancy was 25 and so happy to be having their first baby.

Their killer brutally shot Richard execution style point blank in the back of his head with a .357 magnum, and then turned the gun on Nancy. She cowered in the corner of her basement floor, begging for the life of her unborn child by holding her arms over her pregnant abdomen.

"Please don't kill me, please don't kill my baby" she begged, but the killer fired directly into her belly. Later autopsy revealed that the bullet hit the young baby and exploded it completely. Even the gender of the child could not be determined, depriving us of even the ability to bury the child with the name Nancy had chosen for her boy or girl baby.

The killer fled and left her there to die. He reported to friends that he just "wanted to see what it would feel like to shoot someone." He had plotted the murders for weeks, picked them because their home was directly across from the police station, and he could brag about what he did just under the noses of the local police.

As she lay dying, she managed to take her finger and draw with her own blood a heart and a "u" - her last act in life was to tell us that she loved Richard and all of us.

Their killer was four weeks shy of his 17th birthday, at which point he would be tried as an adult for all crimes in Illinois. He was certified and tried as an adult, and duly sentenced to three life without parole sentences that he is currently serving in the Illinois Department of Corrections.  He did not act on impulse. He was not acting under peer pressure. He knew it was completely illegal and horrifically evil. He was not on drugs. He was not mentally ill or deficient in any way. He reported doing it later for the "thrill of it". He continues to this day to be an unrepentant and dangerous sociopath.

We all need him to serve the three life without parole sentences he earned with no further attention to his case. We deserve the peace of never having to deal with him again. Our communities deserve to be safe from him.

Pictured here are Nancy and Richard's memorial trees, in full spring bloom, which stand today outside the Winnetka Community House.

See Jennifer, Nancy's sister, discuss the JLWOP issue on YouTube.

RUEBEN PULIDO and MARK LOPEZ

Young Ruben Pulido who was shot and killed alongside his good friend, Mark Lopez in 2000.  Both boys had been playing basketball in their front yard and were sitting in the front porch in suburban Chicago. 

The parents of these two fine young men were very proud of the fact that they were good and stayed out of gangs and yet they were targeted by two killers who were simply looking for someone to shoot. 

The 19 year-old killer ordered a 16 year-old to "light them up."  They both died with a single bullet each in their hearts.  One of the killers is a juvenile lifer.

Rueben and Mark's parents, siblings, and extended family have stood together in both devastation and tears that they want to make sure that these murderers never walk free, and that they do not have to spend the rest of their lives fighting to keep them where the law has sent them - to prison for life  - for taking deliberately and casually the lives of these two promising young men who were greatly loved by their families.

JLWOP Victim Family suffers ANOTHER murder of cousins by teenage killers:

http://vivirlatino.com/2008/11/12/antiimmigrantantilatino-hate-claims-another-vida-marcello-lucero.php

ROSS ELVEY

April 28, 1993.  my husband Ross V. Elvey was murdered, leaving me alone in what should have been our happy retirement years. Instead, I still have to work, and have lost my home and all savings, and am barely scraping by. Our children have never fully recovered from this trauma.

Ross was closing his place of business when  one juvenile (DM) came in the front door and distracted Ross while another juvenile (KK) came in the back door with a metal pipe. KK proceeded to beat Ross over the head with the metal pipe; they held him down on the floor and continued to beat him.  They then stole the guns they had came for and stupidly ran out the front door where one of Ross’s customers (LB) was driving by.

LB jumped out of his truck and started to chase them. The 2 juveniles ran through the neighborhood stopping to ask many people to give them a ride home as a gang was chasing them. When LB could not catch them he went back to the shop and called 911. The Sheriff’s Department drove through the neighborhood and found a lady who had put them in her son’s car and had him drive them home. Knowing the color and type of car these two where in, they were caught within 45 minutes.

Ross was in a coma for 41 days before he passed away on June 7, 2007.

DM was 4 month short of 16 so he could not be tried as an adult.  Their gang was called 187 Crips…DM’s street name was “NINE” as he could get 9mm hand guns for others. At 14 he supplied handguns to two other 14 year old juveniles who committed 2 murders. Maybe if something had been done to DM when he first started passing out guns, my husband may still be alive. 

DM was in the Youth Authority until the day before he turned 25. I don’t think he ever learned a thing. I attended 8 yearly progress hearings for DM. KK was 2 months over 16 and was tried as an adult.  His street name was 187 insane. The Prosecutor and Judge on the case were great.  KK was found guilty in a day and a half trial of First Degree Murder with Special Circumstances and the Judge gave KK a LIFE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE (LWOP) SENTENCE in September 1994.

Since then KK has tried to kill another inmate and received a 25 to life sentence for attempted murder. I hope that with his two sentences, he won’t ever be released.

It is hard to describe the pain, sorrow and troubles this brutal murder of our loved one has caused our family. Sit down and write a list of all the things you would lose if your SPOUSE is brutally murdered, what you and your family would go through.  I still find new things everyday that I have lost and have to work though all because of two juvenile’s bad choice.

One example that we don’t think of, when married we file our tax return as married-joint return, when you lose that spouse, you go down to single, which means you now pay more in taxes unless you have small children. It would take many pages to tell you what our family lost and goes through each and every day. We must make sure that homicide victims survivors of juvenile killers have their voices heard across the country when it comes to discussing changes in juvenile sentences past and future. Maggie Elvey and Family

IN MEMORY OF JIMMY

My brother, Jimmy, was 28 at the time of his brutal death

He was one of 7 children. His father was a successful business person; we grew up on a beautiful lake in Oakland County. Our mother was a stay at home Mom. All seven of us graduated from Waterford schools, many of us went on to College and we are all productive and successful members of society. My mother has since passed away but my Dad now enjoys his time with his, 11 grand children and proudly has one more on the way. My youngest brother is about to adopt his second child. I tell you all this because I often sit and wonder what my Brother Jim’s life would have been like. He was an automotive mechanic and enjoyed working on cars. He told me once that he enjoyed spring because people would roll down their windows and be able to hear that their cars needed attention and his shop would get busy. He loved to help people, often working on cars for free. I imagine that Jimmy could have owned his own business. I will never know there are no second chances given here!

