Rest In Peace..."Baby Girl"...For Now!!!

On Tuesday 9/12/06 Lynette, Jim and I went to the state prison(again) to address the parole board against Barry being paroled early(Refer to the 8/27/06 post for more background). This time we had added more ammunition-Brittany's best friend Rachel! I know she was very nervous but she did just fine. If she can go on Face to Face she can do ANYTHING!!! Barry will not be paroled, we went there to convince the parole board that he should not be eligible again until August 2009. Like in the 8/27/06 post I am going to let everybody read excerpts from comments that were made to the board by Rachel and Lynette.

Rachel's Comments:

"We were pretty much inseparable. Once we were both discharged from the hospital we were by each other's side. There was no Brittany without Rachel and no Rachel without Brittany and everyone knew it. We spent every weekend at the mall, my house or her house. We made so many memories together. I can still hear her voice over the phone with her cheerful 'Hey Baby Girl'. She was and will always be my best friend in the world.

My best friend is gone. Brittany and I had so many plans and now those are gone. I planned on being in my 50's and calling her on the phone to hear her cheerful 'Hey Baby Girl'. That will never get to happen. Please give the maximum time before he is eligible for parole again so he can't hurt someone else's Best Friend."


Lynette's Comments:

"He was able to somehow get lifetime supervision removed from his sentencing. I cannot fathom how a judge could remove that from a sexual predator. After she died I was left with the heartbreaking task of going through her things. I found three pictures she had printed from news stories online, tucked away in a little pocket of one of her poetry folders. On the back of each of them she wrote a small caption. The one that I will always remember reads...'I am sorry I ruined your life. I never meant to hurt you. I am sorry I told. As God as my witness someday I will make things right'. In my opinion on April 11, 2005 she chose to do that. She committed suicide while locked up. It may be just a coincidence but while reading many of her writings, I believe this was her way of making things right.

As of April 12, 2005 I do not feel that even doing the full 10 years could even come close to justifying what he did... I am begging you to please give the maximum amount of time (which I believe is 3 years) until the next time WE have to go through the pain of loosing her all over again. I don't think it should read the parole board will review this case to determine his next parole eligibility date. It should read the parole board will review his case to make his victim or victims relive all the pain his actions have caused. That is just how I feel. It may be too late to keep my daughter safe from those who pray on the innocent but you have the power to keep other families from having their children's innocence stolen".


Now all we have to do is wait for the decision from the board. We are all hoping that he will not be eligible until August of '09. What I have taken away from this experience is that we as victims DO have a voice and that we should get over our fear and speak out. In Brittany's case -WE her family and friends-are HER voice. This is one case in which I do believe that the system does work. Both Rachel and I have regrets about things that have happened in regards to Brittany. I firmly believe her spirit is saying to us softly "It is Ok I know you loved me."


After the hearing we went back to the house and Jim made a great dinner to celebrate our victory once again.