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Sugar Cookie

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Forgiveness is a hard road to walk. Many are unable to take the journey that allows them to escape from the anger and sadness that comes from injuries inflicted by others. Becki Reiser, her husband, Jeff, and their three sons decided 14 years ago to walk that road. Their efforts have culminated in Becki’s book, “Through My Tears: Awash in Forgiveness.”

The Reisers’ daughter, Elizabeth, was brutally murdered May 23, 2000, by a 27-year-old father of three, who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. “Liz” and her friend Brandi Hicks, of New Philadelphia, had attended Brandi’s choir banquet at Buckeye Career Center. Afterward, they decided to rent some videos from Hollywood Video and take them to Brandi’s house, where Liz was spending the night.

That is where they met Matthew Vaca, who asked them for a ride home after telling them his car had broken down, and that he would give them $20 to take him about a mile away.

“Ordinarily, Liz would never have been out on a school night,” Becki said, “but it was only a few days until her graduation and all of her work was finished, so we let her go. She was our first-born, the first answer to my prayers to be a wife and mother.”

The girls, who had been taught by their parents and their church that helping others was the right thing to do, met Vaca at 9:30 p.m. May 22. At 3:45 a.m. May 23, the Reisers were notified that Liz was missing. Brandi had been attacked and thrown in the river. She escaped and flagged down a car, which took her to the Dover police station.

At 5 a.m., Jeff was reading his Bible. When he opened it, it was to the scripture Matthew: 5:4, which read, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” When they arrived at the hospital at 6 a.m., Jeff told authorities, “I already know my daughter is dead, and we forgive the man who did this.”

“I had a choice,” Becki said. “I could agree or disagree, and I chose forgiveness because it freed me from whatever I was going to have to face. It gave me the peace and strength to face forward. Some people thought we just didn’t want to go through the appeals process because it takes so long, but I have to tell you, you still live it every day.”
http://www.timesreporter.com/article/20140320/news/140329901
 
“I already know my daughter is dead, and we forgive the man who did this.”

I might eventually come to forgive him, but I'm telling you it would be a long,long time before I could face that. Definitely not forgiving him before I'd actually found out my daughter was dead.

If that makes me a cold hearted bitch, so be it.
 
I really find the forgiveness crap of something that has happened to another party kind of ridiculous especially in a circumstance like this. Drugs and alcohol wouldn't be the cause so much as the maggot that committed the crimes. I think the concept just leads to more people not accepting responsibility of their behaviour and allowance of what they can get away with especially with pieces of shit like this. Jesus did not say ever unconditional forgiveness there had to be retribution and actions taken by the offender to make up for the action and in this case nothing can be further from the truth. The people around the victim especially if the victim isn't around can forgive themselves and over to turn the weight over to a higher field but they sure can't give atonement for something like this
https://www.rapsheets.org/ohio/doc-prisoner/VACA_MATTHEW/A394200
mugshots
VACA-A394200.jpg



http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-07-16/news/0007160138_1_death-penalty-railroad-car-death-row
 
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Know how I feel about forgiving my stepfucker? He's long dead, and still unforgiven. When I think about that, my stomach doesn't churn, I feel no corrosive bitterness, oh no I feel a warm satisfied glow. A smile spreads over my face and I feel happy. I didn't devalue or demean myself by forgiving the unforgivable.
 
They are deeply religious and forgave him the day she died. I don't get all the forgiveness
I guess that's what Christians do. Be Christ like. I'd say bah hum bug. Gimme hatred. Forgiveness makes them feel good. Forgiveness also makes the murderer feel forgiven. Screw that! He deserves absolutely nothing. Those poor girls were trying to help him the night he brutalized them. That's what you get for being Christlike.
 
I am just looking back through some of the older cases in this forum and it is complete coincidence that I’m reading this thread today when just last night we visited family in Tuscarawas county and drove past one of the train trestles that I had thought might have been one involved in this case. Creepy. There is an episode of Dead Silent (Discovery ID) about this case. Her parents are incredible. They spoke at length in the episode. I’m with most of you, my forgiveness would be hard to come by.
 

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