Jim left his house to go to K-Mart on Mother’s Day, 1990, to buy our mother a card. Barbara Hernandez had been at that same K-Mart the day before to purchase the knife that would kill Jim. It was never determined in court how Barbara was able to convince my brother to let her into his car but he did and she took him to the house, where she knew her boyfriend was waiting, with the knife she had purchased the day before. Jim was just a random victim in a scheme to steal a car. It was brought out in court that Barbara had concocted this “pre-meditated” scheme to lure someone to the house to steal their vehicle so that she and her boyfriend could go to New Mexico, get off of drugs, put their lives back together and live with her father. Yes this would be the same father the ACLU states physically and mentally abused Barbara. She wanted to live with him.

During the trial we heard all the brutal details of the crime. You see my brother was not just stabbed once or twice. He suffered 25 wounds in all. 10 stabs and 15 incised. But the brutality did not stop here. Jim had suffered many lacerations to his neck to the point of almost decapitation. Just writing this makes me cringe and brings back the horrible thoughts of my brother’s endless suffering and his horrible death. The pain had to be tremendous; to this day I can imagine him bleeding to death. All for his car!

Of greatest interest to the prosecutor were the defensive wounds present to Jimmy’s hands. In Jim’s hand they found hair - forensic scientist testified that “it was forcibly removed from Barbara Hernandez head therefore she must have been near him during the time of his struggle.” Not likely that he pulled her hair out while she sat innocently in another room?

The medical examiner testified that Jim was a big guy at 175 lbs and compared to James Hyde, Barbara’s boyfriend, my bother was almost twice his size. The medical examiner testified that Hyde could not have fought with Jim and proceeded to stab him alone. Barbara either held him down or stabbed him while Hyde held him down. Hyde admitted himself to a hospital in Finlay, Ohio. Hyde had suffered a stab wound to the stomach. When admitted to the hospital the police where called and both he and Barbara where apprehended. I can imagine my brother fighting for his life.

Hyde and Hernandez would not speak to the police. It took three days for them to tell the police were to find Jim’s body. If Barbara did not kill and if she was innocent and just afraid for herself, why would she not have told the police were my brother was dying? Why did she make us suffer for three days? We Searched for Jim for days, fearing the worst and hoping for the best as we held vigil at our mother’s house. I had not slept for 3 days when they had found Jim… Our worst nightmare had come true, my brother, my friend, gone, he was DEAD. How could this be?

During the trial, my Mother’s Health went frail. It was so difficult for her to bury her son. She loved us all so much. After her death, as I was cleaning out her dresser, I found a doctors record that indicated that my Mother, several years early had had a scare with cancer. After speaking with her doctor, I believe the cancer was in remission and the stress of Jim’s murder resurfaced it. Jim died on May 12, 1990, Mother’s Day and my sisters wedding anniversary. My mother died the next year on April 27th we had the funeral on April 29th the same sister’s birthday.

We remember vividly calling my Mom from the pay telephone at court house in Oakland County, she was in the hospital in Detroit , We promised her we would call her and give her the verdict. We told her that they had been charged with first degree murder and that they were going away to prison for the rest of their life. The court was nice enough to schedule the sentencing around my mother’s funeral.

The sentencing for James Hyde was first, his was easy because he was considered an adult. Sentencing for Barbara was a little more difficult. It had been decided After several hearings that she would be tried as an adult but there needed to be another hearing to determine if she would be sentenced as an adult. Prior to the hearing, she was seen by Doctor Holden to evaluate her and see if she had “diminished capacity” - the inability to form the intent to commit murder. After 5 hours of interviewing Barbara, Dr. Holden found that Barbara did not have diminished capacity. She did form the intent to commit murder.

Second she was evaluated by Mark Mudd - probation manager with Oakland County Circuit Court Department of Corrections. He evaluated her and found that due to “the gravity and brutality of the offense, the serious nature of such offense, and for the long term protection of society.” she should be sentenced as an adult.

Then she was evaluated by Ms. Tansil from the Michigan State Department of Social Services who also found that she should be sentenced as an adult. Then at the hearing the judge, based on the evidence, found that she should be sentenced as an adult.
Unlike the ACLU we think the courts did a great job evaluating the physiologic, and psychological and emotional capabilities of the killer and gave full consideration of the circumstances surrounding the crime – before they sentencing her to LWOP.

After Barbara was sentenced, we worked hard to pick up the pieces of our lives. Although, nothing in our lives seemed right anymore. My brother was gone, my Mother was gone. I found myself as a grown married woman, needing to sleep with a nightlight so when I woke up scared from the nightmares that raced through me I could be assured that no one was in my room. I cried myself to sleep. We had not had time to mourn my brothers brutal death or my mother. The healing process took years.

Now my family and I have learned to accept the things that we can not change. We have learned to never take each other for granted. The one good thing that has come from all of this is our family unit is as strong as anyone could hope for. The bad thing for the supporters of this legislation is that you can rest assured that we won’t rest until these bills are dead!

Tell the truth ACLU. Barbara Hernadez did not hide in another room while my brother was murdered, her hair was in his hand. He was held down by her. Go to the court house and read the transcripts. No one ever denied that she purchased the knife and then took Jim to the house to be killed!

Remorse is not a ticket to the chance for freedom! Rehabilitation is not a get out of jail free card!

As I sit here tonight, once again completely consumed with this horrible crime that has been done to my family, I realize that once again, I am being victimized. I am being forced to relive this horrendous time in my life, at the expense of all the other productive things I should be doing with this time.

As long as legislatures introduce and support bills that provide criminals sentenced to LWOP the opportunity for parole, my family will be sentenced to LIFE WITH NO CHANCE OF PAROLE we will be a victim for life!

