What is Justice?

by Todd Blumhorst

What is justice? When we are faced with the murder of our loved one, we are overcome with a plethora of emotions and we begin a search for justice. We as survivors spend so much time seeking that justice that our own grief is often put on a back burner to be dealt with later because the desire for justice for our loved one is stronger than our personal heartache. They were robbed of so much more than we were and our love for them drives that need for justice.

When we think of justice for the crime of murder we generally envision the defendant going to trial, being found guilty, then serving life in prison or execution. We see the evidence in the court procedures and know our loved ones life was cut entirely too short at the hands of the defendant. We want to see them go away for a very long time or be executed and then justice is served.

Is justice an eye for an eye? Is justice found in the prison sentence? Is justice found at the end of the executioner’s needle? What happens if this sequence of events doesn’t happen like that and justice is denied? Worse yet, what if the defendant is never caught or is freed on a technicality? What if they are found to be un-restorable in their mental capacity and are set free? What if a plea is offered and they see much less time than had they been convicted? How does our murdered loved one get justice?

I struggled for years over this last question. How do I get justice for my sister Veronica and her disappearance and probable murder? We have no body, no murder weapon, or no verification of death. The only thing we have is a police report where a person very close to her stated they could have very well killed her but couldn’t quite recall due to a prior brain injury that caused memory loss at times. He went on to tell the police that if he did kill her then he was much smarter than them and her body wasn’t going to be found. For over 22 years, he has been correct, thus far.

My heart breaks when I am working with a family and they do not feel the sentence or outcome was justice. I often have to remind them that we have a court of law and not a court of justice. The laws can, at times, seem unjust for the survivors of homicide because the defendants appear to have all of the rights afforded to them. It is never easy to hear that the person who killed your loved one got off light or never even face a criminal trial because the case is unresolved.

How do we give our loved on justice in these cases? I have struggled with this question for over 22 years now and I get more pieces to the puzzle as the years progress. When I was fresh with grief, anger, hatred, and rage in 1990, I saw justice as taking him out to a field and killing him in the most brutal of fashions. As the years progressed and I saw that the likelihood of the case being resolved grew ever slimmer, I continued to seek resolution. I didn’t care that the investigator on her case appeared to be sitting on her case and not working it. We often went years without even a phone call to say he was thinking of us and he still wanted to find out what happened to Veronica. We go silent, another injustice.

As the 20 year anniversary of her disappearance approached I decided to make sure her memory wasn’t forgotten. I started a Facebook page for her because I was running into people there who would always ask me about her case. Instead of repeating myself constantly, I set up a place where her family and friends could remember her. I figured maybe a handful of friends would join; we had over 100 people in the first week. Currently, there are 1200 members on her page. They remember her, discuss the incompetence of the case management by police, they speculate on who killed her. They keep her memory and case alive.

The members soon began to discuss a memorial service for Veronica since a funeral was never held for her. The groundwork was being laid for a memorial service on the 20 year anniversary. I thought about this for a long time and felt something was missing from this event. I soon came up with the concept of the Veronica Blumhorst Memorial Expo for a Safer Commmunity which was going to be a safety fair of local service agencies to expose the community with the resources that are available to them in Northern Illinois River Valley. Even if it saved one person, there was some justice and Veronica saved a life.

I got a huge sense of relief after the expo and memorial. I felt that she did indeed get a modicum of justice, the scales weren’t even but they moved in her favor some. I returned to Arizona and began to look at the next step. What do I do next to get her more justice? The months went by and fate intervened. I lost two jobs within three months and was desperately seeking a job when I got a message from Gail Leland, the founder of Homicide Survivors. She told me to go there to see if they had anything for me. I went down and was told that they could employ me for two months. I jumped at the opportunity. I feel Veronica interceded from beyond because the permanent person they had hired didn’t work out and I was soon offered a full time position. I knew this was Veornica putting me in a place to work on that justice thing again. This time it was to help others on their journey of grief and by doing that then her death was not in vain and justice is added to her side of the scales.

After a year at Homicide Survivors, I was blessed to help many families during their tragedies. I still had my own tragedy to deal with and the fact that we never found her bothered me immensely. I sought out a human cadaver search team who agreed to assist our family. I went back to Illinois in September of 2012 on another justice mission. We were possibly successful in locating the area her remains are buried but now need to wait until this spring after the thaw and weather stabilizes out more. Hopefully we will bring her home soon for a proper burial. That would be justice to me today, just having her back.

