Divine Appointments: How I Met Cindy Sumner's Mother

Today I took my son and I to the grocery store (Walmart) and saw these delicious strawberries for $1.25 a box. Well, when I picked them up and smelled them, they had no sweet scent. Yes, I realize I look like an idiot sniffing a box of berries, but if they smell like nothing, then logic dictates they don't taste like anything. Atleast that is my logic.
So I decided against going to Monette's Market to get some real berries, but halfway down the street I realized I forgot to buy some stuff for lunch today and figured I could get some lunch meat from the market. There deli is much more delicious and cheaper. Wow. Big surprise. I step in the store, get my cart for Noah, who decides to try and nick a cherry. I told him no and he put it back. After I smelled my berries I went to the deli, got my number and waited.
My son does his usual magic, smiles and looks gosh darn cute. So this lady starts talking to me about him, asking what age he is. I guess her child was older, because she said "I miss that." I then told her that I miss him being a little newborn that didn't run away from me. Her reply just about floored me.
"My kid was murdered." It was noisy and I didn't quite hear it, but when she repeated the word, I got it quite clear. Well, I could have not said anything or given her a generic "I am sorry." But I am not sorry, I am in the same boat. It wasn't my child, it was my best friend.
So I opened up despite how much it sucks to go back to that memory. People who have suffered through the murder of a loved one don't always have the luxury of someone understanding their pain. But I did and I told her "I know what your going through." Then I told her my story and how the guy who murdered Jan got to trial SIX years later.
She told me that her daughter was found under six feet of water in an abandoned warehouse in Toledo (Elm Street).
It's so random to just tell someone about that, but I am glad she did, because there aren't many people who get the suffering of someone who has had a loved one murdered. I just hope that I helped her and wish I could have stayed in contact, but God will take care of her.
Nobody should have to lay their loved one to rest in a coffin and be able to see their bruises, and swollen body! NOBODY. I did. I will never forget what Jan looked like.
R.I.P. Cindy Sumner

UPDATE:  5/22/2014  -  Cindy's Murderer Dies in Jail!

Case for the Death Penalty

So I have been keeping up on the case of Ronald McCloud, the man who murdered my friend Jan in our church building June 4, 2005.  His mother is on the stand laying out his childhood before the whole world, and I must make this comment.  Shame on you!  I never would wish that on anyone, but you deserve to be shamed.  Perhaps being on the stand and having your comments reported for all the world to see is the shame that you needed to feel in order to realize your contribution to this society has caused a negative impact (the father is no better).
Who takes cocaine and perscription drugs while pregnant with their children?  Honestly, do you think it was a smart idea?  She lied to the doctors and social workers, beat her children, and before a social worker showed up at her home she would make her kids put up empty boxes of food to fool them.  She would force Ronald to be the man of the house and go with their father so she could be assured he would return home. 

Then she made the comment about feeling responsible for it all.  Of course, you are, 100% responsible for the man that became a psychopathic rapist.  Of course, you are not responsible for him making the choice to murder; however, you did influence his life in a very wrong way.
I wish she would be locked up.

She then made the comment, "I just want my son to have a chance."  The same son who was in and out of juvinile detention and then jail.  He had his chance repeatedly and repeatedly did he prove that he dosn't care about turning his life around.  He has a record going back to 1991 and after that it's private due to him being a juvenile.

She's just trying to save him from the death penalty, which by all means he does deserve.  Honestly, how many crimes must he commit in order for us to come to our senses and realize he's not going to change!  Mercy is the right thing to give, but repeated offenders ought not be let out into our society to run rampant. 
Forgiveness is key, but when you let it make you into a doormat that gets abused time and again, it is pointless.  Let him show his regret, remorse, and apologies by death penalty.  He dosn't deserve to live and breath the air we breath and eat the food we eat.  He dosn't deserve to enjoy the wonderful things of life, if he couldn't show mercy on someone who was showing him mercy to begin with. 

Jan was trying to be a good woman when she friended him.  She stood by her morals and values and wanted to be a witness of Jesus Christ.  And what did she get in return?  A violent rape and death. 

So, my case is for the death penalty.  Please protect our society by removing those who seek to turn it into something horrid.

Thursday, Oh Thursday!

I suppose I will keep blogging about my week, read the last post if you don't know what's going on.   Writing is a form of release for me, it's my way of expressing what is inside. 

Tuesday - the trial for Jan's murderer started, and it seems as if everything started resurfacing.  At the end of the day I was in tears because I just couldn't take it anymore.  No emotion from Ronald McCloud.

Wednesday - I was fine, especially when I found out about the DNA evidence.  STILL no emotion from Ronald McCloud.

Today - I am 100% sure that Ronald McCloud will not get away from his fate.  And you know what? I am ok with him spending his life in jail or waiting for his execution.  Today they discussed the DNA evidence and then they are going over motions.   FINALLY Ronald McCloud starts sobbing.  Wow.  I felt some victory because of this, he finally shows some remorse.  They found Jan's purse in Ronald's mother's house, he drove her car, and his DNA was on her body (her chest area).  Like the guy said, all evidence points to this one person. 

I feel as if closure is finally on it's way.  Just waiting for the verdicts to come along.  The defense is still trying to prove there was no kidnapping, yet she was held against her will and attacked him.  They argument is that she had to be moved in order to be kidnapped.  I feel differently!  Kidnapping is holding anyone against their will, location dosn't matter, moving them dosn't matter.   You can go into someone's home and kidnap them, keep them from going outside and cut them off from the world.  But according to this defense attorney, you have to be moved? What a lowsy argument.

Now they are saying the state failed to prove their evidence.  Yet they found DNA on her that was proven to be Ronald's DNA.  He had gashes and gouges on him. 

Oh wow! The judges are going to deliberate for a verdict.  We could know by 4pm (EST) what is going to happen with Ronald McCloud.  Thank God. 

Whatever happens will be in God's hands.  This trial was already decided back in 2005 by the God, the King of Kings.

A Pic posted by Court Reporter (before 2001)

Jan in 2001