Author Description

After years of struggling with guilt and shame for being associated with a serial killer sitting on death row, a sister comes to grip with the fact that she and all family members of death row inmates are, indeed, victims as well. Although her brother was, indeed, guilty of his crimes and deserved to pay for the lives he took, society placed her into the same category as him and quickly labeled her guilty by association. Bringing public awareness to the loved ones of death row inmates is something that is frowned upon, and families are often warned by their lawyers not to do so, which leads to detrimental health issues for those family members. They are punished not only for being associated with the inmate but also for loving them and standing by their side despite the horrendous crime they committed. The death penalty brings about many more victims when an inmate is executed. Its grasp is so far-reaching, not only for the victims' families and inmates' families but also for so many others placed in a position they did not ask to be in but were so because of the crime our loved ones committed. The weight of carrying that pain as a result of what our loved one has done can sometimes become too much to bear, and because of that, we are not able to grieve the loss of someone we loved. It has been five years since her brother's execution, and although the healing process has been slow, by publicly sharing her journey with her brother, she hopes to help others begin their healing process as well.