We love you Jim - From his sister Jody

See Jody discuss the crime on YouTube

 DANNI REESE ROMIG

From mother Dawn Romig: Our daughter was 12 years old when she was beaten, raped and murdered. The young man who did all this was 17 years old. He is now serving a life sentence with no parole in Pennsylvania. Our daughter Danni Reese Romig was brutally beaten, raped , strangled to death and thrown in a river 11 days after her 12^th birthday by a 17 year old “juvenile” who lived right around the corner from our home. She was a 6^th grader at South Mountain Middle School. She was very popular and had lots of friends who still love her, remember her, and miss her very much. She was very loving, caring, and vibrant, with amazing potential. She was just starting to blossom into a lovely young girl. She was discovering pretty clothes, and the value of brushing her hair.  She had a passion for animals. She dreamed that one day she would be a veterinarian. She also loved being a big sister. At home, she had a younger sister, Destiny and a new baby brother, Darryl Jr. Danni loved teaching him how to walk all around the house. She beamed with pride in helping him achieve his success.  The day we buried Danni he walked all the way across the living room by himself for the very first time. We like to think she was right there with him holding his little hands helping him along. Danni was a loving and nurturing big sister to Destiny also. Danni and Destiny were the very best of friends. They shared a bedroom together and they loved every minute of it. They played games, played with dolls, drew and colored pictures, and rode their bikes together. Unlike a lot of sisters who argue and fuss, Danni and Destiny learned from each other to love and share the tender experiences of their young lives.  I give tremendous credit to Danni for contributing to the kind and loving young girl that Destiny is today. I see Danni every day, in Destiny; with the love she has for her little brother.  Danni definitely taught her well how to be a great big sister.

See Danni's mom discuss the crime on YouTube

MADDIE CLIFTON

Jacksonville, Florida -Maddie Clifton's family, law enforcement officials and religious figures involved in the case speak out.

Former Sheriff Nat Glover: "I remember the number of days she was missing, the media coverage and the level of attention, both here and nationally. ..."

Mark Foxworth, who lead the Clifton case: "Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1998, is a day I will never forget."

Maddie's older sister, Jessie Clifton: "As an 11-year-old, you think about toys, games, and most of all, your family and friends."

Monsignor John Lenihan: "Not a day goes by without some memory of Maddie Clifton, her mother, father and sister, Jessica."

VICTORIA LARSON

From the Down Officer Memorial Page:

www.odmp.org

Police Officer Larry Elwood Lasater Jr.
Pittsburg California Police Department
End of Watch: Sunday, April 24, 2005

Biographical Info
Age: 35
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: 257

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Saturday, April 23, 2005
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Shooter sentenced to death and accomplice sentenced to life without parole

Officer Larry Lasater succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained the previous day while attempting to arrest two robbery suspects on the Delta De Anza Regional Trail.

The two suspects had just robbed a supermarket and bank branch and were fleeing from officers when they crashed their vehicle in a residential area. The two then fled onto the trail on foot.

As the officers searched for the suspect, Officer Lasater spotted one of them hiding in the bushes near the trail. As he ordered the suspect out of the bush at gunpoint, the suspect opened fire, striking Officer Lasater in the neck and leg. Other officers returned fire and took the suspect into custody. The second suspect was arrested a short distance away.

Officer Lasater was taken to a local hospital where he remained on life support for two days so that his organs could be donated.

In September 2007 both suspects were convicted of first degree murder. One of the suspects was sentenced to death and the second was sentenced to life in prison without parole. (He was a few weeks shy of his 18th birthday - a JLWOP case).

Officer Lasater was a US Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Pittsburg Police Department for 5 years. He is survived by his expectant wife.

BLAIR HOLT

This heroic and promising young Chicago star gave his life to protect a girl seated behind him on a school bus when a gang shooting broke out on the bus. Blair's father, Ron is an articulate and dedicated Chicago Police officer, and his mother Annette Nance-Holt is a prominent respected Chicago Police Fire Department Captain who has dedicated herself to helping other families like hers. Blair was their only child, a very good person with a bright future. But in the finest tradition of the the Biblical words "Greater love hath no man than this - that a man lay down his life for a friend," Blair Holt personified the greatest love any person could ever have. He was only 16 when his life was cut short.

Blair's murderers were 17 and 15 respectively. The 17 year old handed the gun to the 15 year old and ordered the shooting. The 17 year old is now serving only a 10 year sentence. The 15 year old received a 100 year determinate no-parole sentence, an effective life sentence. And this case typifies the many victims of violent teens who are serving a sentence that is effectively life, but not officially life. All the work NOVJL does to advocate for common sense sentencing, and victims rights in all matters pertaining to their cases, helps families of victims beyond just the few cases of "official" JLWOP.  The Holt family continues to work to prevent violence like this at www.purposeoverpain.org.

See Ron Holt discuss the crime on YouTube.

MATTHEW WHITTINGTON

From Judy Whittington, Matthew Whittington's mother:

On March 14, 2007 my precious beloved son who had just turned 16 years old days before he was taken from our home in the early morning hours and violently brutally shot a total of 9 TIMES with 2 guns by an almost 16 year old neighbor who unprovoked shot to death his biological mother and father March 13, 2007 with an additional third gun - a 9 millimeter Glock.

Matthew Whittington my precious baby son suffering with a broken knee cap & waiting to have surgery was shot to death by a neighbor of over 10 years! These were our neighbors and their was no conflict at all. We as neighbors took care of each other. Connor Wood Louisiana inmate #536827 almost 16 years old at the time claimed he hated his mother & father because they wouldn't let him to what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it so he shot them over & over at close range, skin to point blank range with the family 9 milimeter Glock gun! The Wood family had one of the largest gun collections in the south.

This low life scum of the earth burden on society is not a child, juvenile or kid. Connor wood is a young adult man from a nice neighborhood and knows right from wrong! No drugs involved here just pure evil. Louisiana inmate #536827 unprovoked forced my son from his bedroom somehow. The Whittington family will always believe Matthew was forced at gun point & that we Matt's parents may have been threatened if Matt did not do as he was instructed. We lay asleep just feet away & never heard a sound. Then Matthew seeing the horror of Mr. & Mrs. Wood shot all to pieces and the terror of having someone you've known your entire life shooting you over & over! My beloved son was shot in his beautiful face, my son was shot in the back as Matthew was desperately trying to get away and after Matt fell to the floor not able to stand after being shot so many times Connor Wood then shot my beautiful, loving, giving, precious baby son that I loved with all my heart and soul and every bone in my body and would have laid down my life for that low life scum of the earth burden on society shot my precious Gift from God 2 more times in the back of his forever cherished head. Louisiana inmate #536827 is in prison for LIFE.