Over time my concept of justice has changed. I started out with an eye for an eye idea of justice and it has evolved to an attitude of “give me back what was mine”. We just want to have that confirmation that she is dead and this state of limbo that has haunted us for 22+ years can be lifted. I would like survivors to know that even if you don’t get justice in court, you can still get justice for your loved one. I went to the extreme and you can too if you choose. You can also do the small things that bring them justice like start a neighborhood watch, volunteer at a womens shelter, or volunteer for something your loved one was passionate about. There are many small ways you can add justice to their side of the scale. Will they balance in the end? Probably not, but you can definitely make a difference and bring some good out of all the bad.

Todd J. Blumhorst, Advocate,
Assistant Volunteer Coordinator

Homicide Survivors Inc.
32 N. Stone Ave. #1408
Tucson, Az. 85701

520.740.5729
azhomicidesurvivors.org

Recovery Without Justice

By Sandra L. Brown, M.A.

At the heart of the victims' rights movement that I was involved in during the 1980's after my father's murder was the concept of judicial justice which would lead to psychological justice. It's a great concept and in a perfect world it would work in all situations. If you were wronged by the pathological person (physically hurt, conned out of money, screwed up custody situations, infidelity, spiritual abuse, etc.) the pathological would be held accountable in the courts for his behavior and more importantly, he would be forced into victim restitution in which he would have to repay or do something as a sign of his guilt and your pain.

Restitution, in and of itself, really doesn't heal anything. It does, however, make the victim/person harmed feel like the scales of justice changed.  The scales, which once grossly tilted toward him, now tilt in the victim's direction. For a brief moment in court, and for however long it takes him to pay or do the restitution, he is officially 'guilty.' Everyone knows he was charged and found guilty; now he is 'paying the price' for his actions. For a brief moment in court, a judge believes the victim! He believes the monster really did what the victim said he did. That, in and of itself, is often the psychological justice that victims really look for, and it helps them to heal.

In the case of murder trials, which I often attended, the family cannot be compensated in any true way that relieves their pain and suffering. Their loved one was murdered. No amount of restitution touches a human life. The best the family can hope for is either physical payment, prison, the death sentence, or some other act that the court assigns from the monster to the victim's family.

The judicial system acts as the conscience of this country. Victims seek solace in the courtrooms and chambers, hoping that justice will alleviate the pain, horror, and stigmatization of being a victim of the monster. But we know that in many cases, and I dare say most cases, that's not what happens. Restraining orders are not granted, arrests are not performed for stalking or violence, and children are given over to the pathological who is overtly violent, sick, drug addicted or otherwise an inept parent.

He continually violates the rules, but the court does not impose sanctions.  He doesn't pay child support, but his visitation continues.  He does not pay alimony, yet the court does not make him pay it.    He conned/stole thousands of dollars from you, but the court does not make him pay it. Your legal bill skyrockets as he does not pay what he has agreed to pay or been ordered to pay. Taking him to court again and again does no good; the pathological continues his behavior. The judge does not see past the expertly-crafted mask to the pathological's true nature-he gives him the benefit of the doubt, thinking him normal. Even when the court does order compliance, it does no good: the pathological laughs at court orders. You stand by, mouth gaping and wondering "Where is the justice? HOW does he get away with this?"

I have repeatedly said that the universe is strangely tilted to the pathological's benefit. If ANYONE will get away with a con or a criminal act, it will be them. The universal scales of justice tilt in his favor. Ironically, this somehow influences the judicial scales of justice. In the 20 years of doing this work I have seen pathologicals literally get away with murder, rape, embezzlement, breaking and entering, stalking, domestic violence, child abuse, and more. This ranks as the 8th Wonder of the World -- how pathologicals con their way out of the most vicious deeds and often never pay in any way for their behavior.

In these cases, women's hopes for justice, connected to their psychological healing, are dashed. The scales of justice will never be balanced -- she is not vindicated in the way that helps her heal. Even if he is found guilty of something, he rarely pays the price. If he is suppose to pay a fine, he doesn't. If he is suppose to go to jail/prison, it's postponed or over-turned. If custody is denied, it's later granted by another judge. If he embezzled, it's forgiven in exchange for an admission of guilt.

Victims' rights and its connection to judicial and psychological justice doesn't play out often in pathological relationships. The psychological justice that the victim is counting on in order to vindicate her -- her moment in which the conscience of this country believed her -- doesn't happen. Since we understand that psychological justice is what is most likely to help victims heal, now what?

