Sentence
The final curtain dropped last week...he was sentenced. He will spend the rest of his life in jail.
Some may think this is a joyous victory, but it is not. There are conflicting emotions, and it's very difficult to sort through the debris. Yes, justice has been served and I am happy he will pay for what he did. And yet, this is a man who was part of my family, someone I loved and called friend and to think of him spending the rest of his life in prison...well, it makes me very sad.
Some may think the sentence too harsh. I do not. He took two innocent lives and damaged them, imprisoned them in their own home...now he will serve the sentence he imposed on them. Had he shown any sign of sorrow, any sign of remorse for his actions, perhaps he would have been spared; perhaps I would find some compassion for him. He chose to remain silent. He chose to proclaim his innocence till the end. He chose not to look at his daughters, he chose not to apologize - nothing. And that silence resonates far more than anything he could have said.
There is still anger at his betrayal, how he duped my husband and I into believing his lies. There is still regret. But knowing he is behind bars, knowing he will never again be able to hurt another child brings some comfort. I do pray for him. We pray for him.
And to know his daughters will thrive and move forward, and he will not, is the best justice that could ever be served. It brings hope to a horrific time in our family's history. My nieces are free. My nieces smile, they laugh; quite simply, they now live.
Some may think this is a joyous victory, but it is not. There are conflicting emotions, and it's very difficult to sort through the debris. Yes, justice has been served and I am happy he will pay for what he did. And yet, this is a man who was part of my family, someone I loved and called friend and to think of him spending the rest of his life in prison...well, it makes me very sad.
Some may think the sentence too harsh. I do not. He took two innocent lives and damaged them, imprisoned them in their own home...now he will serve the sentence he imposed on them. Had he shown any sign of sorrow, any sign of remorse for his actions, perhaps he would have been spared; perhaps I would find some compassion for him. He chose to remain silent. He chose to proclaim his innocence till the end. He chose not to look at his daughters, he chose not to apologize - nothing. And that silence resonates far more than anything he could have said.
There is still anger at his betrayal, how he duped my husband and I into believing his lies. There is still regret. But knowing he is behind bars, knowing he will never again be able to hurt another child brings some comfort. I do pray for him. We pray for him.
And to know his daughters will thrive and move forward, and he will not, is the best justice that could ever be served. It brings hope to a horrific time in our family's history. My nieces are free. My nieces smile, they laugh; quite simply, they now live.
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