Post by Penellopy on Jul 4, 2025 1:03:29 GMT
I have a former coworker who's son is sitting on death row in Texas for murdering his ex girlfriend and her brother in 2009 in College Station. He was convicted 14 months after the murders.
I know first hand the toll that trial and all the appeals have taken on both families over the years. The digging into his background brought out things my coworker and her family did not want to come to light about their own hand in his upbringing. The trail never showed a clear picture as to why he did it, only speculation which was jealousy that the girlfriend moved on. It was brought out from other witnesses that jealousy was a motivation in his entire life. They also tried to say he had PTSD from being in the Marine Reserves and getting called up to go to Afghanistan. Thing is, he never saw combat in Afghanistan and he voluntary stopped any and all treatments at the VA Hospital. He never testified on his own behalf.
The appeals have been long and take many years. This young man's family has lost long time friendships, members of the community have backed away from them, other coworkers got to where they are afraid to even asks about it, and his own sister and brother just pretend he doesn't exists. The other family lost 2 of their 3 children and just want this to be over. Everytime an appeal comes up, they are back in court to relive the tragedy of what happened. The one child they have left has gone through many years of therapy due to the loss of his brother and sister.
I have developed mixed emotions about death penalty cases due to the hardship it brings on the families in the appeal process. I too believe just take a plea of life without parole, sit in prison the rest of your life and let those families heal. I know first hand what it is like to have helped put someone in prison and every 2 years they come for parole and the nightmares start all over because you have to relive it and write letters to keep that person in prison. But that is another story for another time.
I know first hand the toll that trial and all the appeals have taken on both families over the years. The digging into his background brought out things my coworker and her family did not want to come to light about their own hand in his upbringing. The trail never showed a clear picture as to why he did it, only speculation which was jealousy that the girlfriend moved on. It was brought out from other witnesses that jealousy was a motivation in his entire life. They also tried to say he had PTSD from being in the Marine Reserves and getting called up to go to Afghanistan. Thing is, he never saw combat in Afghanistan and he voluntary stopped any and all treatments at the VA Hospital. He never testified on his own behalf.
The appeals have been long and take many years. This young man's family has lost long time friendships, members of the community have backed away from them, other coworkers got to where they are afraid to even asks about it, and his own sister and brother just pretend he doesn't exists. The other family lost 2 of their 3 children and just want this to be over. Everytime an appeal comes up, they are back in court to relive the tragedy of what happened. The one child they have left has gone through many years of therapy due to the loss of his brother and sister.
I have developed mixed emotions about death penalty cases due to the hardship it brings on the families in the appeal process. I too believe just take a plea of life without parole, sit in prison the rest of your life and let those families heal. I know first hand what it is like to have helped put someone in prison and every 2 years they come for parole and the nightmares start all over because you have to relive it and write letters to keep that person in prison. But that is another story for another time.