I sternly tell victims of pathological relationships that they must recover without justice. We are not discussing 'what is fair'; the pathological has already skirted the issue of 'fairness.' He doesn't live that as a concept, and the law doesn't use it as a concept with him. If you desire to recover, heal and move forward with your life, you will have to recover without judicial justice. Without victim restitution. Without the conscience of this country validating your story.

You have to recover without a second of judicial support. Women who hinge their recovery on judicial justice or waiting for her day in court, or 'when he gets what's coming to him' will never recover. The universe is tilted in his favor, and your own recovery must be a daring adventure in the face of a lack of victims rights. Sometimes the only personal justice is recovering and living a great life. What he did to you doesn't define you, hold you down, or stop you from succeeding in your own spiritual outlook.

In the end, the only thing you really have control over is how you choose to see your situation. If you see yourself as a victim of the situation, you won't recover until you move past that view. If you see the situation from a different perspective - horrible things happened to you but don't define or restrain you, you will move forward -- with or without justice.

The most unfair situation is what you have lived through and the aftermath of the effects of the pathological relationship. In the face of this grossly dehumanizing experience is the indomitable spirit of recovery that can guide you to not only survive, but thrive in the face of great pain. I have every confidence you can heal, even without justice. Let us know if we can help you do that.

Criminal Justice Reform: Guiding A Change We Can Believe In

By Randy McCall


Looking over news headlines for the last several months, there's one inescapable conclusion; ready or not, changes are coming to the criminal justice system in your country.

They may not be the kind of changes you're thinking of. Victims of crime, and those who advocate for them, need to be aware of potential changes which may be quickly coming in wake of forced austerity programs in government agencies, due either to an increased state debt burden, or a reduction in the tax base.

In many countries, the cost of expensive trials and long prison terms are beginning to be seen as an overwhelming burden the taxpayers, and a drain on resources which some say could be better used in crime prevention programs than in the warehousing of prisoners.

One of the first articles which caught my eye was this: Criminal justice: Tough on crime? Check. Smart on crime? Not so much. The first few paragraphs very explicitly states the opinion of the author:

Numbers from recent years show Texas near the top in adults on probation or parole, prisoners in state correctional institutions, inmates under 18 in state prisons and (here's the punch line) crimes per capita.

Somehow, somewhere, we have been doing something wrong. And that adds up to an unsatisfactory return on what will be a $10.8 billion investment in public safety and criminal justice in the state's 2010-2011 budget.

That's almost 10 percent of state tax dollars. By comparison, 6.7 percent goes to business and economic development and 1.2 percent goes to natural resources.
The reality is that crime stats, more than being a measure of our success in fighting crime, are a measure of our failure in so many other areas.

Some more numbers: Texas has about 155,000 state prisoners. Almost 44,000 have a history of mental illness. On average, a Texas inmate made it to the 10th grade.

We are not getting a sufficient return on our criminal justice dollars because we do not make sufficient investment in other areas, including mental health treatment and public education.

Indeed, in almost every US state, we're seeing stories of justice and victim support programs being cut for lack of funds, on the costs of incarceration and on the early release of prisoners to reduce overcrowding or reduce costs, and on the use of alternative sentencing projects such as the one described in: City signals intent to put fewer teenagers in jail

The Bloomberg administration plans to merge the city’s Department of Juvenile Justice into its child welfare agency, signaling a more therapeutic approach toward delinquency that will send fewer of the city’s troubled teenagers to jail.

There is also a groundswell movement to include the use of Restorative Justice principles as additions -- or, at times, alternatives -- to incarceration for juveniles or non-violent offenders. Even the US Sentencing Commission, which sets federal sentencing guidelines, is ensuring proponents of restorative justice are included in their victim advisory group. Around the world, successful programs are being expanded, including those in Peru, the UK, Taiwan, Turkey, and many others.


In many parts of the US, there is a general dissatisfaction with the justice system as a whole, so much so that a bill to carry out a complete review of the US criminal justice system is receiving broad support.

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb's bill to undertake a broad review of the nation's criminal justice system — on the basis that the one we have isn't working — is one step closer to fruition.


Webb's bill — to appoint a "National Crime Commission" of 13 criminal justice experts — calls for a good, hard look at the justice system "from top to bottom." The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday and will go now to the Senate floor.

Webb, D-Va., wants a review of everything from drug laws to the treatment of mentally ill inmates to job training programs for prisoners, and everything in between.