DO YOU WANT HIM AS YOUR NEIGHBOR ?

DYMIA WOODY

                                               Dymia was just 8 years old when her life on this earth ended.

The person responsible for taking her life was 14 years old at the time of the crime.  A day after her mother reported her missing Dymia's body was found in a vacant trailer. The coroner's findings were that she died of asphyxiation. She was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a 14 year old boy. The boy subsequently put her body in a closet in that abandoned trailer. As the search for the missing girl mounted, the killer even pretended to search for Dymia with the search parties. All the while knowing the truth about her fate and where she was.

August 2009 in Greenville, SC where the case will be tried, it was determined that the killer would be charged as an adult. The reasoning, the crime was far more adult than that of a 14 year old, and the likelihood of the perpetrator being rehabilitated in the 5 years it will take before he would have to be released is highly unlikely.  The courts will prosecute him as an adult. Under the possible prosecution on the table he could end up serving anywhere from 30 years to life in prison. The family, is reported to be relieved the case will move to adult court.

The 8 year old girl looking at you with those beautiful, trusting eyes is no longer on this earth. Her parents, family, and other loved ones have to live everyday with the reality that she is no longer here, because of the actions of another person. The justice system cannot offer her life back, it cannot ease that pain, it can only offer them the comfort of knowing the individual responsible for the kidnapping, rape, and brutal murder of an 8 year old girl will spend his time in prison and not have the opportunity to bring that kind of pain to any other families.

DANNY SLEDGE

You never do get over it because the littlest thing will take you right back to that terrible day.  Joseph Daniel (Danny) Sledge was murdered by two teen brothers on a Friday evening the 12^th of March in 1999.  It was the next morning before he was found dead and we wondered for months how long he lay there, alone, suffering and dying.  Law enforcement spent that weekend looking for the killer(s).  We spent the weekend trying to hold each other up, sharing memories, notifying people, and wondering if we were safe.  One family member refused to leave her home as it was the only place she felt safe.

That Monday we got the call that they caught them and we headed for the first of many trips to the courthouse.  We were told the father of the two teens turned them in because he was afraid he was going to be next.  The two were Nathan Boyd age 17 (214724) and Eric Boyd age 19 (216553).  Nathan was well known to law enforcement.  We would find out he was supposed to be in jail but someone’s mistake did not keep him there.  The two murderers had spent the stolen money on drugs, partied at a club then stayed high in their apartment that weekend.

Danny knew Nathan from work.  Danny ran a restaurant called “The Galley” on the banks of Shoals Creek in Florence, Alabama.  Nathan had been thrown out of his house like his brother Eric when the parents got tired of dealing with them.  We learned during the trials they had been abused by their parents as children and now were big enough to fight back.  So frightened of retribution that the parents put them out to fend for themselves.  Danny had given Nathan a job more than once but he only worked long enough for drug money and would not show for work.  In July of 1998 we had a cousin murdered doing his job as a police officer.  Danny gave Nathan another chance to work at The Galley so Danny could leave town with the rest of us for the funeral.  It made the national news and Nathan and Eric assumed that we were a rich family given the funeral our cousin had.

Halloween was the first time they stalked him, they had a gun that time, watched the restaurant, waiting for Danny to be alone.  Something happened and they left.  There would be other times as well, bringing in different people with them who told their stories during the trials.  Why none of them went to the police, we’ll never know.

The Galley’s busy season was during the warmer months and was pretty boring in the winter.  That evening it was rainy and Danny let the one worker leave early and he was left alone.  The brothers were there and went to the door as Danny was locking it and pushed their way in.  Different family members have had their own businesses and the attitude had always been life over money.  So we knew the fight that followed wasn’t over money, Danny would have given it to them.  Both Nathan and Eric were much bigger in size than Danny but he fought back through each of the 27 stab wounds and then a knife broke off in his back.  They estimated this all started about 8 PM.

The next morning the first worker to come in was Bonnie, she knew something was not right, the door was not locked, their appeared to be a struggle that ended up in the kitchen and she found our father, son, brother, cousin, nephew, friend sitting up against the wall in a pool of blood, his eyes were open. 

A sister, Mary Anne, lived just down the road and was leaving her home when she looked in the direction of The Galley and saw all the police cars in the parking lot.  She was the first of the family to learn that Danny was dead.  The word had to spread fast because in such a small town someone might hear it from the press or a stranger.  Family members were awakened from their last night of sleep for some time to the terrible news that Danny was gone.  Questions were answered with “I don’t know”, not wanting to be the one to tell the terrible details of Danny’s last moments alive.

St. Patrick’s Day had always been great fun for our Irish family but from now on it would be the day we buried Danny.  He was not eulogized by anyone that knew him for we were all in shock and crying non stop.  The words were left to strangers to most of us.  “Butterfly Kisses” a favorite of Danny’s was played at the service as it was at his oldest daughter’s wedding and would be again in few months ahead at his youngest daughter’s wedding.  “Danny Boy” never brought so many tears to a room.  The one thing we knew for sure was that he was always at family gatherings and that made his absence even greater, he would have loved it.

There is a lot more to tell but what matters is that his death was described as heinous, like a passion killing.  The two teen age brothers ravaged Danny and the horror of the crime scene confused the law enforcement officers.  The detectives asked questions about his personal life that were painful to hear.  We answered no, on and on but they continued to ask.  They needed our help but we were at a loss as why anyone would want him dead and do so so brutally.  He had made a bank deposit that morning which was his usual, if it was robbery it could not have been for very much money.  And we always said, hand over the money, it all did not make sense.  But then we were trying to make sense out of something that was senseless.

When we first saw the teen brothers in court we were surprised at their height and build, Danny did not stand a chance against them.  He liked to say he was 5 10 but that was pushing it.  At his heaviest he was probably 160 pounds but he had lost weight those last few months.  The difference in size did not stop Danny from fighting, he left many a wound on those two, but he had to have known they were there to kill him to fight back as hard as he did.

Both were charged with capital murder, there was a trial for each of them, a change in venue for the second to be sure he got a fair trial.  Nathan, the younger and biggest of the two, the one with the criminal record was sentenced to life without parole.  It was probably all those stories of the father’s drinking and abuse of prescription drugs that led to frequent beatings, one of which broke Nathan’s arm that kept him from the death penalty.  Eric, the older of the two got life but could possibly be paroled. 

