 | | Amanda and Nick Wilcox |
As a family, we have always been opposed to the Death Penalty. That
belief, however, was theoretical; we never dreamed that our family
would be touched by violent crime.
On January 10, 2001, our only daughter, Laura, was murdered while home
on winter break from college. Laura was filling in as a receptionist at
the Nevada County Behavioral Health clinic when a mentally ill client
opened fire with a semiautomatic handgun and shot Laura four times,
killing her instantly. When the rampage at the clinic and at a nearby
restaurant ended, three people lay dead, three were severely injured, a
community was shaken, and the world was diminished by the loss of an
incredible young woman.
Laura
had extraordinary capabilities, kindness, and spirit. She was an
outstanding student, graduating as high school valedictorian and was at
the time of her death a college sophomore, and in the midst of her
campaign for the student body presidency. Laura was extremely
organized, disciplined and motivated. Couple these traits with her
positive energy and she was a natural leader. At age nineteen, Laura
was already living a life full of service; she wanted to make a
positive difference in the world…she had unlimited possibilities and
the brightest of prospects. Laura was preparing to dedicate herself to
a life of social service, social justice, and world peace through the
practice of respect, non-violence and social equality. Her life was
witness to her beliefs, as she touched and inspired the lives of those
around her.
As Quakers, our family, including Laura, had always been opposed to the
death penalty. In the immediate aftermath of the shootings, while still
in disbelief and shock, we leaned on our long-held beliefs; we remain
opposed to the death penalty. As we continued our journey as grieving
parents and endured the criminal and civil proceedings, we experienced
a wide range of emotions but never wavered in our opposition to the
death penalty. In fact, our feelings against the death penalty have
been strengthened.
In the days after Laura was killed, we were searching to find sense and
meaning. It was incomprehensible that someone as good and innocent as
our dear Laura could be killed by an act of violence. Comments such as
“Fry the Bastard” or “I hope he gets what he deserves” were loudly
expressed in our community, but did not comfort us. We were in need of
a restored faith in the goodness of people. The support, care, and
concern of friends and strangers warmed our hearts and rekindled our
faith.
The death penalty is often justified in the name of the victim’s
families. Advocates claim that it will bring justice and closure.
However, true justice is something we can never achieve, as we can
never have our daughter back. In our view, the lengthy process of
trials, appeals and anticipated execution would only impede coming to
terms with our horrible loss. If closure means healing, that healing
must come from within, not from the fate of the murderer.
We believe the man who killed our daughter must be held fully
accountable. He cannot be trusted to be free in society again without
continuing supervision. However, further feelings of him would give him
a hold on our life that we do not wish to grant. We have no control
over what happened to our daughter but we can choose how we respond. We
know what Laura would want. We lost our daughter and life as we knew
it, we do not intend to lose our values too.
We understand that victims who oppose the death penalty are frequently
marginalized and ignored by the court, thereby perpetuating the harm.
In our case, we were fortunate to meet with the District Attorney
regarding our feelings and were assured that the death penalty would
not be sought even though the special circumstances of multiple and
premeditated murder might have applied. Our daughter’s killer was found
to be not guilty by reason of insanity, and committed to a state mental
hospital. We agree completely with this outcome.
From a purely analytical perspective, the death penalty might be
justifiable if it deterred crime and saved lives, or if it resulted in
a reduction in State costs. Studies have shown that it does neither of
these things. The death penalty, therefore, can only be viewed as an
institutional expression of revenge and retribution. Rather than
focusing on the offender, it must be asked what the death penalty says
about us as a society. Our nation cannot afford the death penalty; the
cost, both morally and financially, is too high. We say, not in our
name.
Amanda and Nick Wilcox
Penn Valley
2004
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