Webb talks about how it's unsustainable for taxpayers to simply continue to put more and more people into jails.

The U.S., Webb says, has 5 percent of the world's population but a quarter of its prisoners. There are four times as many mentally ill people imprisoned than in hospitals, he said.

"The overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle for restructuring our criminal justice system is very encouraging for our country," Webb said Thursday. "We are taking an inclusive, broad-based approach here, and ... that's the best way to move our country away from a system based on ideology and fear, and toward what is fair and what keeps us safe."

The bill, which passed on a voice vote out of the committee, has strong bipartisan support and counts groups as diverse as the Fraternal Order of Police, National District Attorneys Association, CATO Institute, NAACP and ACLU are also on board.

It's not just the US which is considering a massive overhaul of their justice systems to prevent tax dollars from going down what now appears to be a bottomless pit. In the United Kingdom, the UK Parliament Justice Committee has issued a report recommending the UK prison population should be cut by a third, while warning of a developing crisis:

A committee of MPs has warned that the criminal justice system is ‘facing a crisis of sustainability’ as government spending on prisons takes resources away from other aspects of criminal justice.

The Justice Committee said the government should make ‘radical moves’ to shift resources away from incarceration towards rehabilitation and projects that tackle the underlying causes of offending like social exclusion, poor education and drug addiction.

The call was backed by Law Society legal aid manager Richard Miller, who said that a reduction in spending on prisons would leave more cash for the legal aid budget.

Certainly, in the UK, the crush of the prison population has reached the point where there is now talk about bringing back prison ships as a way to alleviate overcrowding. Recently UK Justice Minister Jack Straw spoke at a public meeting on the need for extensive criminal justice reform (Video, 36 minutes)

No matter where in the world you live, you will very likely be seeing reforms such as I've described, either as part of austerity programs, as part of social consciousness movements or justice reform projects, or promoted as part of crime prevention programs (using the money in programs that help to stop people from becoming criminals in the first place.

Some of these programs and ideas you may agree with; others may go against everything you believe. The point is that these changes are coming; the changed world economy has seen to this.

What we: as survivors, as advocates, or as organizations must do is stay abreast of developments, trends and plans in our regions, so we can make our voices heard in the halls of government.

Together we can help guide the coming changes into a shape we all can live with.

CHRISTMAS TIME = LOTS 'O CRIME

By Michelle Simonsen, true crime writer and victim's rights advocate

Tis the season to be jolly? Not everyone.

Crime rates soar during the winter months, specifically the holiday season. Each year criminals get more ingenious and with the current recession and high unemployment rates, people have become more desperate than usual.

Some of these safety tips are no brainers, but with the hustle and bustle and craziness of the holidays, you’d be surprised how many people become preoccupied and throw caution to the wind.

Criminals and con artists aren’t going away, but you don’t have to be a victim:

• Avoid carrying cash when shopping. Use a credit or debit card instead. There are people who have mastered the art of pick pocketing. Once your cash is stolen, it’s gone for good. At least with a credit or debit card, you have recourse. If you must carry cash, do not store it in your purse or back pocket. Keep it in your front pocket.

• When shopping, never leave your purse open or unattended, even for one second. It takes less than a second to be robbed.

• Always know where your nearest exit is. Remember the 2007 mall shooting in Omaha that left nine dead? The odds of this occurring are rare, but wouldn’t you rather be safer than sorry?

• Never use your remote keyless entry to locate your car. A perpetrator’s playground is a parking lot. You don’t want them knowing where your car is, or which direction you are headed.

• Keep everything in your car out of sight. Remove your Ipod, cell phone, CDs, etc., from plain view. Always put your purchases and any other valuables in your trunk.

• Once you are in your vehicle, immediately lock your doors. Do not linger around talking on your phone, text messaging, or rummaging through your purse and belongings. Your distraction becomes their moment of opportunity.

• Use only well lit parking lots and if possible, refrain from using parking garages.

• Avoid wearing showy jewelry or any other similar items of value.

• Shop with a friend. A criminal is less likely to target you if you are not alone. There is truth to the old saying, "safety in numbers".

• BOTTOM LINE: PAY ATTENTION! We are all multi-tasking and distracted this time of year. It's easy to get caught up and forget to listen and watch what is going on around us. Defense is the best offense to crime.

BE SAFE AND ENJOY YOURSELF!