We tried to take comfort that maybe we would not be on the national news fighting for the death penalty for Nathan as it was cruel and unusual punishment for someone who was 17 at the time he did the crime.  Maybe it was God’s way of protecting us from that battle.  Maybe so but now it’s legislatures trying to save a buck or two in the budget that we struggle with.  There was one session that a bill was introduced to release terminal prisoner’s home to their families.  And now it’s the efforts at the national level to consider the convicted criminal a child.  There was nothing child like in that crime scene or what had been delivered as so hard a blow as to break the handle off of a knife.  No child ended Danny’s life at age 43 years old.  No child fought with him to enter 27 stab wounds.  These murderers were not children in any shape or form; they were calculating, cold blooded murderers.

PAMELA VITALE

In loving memory . . .with Gratitude from NOVJL to her husband Daniel Horowitz, our new organizational President.
See Daniel's interview on MSNBC with some of the story. Daniel for the first time publicly recounts the day of his wife's murder on YouTube.

More on the vicious crime at About.com

Richard Flores, 42
Sylvia Flores, 13
Matthew, 10
Richard Jr., 17 . . .all murdered
. . .and Mother Sylvia wounded.

July 21, 2000 - Pico Rivera, California: Offenders Michael and Monica stabbed Richard Flores, 42, his wife, Sylvia, and three of their children -- young Sylvia, 13, Matthew, 10, and Richard Jr., 17. Of the five, only the elder Sylvia survived. Monica was Flores' niece who they were raising. They took her into their home out of the goodness of their hearts, and loved her as their own, because her own mother could not handle her. Monica was 16 when she murdered the Flores family and was later sentenced to life in prison.

Surviving the rampage were Monica's half sister, Laura Reta, and the eldest Flores daughter, Esperanza, who were both 18 and shared a bedroom. Boyfriend Michael did most of the stabbing but that Monica's "involvement in this crime is equal to" that of her partner, says sheriff's Sgt. William Marsh, lead investigator on the case.

Syliva attended the Parents of Murdered Children Conference, devastated beyond words. Her family gone, her life destroyed, still having to face new trials and appeals for the teen killer, her niece she had taken in and raised. How could words even describe this agony . . .her whole family . . .

ALAN AND DIANE JOHNSON

Bill Doyle (44 years old), her husband, awoke at 12:30am and noticed that everything was still the same as it was when he went to bed.  He noticed that his wife was not in bed, so he went downstairs to see where she was.  He did not see her anywhere, so he proceeded to the family garage.  As he opened the access door, he noticed that her car was in the garage, her purse and nurse bag were on the passenger seat of the car, but that she was nowhere to be found.  At that time, Bill's oldest daughter Kelly (19 years old) woke up and asked her dad what was wrong.  Bill told Kelly that he could not find her mom anywhere.  At that time, Kelly offered to get in her car and drive around the neighborhood in hopes of locating her mom.  At the same time, Bill called the Cook County Sheriff's police.  A squad car arrived at the Doyle home at the same time Kelly arrived back.  She told the police officer and her dad that she was unable to locate her mom.  The officer then asked Kelly for a picture of her mom for identification purposes.  The police officer then called for backup and minutes later a second officer arrived at the Doyle home.  Both officers shined their flashlights around the garage, Sheilah's car, and the front of the house.  They then asked Bill for his second set of car keys to the '93 Toyota Sheilah drove and asked Bill and Kelly to step into the house for a few minutes.  Not even two minutes had passed when one officer arrived back in the house where Bill and Kelly were waiting.  He told Bill and Kelly that "there was a crime scene in the garage" and that "the lady in the picture was found in the trunk of the car."  Kelly asked if her mom was ok, and the officer said that they checked for a pulse and that there was not one, so at that time Kelly and Bill knew that Sheilah had died.  The officer then told Kelly and Bill that the garage was declared a crime scene and that no one was allowed to leave or come to the house.

PHILIP WHITMARSH
02-06-1950 – 12-22-1981

By Nancy Whitmarsh

I am the Chapter Leader for the Central Missouri Area Wide Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, Inc.  I am a Volunteer Court Advocate with The Shelter For Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. I am a member of the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCADSV) and Missouri Victim Assistance Network (MoVA) 

I have lost two family members to homicide.  On December 22, 1981, my 31 year old   husband, Philip V. Whitmarsh, was shot and killed by a 16 year old male in a robbery holdup while working at a service station in Columbia, MO.  Carlos Henry Allen received a second degree murder plea bargain and was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.  Mr. Allen is in prison at Jefferson City Correctional Center located at Jefferson City, MO with an upcoming parole hearing in August 2011.

On May 2, 2005, my 77 year old mother-in-law, Zelpha Turner, was strangled to death in her Boone County home by a neighbor. Dearl Wayne Jackson was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Mr. Jackson is in prison at Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston, MO.

Philip Whitmarsh was 31 years old when he was murdered.  Our son, James, was 10 years old.  At the time of his death, Philip worked during the day for the University of Missouri-Columbia and a second job in the evening at a service station in downtown Columbia, MO.  He was working a second job so I could complete my college degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia.  On December 22, 1981, at approx. 9:00 pm, a 16 year old male with a gun entered the service station office, demanded and took the money in the cash register and shot Philip in the shoulder and heart on his way out of the service station.  Carlos Henry Allen received a second degree murder plea bargain and was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.  Since I lived out of state and was unaware of Mr. Allen’s parole hearings, Mr. Allen has been paroled three times returning to prison each time for parole violations. At Mr. Allen’s recent parole hearings in May 2007 and August 2009 which I was able to attend, his parole release was denied. At present, Mr. Allen is in prison at Jefferson City Correctional Center located at Jefferson City, MO with an upcoming parole hearing in August 2011.

KRISTINA GRILL

By Bobbi Jamriska
That's my sister, Krissy, as I called her. This is the last picture I have of her, it was taken at school about a week before she was killed. It came in the mail from the school about two weeks after the funeral. She never saw it, but you can...

