WATCH OUT! IF YOUR CHILD IS MURDERED,

“YOU WILL KNOW WHO YOUR TRUE FRIENDS ARE"

BY, ANNA DEL RIO

LAST MONTH MY HUSBAND AND I WERE INVITED TO A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION AT A GOLF COUNTRY CLUB RESORT, JUST NORTH OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. WE WERE GUEST OF AN OLD ATTORNEY FRIEND OF OURS. HIS TABLE OF TEN INCLUDED ANOTHER ATTORNEY AND OTHER GUESTS. THE DINING AREA WAS BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED OF CHRISTMAS CHEER, SOUNDS OF SOFT CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND HAPPY CHATTER FILLED THE ATMOSPHERE.

 THIS WOULD BE OUR SIXTH CHRISTMAS WITHOUT OUR ONLY CHILD. . SHE WAS SHOT THROUGH HER CAR DOOR BY A “SHOOTER FOR GANGS”in 1999. THE SHOOTER HAS BEEN ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL FOR TWO MURDERS IN 1998 AND FOR OUR DAUGHTER’S MURDER. THIS IS A DEATH PENALTY CASE.

 ACCORDING TO THE POLICE, OUR DAUGHTER HAD NO GUNS, AMMUNITION, DRUGS, DRUG MONEY IN HER CAR, ONLY HER GIRLFRIEND, AND TWO BOYS WHO SHE WAS GIVING A RIDE HOME.

AT THE TIME OF THIS CHRISTMAS DINNER, STANLY TOOTIE WILLIAMS HAD BEEN EXECUTED AND EMOTIONS WERE STILL HIGH IN THE MINDS OF THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY. HERE I AM SITTING WITH ONE OF THOSE ANTI DEATH ADVOCATES , SHARING CHRISTMAS DINNER. THE DEATH PENTALY SUBJECT CAME UP AND THE BURLEY GUEST POINTING ONE FIGURE UP, “SAYING ONE EXECUTION IS ENOUGH” AND ME SAYING TO HIM, ONE VICTIM IS TOO MANY.

 I ASKED HIM WHAT IF HIS DAUGHTER WAS MURDERED. HIS RESPONSE, “I’D KILL HIM” I TOLD HIM HE WOULD NOT BECAUSE HE MAY NOT KNOW WHO DID IT. MOREOVER, THE POLICE MAY GET HIM BEFORE THIS BURLY MAN DID. SO I SAID, "YOU DO BELIEVE IN THE DEATH PENALTY AND DO NOT BELIEVE IN “DUE PROCESS”. I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO LIFT THE TABLE TO GET TO ME. HE HAD TO BE RESTRAINED VERBALLY AND THEN HE SHUT UP. I TRIED TO CONTINUE TO BE CORDIAL AND EVEN HUGGED HIM A GOOD NIGHT.

 MY PAIN AND GRIEVING OVERRODE THIS BURLY MAN’S ATTACK. HE KNEW MY CHILD AS AN INFANT AND SAW HER GROW UP. HOW COULD HE BE SO ANGRY WITH TOOTIE WILLIAMS’ EXECUTION AND NOT WITH OUR 20 YEAR OLD’S EXECUTION BY THIS GANG MEMBER. OUR CHILD NEVER MURDERED ANYONE.

 THE FOLLOWING WEEK MY HUSBAND AND I LEFT FOR EUROPE, AS WE HAVE BEEN DOING SINCE OUR CHILD’S MURDER. THE HOLIDAYS ARE UNBEABLE.

THE GRIEVING NEVER STOPS AND THE ATTACKS FROM PEOPLE WHO YOU LOVE OR DO NOT KNOW HAS TO BE DEALT WITHIN YOURSELF, YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT FADE AWAY.

I WONDER WHAT KIND OF SOCIETY, WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE LIVE AMONGST US WHEN WE HAD A HOMICIDE RATE OF 487 AND 2,227 PEOPLE SHOT IN 2005 IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. DOES THIS BURLY MAN EVER THINK THAT HE OR SOMEONE HE LOVES MAY BE THE NEXT VICTIM?

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