Michelle Simonsen is a victim's rights advocate, crime analyst and blogger for "Michelle Says So", founder of the grassroots consumer boycott, "Boycott Aruba--Justice for Natalee Holloway", an advisory board member of "Survivors in Action", and is a contributing writer for "Now Public", and "True Crime Talk".

A Terrible Case of GOOD vs. EVIL

Victoria Joelle Larson, Born February 8, 1969 - Killed July 12, 1979

By Cherry Simpson

Why does God allow evil to prevail in this world? It’s an eternal question, which means it’s not likely we’ll be able to answer it, in this lifetime.

Victoria Joelle Larson was born Feb 8, 1969. Her mother Dora Larson told me ”Vicki had a beaming smile, sunlit, she was my special gift from God, a sweet, giving, innocent child.” Dora had so many hopes and dreams for her little girl; dreams for a long and happy life together, and a future.

On July 12, 1979, Vicki was walking home after her brother’s little league game in the tiny town of Andover, IL. It was then Evil crossed Vicki’s path - his name was Scott Darnell. He was someone she knew, he visited his grandparent’s often, he’d been to Vicki’s house, and Vicki knew he had a crush on her older sister. Darnell led Vicki into a desolate cornfield, where, he had dug her grave three or four days earlier.

Scott William Darnell had dreams too, but his dreams are every parent’s worst nightmare. When 15-year-old Scott Darnell moved in with his grandparents in May 1979, he brought with him a history of molesting children and other violent acts. While still in grade school, Darnell established a pattern of molesting young girls. He later threatened a girl with a knife, tried to rape a 10-year-old girl, and assaulted staff members at juvenile facilities where he was assigned. In fact Scott had been housed in every juvenile facility in IL at the time of his parole. (The state called it a summer release.)

A psychiatrist would testify a year later that Darnell was “a homicide waiting to happen.” The system knew Darnell dreamed of raping and murdering little girls. And yet they released him into a community who had no knowledge what he was or what he had done or dreamed of doing. They were not allowed to protect their little girls from this monster.

Darnell knew in this little town of just 600, he’d be able to make his dreams a reality. He’d already found his victim; he’d been to her home. Her parents trusted him because they didn’t know what he had done or what he was capable of. The law was actually on his side - protecting him, and in a sense helping him, to commit his next crime - only this time he added murder to the mix.

In planning Darnell gathered wooden stakes with leather straps to bind her while he tortured her, he conveniently placed this right next to the shallow grave he dug. Now all he had to do was to lure her into the cornfield. He did that with the promise of a pony. Once she was there his dream became a sick reality. Darnell was at least twice Vicki by size and weight. He knew it wouldn’t be difficult for him to subdue her. Darnell forcibly raped and killed little Vicki, torturing her and strangling her then throwing her little lifeless body into that shallow grave like she was yesterday’s trash.

Why did he do it? To fulfill his sexual needs. Darnell had already established a pattern of sexual deviance and possessed the character traits - criminal, narcissistic, he lacked guilt, remorse, empathy and compassion. All this had been well documented in his psychological exams while housed in the juvenile facilities prior to his release in May 1979.

On Friday July 13, 1979 Vicki’s body was found. (Daily Herald Story) Darnell confessed, he was found guilty and sentenced to 30 yr’s for the rape and given natural life for the murder. The verdict came on what should have been little Vicki’s 11th birthday.

At 18 Darnell was to be sent to an adult prison. He has never shown guilt, remorse or sadness for his actions. Darnell devalues Vicki’s rights and over values his rights, he is indifferent to and or aroused by the pain, suffering, injury or humiliation he did to Vicki.

It’s now 30 years later and Scott Darnell inmate #N42540, is now age 46- a Buddhist who calls himself Legion - is an example of true evil in this world.

In a failed attempt to escape prison (the rules don’t apply to him) officials found this letter in his cell. Darnell even in prison, continues to dream of rape and murder. He cares nothing for the murder of Vicki he even misspells her name.

Through the years Darnell has made notoriety, based on him being a criminal in for life- by writing for various Buddhist publications such as (but not limited to) Tricycle, Turning Wheel, Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly. His copyrighted article entitled “Meeting Myself in the Cell House” was published in The Best Buddhist Writing 2005. Darnell writes about no remorse for his horrendous crimes, in fact he is less than honest in his description of why he is prison at all. Making it sound like one big horrible mistake. These writings are more evidence he has not accepted responsibility for the rape and murder of the 10 yr old child Vicki Larson nor is he remorseful or repentant even after 30 yrs in prison.