As the holiday of Halloween draws near, it felt like the right time to tell my own family experience with a Juvenile serving Life without Parole. I distinctly recall throwing away the candy she collected trick or treating a week before she was murdered, so the two stay together in my mind.

It was a difficult time for my 15 year old sister. She had been secretly seeing a boy from school, as she was sure my family would not accept him. They were together for several months before he broke it off. Unfortunately, by the time he broke it off, she was pregnant. She carried that secret for a few months, and finally decided she had to tell my Mom the truth. I remember being 15 and thinking that if you ignored stuff that bothered you it would just go away. This wasn't that kind of problem...

My sister set up a meeting in a school yard with her former boyfriend, who she still loved, to talk about the baby. She had resolved that she would meet with him, and then tell our Mom that night. That never happened, we found out about the pregnancy, and the boyfriend from the Pittsburgh Police Department. We found out the details from her diary, which also led them to her murderer.

Her killer, also 15 at the time, brought a kitchen knife to the meeting. He would later tell police he planned to kill himself after the meeting. I don't know what was said at that meeting, I've often wondered how she spent those last few minutes of her life before he attacked her.

At some point, he lashed out at her with the knife he "just happened to have with him". He proceeded to stab her 11 times about the neck area and punched and kicked her repeatedly. After he had stabbed her to the point that she would bleed to death in that school yard, he zipped up her jacket, watched her 'twitching' on the ground and departed for home. A seven year old neighborhood boy would find my sister dead in that school yard and go tell his Mom.

When my Mom reported her missing that evening, her friends lied about where she was. They thought they were doing her a favor. Shortly after calling the Police, they came to my Mother's home with a ring my sister had been wearing to do a preliminary ID. That is the moment, the point where all the air is sucked out of your life and it sort of becomes like you are watching a movie. We then had to decide who would go do the identification, thankfully my sister's step mother volunteered. The media was calling our homes and knocking on doors looking for quotes. We had to keep the funeral quiet to avoid news cameras at the grave site.

The strain and emotional impact this had on my Mother was just too much. She was just 54 years old when I buried her with my sister.It was 9 months after my sister's death, and one day before the trial started.

The trial process is intended to help you find closure and justice. In some ways that is true. But, the reality is, it is just day after day of pain and revisiting the most painful thing you've ever experienced. Shortly after the preliminary hearings, the District Attorney told us she'd be pursuing adult charges and a life sentence due to the violence and premeditation of the crime.

We sat through juror selection, trying to find people who hadn't heard all of this on the news and formed an opinion. And then the trial began. I can still vividly describe the images of my sister's body that the coroner used during his testimony. I actually had nightmares about it for months after the trial ended. The police explained that they were able to identify shoe prints on her pregnant belly from her killer. He, had gone home, showered, and went about his day after leaving her, with his child inside her, to bleed to death in the school yard.

In the end, after several weeks in court, he was found guilty, and subsequently sentenced to Life without Parole. We all walked away with the relief that the justice system had provided the best they could for us to move on. We believed that we would never have to revisit the judicial process for her case. We thought we could try to find our way out of the emotional abyss this had created. We accepted the word of the justice system that he would never be free.

As I write this, the momentum and media focus on the 'poor' kids serving these sentences is rampant. Both the Federal and State governments are investigating changes to these laws that allow life sentences to Juveniles offenders. It is perfectly understandable that people who have never heard a coroner describe their loved ones last moments might support this kind of action. If it must be that the courts will go that way, it is morally imperative that any such decision not be retroactive. We had our verdict, and it was just, we should not have to testify and relive that pain every year, or every so many years in order to preserve what the law promised us to be.

I pray that no one else ever has to go through this experience, and if they do that the justice system is there to offer them what is just.

ELIZABETH OLTEN

This is Elizabeth Olten in an undated photo provided by the Cole County, Missouri Sheriff's Department. She was 9 years old when she left this earth at the hands of a juvenile murderer.

It all started on a Wednesday evening, when Elizabeth never came home after leaving a friends house on foot. The police were called after she never showed up. The family described her as shy, and that she was afraid of the dark. Their immediate reaction was that something bad had happened, and they were correct.

There are still many details to come in this case. The police were able to track the killer through 'written evidence' that has yet to be revealed.

On October 24th, 2009 a 15 year old was arrested as a suspect in the murder of this 9 year old girl. Under current law, the suspect will start out in the Juvenile system and if warranted, be moved to the adult system. The charges are First Degree Murder.

This 9 year old will never have another birthday, never see another day, and has family and loved ones who have to deal with that void everyday. This 9 year old was taken from this earth by a 15 year old individual who should and shall be held accountable for their actions.

DANIEL GENE-VINCENT SORENSEN              

 From his mother Kimberly: "Here is Daniel's story.  It isn't easy to tell or to read.   On Wednesday November 7, 2007, my husband Jim's and my son, Daniel, was brutally killed and dismembered by a 17-year old young man named Jean Pierre Orlewicz, aided by his friend Alexander Letkemann, age 18.  (Letkemann, who took part in the clean-up of the murder scene, but not the actual act of murder pled guilty to Second Degree Murder under a plea agreement that netted him 20-30 years in prison w/o the possibility of an early release before the minimum sentence is served.)   

Dan was lured to the garage of Orlewicz's grandfather under the false pretense of obtaining money that was due Orlewicz by one of his friends.  Dan was supposed to scare the friend (Adam) in order to obtain the money.  Not the greatest thing to do, but certainly not in the same league as what was about to happen to Dan.  The scheme was just a ruse.  Adam was never told to come to the home.  When the time came to enter the garage, Letkemann entered the side door entrance first, followed by Dan and then Orlewicz, who immediately jumped Dan from behind, slitting his throat.  Dan fell to his knees, hands held to his throat, gasping for air.  Orlewicz continued to stab Dan 12 more times before Dan finally died from loss of blood. 

My son, trained in self-defense, 6'0" tall, and weighing approximately 240 pounds, never stood a chance.  He tried to deflect the blows of the knife with his arms and hands, he tried to get up off the floor, but a sociopathic monster no taller than 5'7" and 150 pounds meticulously planned how he could overpower and kill a man much stronger and bigger than he.  As Dan lay dying upon the floor of the garage gasping for air, Orlewicz said to him, "Just go with it, man." 

