If someone broke your heart in high school.
And later came into your life.
You’d probably hurl insults, and then accept the overdue chocolates and flowers.
If someone said your fat in jest, and then apologized.
You’d probably accept the apology ,but still check the mirror to see if there’s any resemblance of truth.
How would you feel if your daughter’s killer asked you for forgiveness?
That is the million-dollar question.
Linda White partly answered it, and the results were mind-blowing.
Her 26 year old pregnant daughter Cathy Lyn O’Daniel stopped her car in 1986 in Texas to help 2 teenage lads that were having car trouble.
After that generous act it was repaid by being raped and murdered by the two lads.
They were caught and both sentenced to prison.
Due to an organization the mum Linda and her daughter apprehensively met one of the killer’s years after the murder in the first step to closure.
They were shocked to meet a man who was actually a scared boy.
All I can say you know someone had a raw deal in life ,when even the prison warden said ‘’Gary never stood a chance in life’’.
His life was far from a fairytale.
He was abandoned when he was born by his mum, subjected to sexual abuse from his stepfather, and made 10 previous suicide attempts when he was a pre-teen.
And due to the guilty verdict and no trial this was all their first meeting.
What was the chilling part of the session was when Gary recounted the murder.
Seconds before Cathy was executed she looked her killers in the eyes, and said ‘’I forgive you and God forgives you’’.
That again showed the type of person again Cathy was, and what good home she came from.
Gary Brown’s frank honesty was to me a healer for Linda White and her granddaughter ,and his remorse was genuine.
To me the meeting was truly needed and helpful, and shows we should give credit to the prison system.
At times it can rehabilitate the previous unredeemable.
What made me weak in the knees,was when Linda said she forgave him, and wouldn’t block his parole.
You as the audience just pray that Gary Brown ends up forgiving himself.
As I believe ironically that’s what Cathy would have wanted.
Don’t get me wrong murder is wrong, but at times you have to check the extenuating circumstances to build the true picture of the psych of the killer.
What moved me also is when they took a group picture.
It truly felt like a family picture.
Family that sadly Gary Brown never had and craved.
What’s tragic who knows what Gary’s life could have been if he had the right stable family dynamic.
Maybe Cathy would still be alive today.
Maybe we have to accept society plays a part in how killers are formed.
Since then Gary Brown has been released and has met Linda White.
Again this story helps restore my faith in the human race.
But honestly if you were Linda could you easily forgive your daughter’s killer?
(Please watch the show Meeting with a killer One Family’s Journey.
It truly is insightful into the forgiveness process.)