What criminals count on is forgetful memories, dead victims and a lack of knowledge of the crime. Just as Darnell has attempted to rewrite history the Internet can be used to remind people of the truth and facts. The truth and facts of this case are, that Scott Darnell is a repeat sexual pedophile and child murderer.

He does not ask for forgiveness in any of his writings. He does talk about himself and how he’s had a bad life (You see he is more important). He blames his mother who died of diabetes when he was 7. Never once does he say he was a repeat sexual pedophile and child murderer. When Darnell chants “No more victim, No more victim”, I am convinced he is speaking of “himself the victim.”

In stark contrast to the evident EVIL found in Darnell I am amazed at the GOOD found in Vicki’s mother, Dora Larson. Dora is a wonderful example of a good mother and proves that - in her life’s work - by not letting her little girl’s murder be in vein.

Dora was the founder and executive director of the Protecting All Children Together (PACT) coalition. She sacrificed much to help other children who had been victims of sexual abuse. Think about how hard that must have been for Dora to endure - how many times her thoughts would be brought back her own little girl’s suffering. She didn’t stop there - Dora in 1997 then headed up the Victims Services Unit in the Department of Corrections. You see Dora had the empathy and the understanding and she backed it up with her service for others. Now Dora is officially retired but still helps others as she is the Vice President of Illinois Victims. Over the last 30 years Dora has helped to pass many laws protecting victim rights. Dora is a woman I am so proud to know. She makes me want to be a better person and a better mother. When I think of Dora, I think of God’s love. What is love? Love is actions and that is Dora - she is “God’s Love in action.”

Dora wrote a letter to Darnell, she wanted him to know God would forgive him, if only he would repent - if he would ask for forgiveness and come to faith in Jesus, he too could go to Heaven. Dora knows Justice belongs to God and God is a just God.

In return, true to his EVIL self, Darnell wrote Dora a 4 page-scathing letter telling her “How dare you ask ME if I believe in God.” He then used Dora’s letter against her - by falsely presenting it to the Prison Review Board as proof that his victim’s mother wanted him to go free. Remember Darnell can’t spell Vicki’s name right, or write about her or what he has done to her, or say he’s sorry for what he’s done. He doesn’t like God and he calls himself “Legion.”

In Sept of 2008 Darnell filed another petition for executive clemency asking for a pardon from his 30-year sentence for rape and commutation of his life sentence for murder to time served. In his letter he changed his crime (including changing the murder and forcible rape to the name of "it"). He also claims to be a model prisoner. (It’s helpful there are no 10 or 11-year-old little girls in prison.)

Darnell deserved the death penalty for the heartless murder of this 10-year old girl. If he had been put to death, he could not make threats on other innocent people or write books from jail. Dora doesn’t want any other little girls graves to be dug or raped or killed by Darnell.

To paraphrase one of Dora’s favorite old saying, evil triumphs when good men (and women) do nothing. Will you help to keep all little girls safe and join us in writing the Governor and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board? Please ask that Scott W. Darnell be denied all clemency. Write to: Illinois Prisoner Review Board, 319 E. Madison St., Suite A, Springfield, Ill., 62701. And/or contact Governor Pat Quinn, 207 State House, Springfield, IL 62706.

All of us have trouble dealing with such evil - and I think our society has an even harder time dealing with it. It is my opinion that our society does not like to admit the presence of true evil. We like to think that all people are basically good . . . or at least have some good in them. But there are some people whom M. Scott Peck, a famous author, calls "People of the Lie" who have given themselves over to evil, whom the devil controls completely.

Darkness is powerful and prevalent. It surrounds us. However, it cannot extinguish the light. Even when murderers and rapists deprive us of life, we have life in God's Son. Little Vicki and her brave Mother Dora know. He gives us eternal life. He frees us from all suffering. Others can take our "body and life" but they cannot take the faith that is in our hearts. They cannot take our Savior away from us - no matter how cruel or awful they may be. We have victory in Jesus. Jesus said to his disciples hours before he was to be beaten, flogged and crucified, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). We also have the promise, "Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). As bad as things get here - and I cannot think of anything worse than a precious 10-year old girl being raped and murdered - the wonder of heaven will be far greater. Dora looks forward to her happy reunion with her child and an eternity of perfect happiness one day in Heaven.

Dora keep that light shining your light has strengthened my faith and countless others. What a wonderful reward you will have in heaven. “The spirit of the dead will survive in the memory of the living.” A memorable quote from the movie The Mission.

"The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5)