Now, this event was bad enough, especially when you consider that the motive was merely to see what it would be like to take another human life and to get away with it.  However, after Dan died, Orlewicz burned Dan's fingertips and beheaded him.  After the beheading, Orlewicz, seeing that Letkemann was in distress, used Dan's head as a puppet, moving the jawline and saying, "Hey Alex, how're you doing?"  Then, with Dan's body tied up in a tarp, Letkemann and Orlewicz attempted to load Dan's body into the bed of Orlewicz's truck without success.  Orlewicz called another friend to come over and assist.  Once the body was loaded into the truck, Orlewicz and Letkemann drove Dan's headless body to an undeveloped cul-de-sac where Orlewicz dumped the body, poured gasoline upon it, and set it ablaze. 

The next day, they disposed of Dan's head in a local river.  Believe it or not, Orlewicz's defense was "self-defense", despite the fact that Alexander Letkemann never claimed that Dan acted offensively in any way.  The only person who could claim "self-defense" in that garage  on Nov. 7, 2007 was Dan.    In May 2008, Jean Pierre Orlewicz was given two terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole, and four to ten years for what he did to Dan's body post mortem.  He is appealing his conviction, having been granted a new trial based upon a perceived error made by the original trial judge.  The Wayne County Prosecutor is appealing that decision.  

Jean Pierre Orlewicz told Alexander Letkemann that he made some mistakes when planning and committing Dan's murder.  "Next time", he continued, "I won't make the same mistakes." 
 

Orlewicz is serving his life sentence in the state of Michigan.

CATHERINE PAULEY HAYNES
September 26, 1926-June 15, 1993

"Catherine was my mother, and my touchstone to life as I knew it.  She was murdered in her home in 1993 by a 14 year old girl who was a runaway from a juvenile detention home, and from that moment on 'life' as I knew it ceased to exist.    Ruth Ann Veal was 6 feet tall and 200 lbs. just 3 weeks shy of her 15th birthday, and had previously been adjudicated 11 times, 5 of those for assault.  Veal culminated her criminal career by entering my mother's house and beating her which split Catherine's lip, broke 4 ribs and bruised her skull.  Veal then took my mother's favorite kitchen knife and stabbed her 23 times, only stopping because the 6 inch blade actually broke off from the force used.     

From that moment on, my family and I were thrown into the abyss of darkness and despair.  I felt like I resided in the Twilight Zone, in a parallel universe where everything looked the same but nothing was the same.  Even going on 17 years later I can still vividly feel what those first few years felt like.  The effects of my mother's murder will never be over--not for me, and certainly not for my children who were 14, 11 and 4 at the time of the murder.   Ruth Ann Veal was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life without parole, but she continues to file briefs fighting for her release.  She is being represented by the Restorative Justice group out of Alabama and her case for post-conviction relief is currently being decided by the Iowa State Supreme Court. I fear the battle to keep her in prison will outlast my lifetime and become my children's cross to bear as well.   I miss my mother every day of my life."  

MATTHEW FOLEY

In the fall of 1996 Matthew Foley was, in many ways, a typical 16-year-old boy.  A Junior at Bennett (Colorado) High School, he loved cars, playing sports and hanging out with his friends.  He was starting to think about his future and dreamed of attending Notre Dame University and becoming a sports writer. 

 

The things that made Matthew truly special, though, are things not normally associated with typical 16-year-old boys.  Instead of rebelling against his family or being embarrassed by them, Matthew truly loved his family.  His best friends in the world were his parents, Gail and Wayne and his grandpa, Stub.  Wayne coached him in baseball and they even built a full baseball diamond at the house to play.  He was a regular golf and pool partner with Stub and the two had been inseparable as long as anyone could remember.  Matthew’s kindness wasn’t limited to his family, though, as he always had a friendly smile and time to spare for anyone in need be it friend, family or total stranger. 

 

Matthew was on his way into growing into a decent, honest and caring man.  Unfortunately, he never got that chance.  On November 21, 1996, he found himself in the most terrifying situation of his young life.  He was robbed at gunpoint by a schoolmate who was a few months shy of his 18th birthday.  The guy holding the gun, Trevor Jones, was everything Matthew wasn’t.  By his own admission he was a drug-user and “gangsta rap” fan who was infatuated with “thug culture” and cared more about being feared than respected.  He learned quickly that holding a gun was a quick way to get what he wanted and to instill that fear in others.  On that night he decided to escalate that fear one step further.  So, after he took Matthew’s money and started to walk away he stopped, turned and shot Matthew point-blank, killing him.  He used the $100 he stole from Matthew to go out to dinner and buy some cigarettes.

 

Given the depravity of his crime, his prior run-ins with the law and his impending 18th birthday, Trevor was tried as an adult.  Since Matthew’s murder occurred during the commission of a robbery, it was considered “felony murder” and Trevor’s conviction carried a mandatory sentence of life without parole.

 

After his incarceration Trevor was able to see the “thug life” he so desperately coveted up close and personal.  It was more than enough to make him decide that it wasn’t everything he hoped it would be and now he wants another chance at the life he squandered.  He makes regular appearances in the press blaming the pot he smoked or the music he listened to for his actions.  His family cries about the “loss” of their son and brother while he is able to walk in the sunshine, talk to his family and even learn foreign languages. 

 

Meanwhile, Matthew’s family is left with only the memory of a remarkable young man who had the whole world in front of him.  They are continuously tortured and taunted with the threat of “clemency” for the man who was justly sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for Matthew’s murder.  They have been characterized as “vengeful” for wanting to see Matthew’s killer serve the sentence he was given at the conclusion of a fair trial. 

Undaunted, they have established the Matthew Foley Scholarship Fund which has awarded 22 scholarships.  The scholarship fund helps to ensure that Matthew’s legacy and memory will live on well beyond his killer’s well-orchestrated public relations campaign and serves as a reminder of the remarkable son, grandson, cousin and friend who was so recklessly and callously taken from us.

