An Assault Turns To Murder

 

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post this morning, as I just learned that the victim in a recent assault case of mine has died of his injuries. I was surprised and very saddened. At the time, it looked hopeful that he might pull through. This breaks my heart. He was so young - the same age as my daughter.

  I remember standing and talking with his mom while waiting for the detective to finish interviewing him. She looked so hurt, so frightened for her son - for her only child as I learned from listening to her. She wanted so much to know something - anything - to help her understand why this had to happen to her child.

   As a Mother and Grand-Mother myself, I could understand her feelings. I told her I wish I could say something, but by law, I wasn't allowed to. We have to maintain the patient's privacy no matter what.

   I felt so bad. I know how I would have felt. It would have torn me up inside, seeing my child lying there, and not being told anything, not being able to understand how this could happen. I would have gone nuts. They would have had to drag me out of there, I just know it. No matter how old they get or how big they get, they are still our children.

   We are still just as protective of them as the day they were born. We look at them and suddenly our child as an infant flashes through our mind. We can still see them take their first step, ride their first bike ride, play in their first ball game, go to their first dance, and later, have their first child.

Unfortunately, those are all the memories this woman will ever have of her son now. Will any paper  write of the heartache this woman is going to have to live with for the rest of her life? Will anyone outside of her circle of family and friends really care?

   I do. I care. I wish I could see her right now, talk to her, hug her and let her know how very sorry I am for her loss. It is the greatest pain any parent could ever feel.  One which none of us should ever have to bear.

   And one I pray to God I will never have to personally experience.