In Cleveland yesterday at Michael Madison’s sentencing for a triple murder, Van Terry lunged at his daughter’s killer. The only surprise here is that this sort of thing doesn’t happen more often. It’s always amazed me that murder trials, as far as the public knows, are generally calm and dispassionate. Sitting quietly for hours or months while the killer of your loved one sits just a few feet away strikes me as almost humanly impossible. In this case, while Terry was delivering his victim impact statement, he turned and looked at Madison. When the killer grinned back, the distraught father finally cracked.
Madison was sentenced to death. Reportedly the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office will review the incident and decide whether to charge Terry with a crime. Looks to me like an easy call.
A brutal death inflicted. He is one e who should be removed from society swiftly.
I don’t know about there, but in this state with the madatory appeals process for the death penalty, the wait on death row is about 20-25 years.
I don’t know how families manage that.
I don’t know either. They attend a trial for months, finally see a verdict rendered and a penalty decided … and then wait another 20 years for it to be imposed. It’s little wonder Madison was smiling. Or that Terry snapped. Sentencing should be the end of the process, not the beginning.
The whole idea of requiring victims or their families to provide a “victim impact statement” seems insane and misguided. In the case of a murder, can’t “impact” be assumed? And isn’t murder a crime regardless of its impact?
Oh I don’t think the statements are required at all. The injured parties are offered the chance to speak if they want to. But I don’t know when in the process the statements come and whether they influence the outcome.
Here the victims speak only ater the sentencing (not sure about other places) . Speaking is a choice not a requirement by the court or anyone. Supposed to “ease their pain” and show the crimminal how much their actions hurt someone. (like it makes any difference to many of them – simple a bonus perk for the bad guys/gals)
It’s a stupid name for the family’s chance to speak about their loss and feelings. For so long the surviving friends and family were not allowed to speak at all, I guess it’s a step in the right direction, but another stupid “let’s be kind and not call it what it is or make anyone feel bad about something” phrase.
The father’s rage was justified. And his actions were understandable. It was hard for me to watch such human suffering. Nothing is worse than having a child die from the violent actions of another.
I can’t begin to imagine what he must have been feeling, but seeing the killer of my child smirking at me certainly would have sent me over the edge.
If they ever try a victims father who avenged his offsprings murder, I want to be on the jury.
Me too. I’d want everyone on the jury to be a parent.
I’m with Mr. Terry too.
You, me, and Ima on the jury. That’s the ticket.