ALYSSA MICHELLE CASE

Alyssa Michelle Case age 13, a native of Morgan City and resident of Lafayette, murdered by a 15 year old. died May 29, 2002 mass of burial was celebrated at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morgan City; burial was at St. Joseph Cemetery in Thibodaux daughter of Jean Cantrell and Ron Rose; stepdaughter of Bert Cantrell; sister of Ashely Doiron, Bobbie Case, Abbie Cantrell and Camron Case; granddaughter of Mary Bouterie Breaux and Larry Case preceded in death by her grandparents, Richard Joseph Bouterie and Linda Hebert Case seventh grade honor student who loved reading and liked to dance and cheer Hargrave Funeral Home of Morgan City

VALERIE ANCIRA ZAVALA

From the Foundry Blog of the Heritage Foundation - Adult Time for Adult Crime: OFFEnder Samuel Puebla

Defendant: Samuel Puebla (17)
Victim: Valerie Zavala
Crimes: First degree murder, attempted rape and felony murder
Crime date: January 1, 2003 in Fillmore, California

Summary
Samuel Puebla attempted to rape a college student whom he met at a party and, when she resisted, beat her head and chest before strangling her to death with his bare hands.

Facts
Valerie Zavala was an attractive 19-year-old student attending college in San Jose, California. She had graduated from Fillmore High School and was returning home to visit her family during the Christmas and New Year’s break. On December 31, 2002, Zavala attended a New Year’s Eve party at the home of a friend in Fillmore. There she ran into Puebla, a senior at Fillmore High School. At around 2 a.m., as the party was winding down, Puebla asked Zavala for a ride home. Zavala agreed and offered to drive an intoxicated female friend to her home, too. After dropping off her friend, she set off for Puebla’s home. As Zavala was driving, Puebla attempted to sexually assault her. When Zavala resisted, Puebla choked her until she fell unconscious for a short period of time. After she came to, she managed to escape Puebla and ran. Puebla chased Zavala and caught her in the parking lot of a nearby church. He struck her head with such force that it ruptured her eardrum. Zavala fell to the ground. Puebla ripped off her clothing, yanked out her tampon, and attempted to rape her, without success. Zavala struggled to defend herself, but Puebla struck her repeatedly on the head, sat on her chest, and ultimately strangled her with his hands. Puebla dumped Zavala’s body in a drainage culvert, where a jogger found it the next morning. A search of the crime scene produced Zavala’s earring, tampon, and underwear. Trace, circumstantial, and biological evidence, including DNA, connected Puebla to the crimes, and he was convicted and sentenced to life without parole.

 

Her father wrote NOVJL to express his concern that the offender in this case actually be made to serve the life sentence that he earned. Download his full story  in testimony here.

CHAZ BETTENCOURT

Here is a picture of my nephew Chaz. He was 21 at the time of his murder. He and a friend had went to a local convenience store to purchase some snacks. When they walked out of the store to their car they were approached by 3 young men. 2 of the 3 suspects pulled out guns and demanded the car keys. What happened next we have not been told yet by the police, but Chaz's friend ran back into the store to ask the clerk to call 911 when 2 shots rang out. The friend then ran back outside to find Chaz on the ground having been shot twice. Chaz died by the time the ambulance arrived. Police identified the assailants, they are Daniel Pantoja 18, Turlock Diaz 14 and Jah-Kari Phyall 15. All 3 are documented gang members with several prior arrests. The irony in all of this is Chaz planned on going to school to become a counselor to help the exact kids who killed him.

 

Thank you for all for support,

Kevin Bettencourt

VICTIMS OF THE DC SNIPERS

The Memorial at Brookside Gardens to the 11 murdered by "Juvenile Lifer" Lee Boyd Malvo and his adult accomplice John Allen Muhammed in the Washington DC area in 2002. Muhammed was executed in Virginia in 2009.

This a horrible reminder that if offender advocates were to have their way and abolish the life sentence for all teens, even those most violent - the truly only "worst of the worst", it would include Lee Boyd Malvo.

Every one of these families would have to spend every few years for the rest of their lives, and into the lives of their children and grandchildren, in some cases, going through the trauma of the parole process. Having to travel, take off work, draw up petitions, talk to the media, reopen wounds, stay constantly focused on the man who killed their family members. These families deserve the peace of a life without parole sentence, and the nation deserves to have Malvo stay behind bars serving the life without parole sentence he earned by his vicious crimes.

In Memory of the Murdered and in Tribute to the Wounded (chronological):

James Martin 55 Deceased October 2, 2002 at 6:04 PM Wheaton, Maryland

James Buchanan 39 Deceased October 3, 2002 at 7:41 AM Rockville, Maryland

Premkumar Walekar 54 Deceased October 3, 2002 at 8:12 AM Aspen Hill, MD

Sarah Ramos 34 Deceased October 3, 2002 at 8:37 AM Silver Spring, Maryland

Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera 25 Deceased October 3, 2002 at 9:58 AM Kensington, Maryland

Pascal Charlot 72 Deceased October 3, 2002 at 9:20 PM Washington, D.C.

Caroline Seawell 43 Living October 4, 2002 at 2:30 PM Spotsylvania, Virginia

Iran Brown 13 Living October 7, 2002 at 8:09 AM Bowie, Maryland

Dean Harold Meyers 53 Deceased October 9, 2002 at 8:18 PM Manassas, Virginia

Kenneth Bridges 53 Deceased October 11, 2002 at 9:40 AM Fredericksburg, Virginia

Linda Franklin 47 Deceased October 14, 2002 at 9:19 PM Falls Church, Virginia

Jeffrey Hopper 37 Living October 19, 2002 at 8:00 PM Ashland, Virginia

Conrad Johnson 35 Deceased October 22, 2002 at 5:55 AM Oxon Hill, Maryland

 

And there are hundreds more . . .

Names we do not know and are not being told,
even though millions of dollars have been spent to name, identify,
and communicate with and for their murderers.

The precious lives of these Victims - lost to those who choose to commit murder -
causes more damage than most people can ever measure or understand.

These murders have left catastrophe in their wake, and have ramifications that cause damage for a lifetime. 
And the toll is not just on the family and friends - it has staggering costs for all in our society.

For years and years and years after the first act of horror  - the killing continues to exact its toll.

 A toll too large to measure.

We can only work with our every breath to remember and honor them
by working to make sure no one else has to go through what we have gone through.