Part ~ 17 Up Set But Far From Giving Up

We were all so up set that day. Even though I had thought this might happen, my heart was breaking for my son. As I watched the bailiff take my son away once again, he in tears. I thought how much more Lord. Please give me strength. Aghhh It was so hard to see. It's hard to think bout even now.

While they were taking my son away, his younger brother was also in tears. Then I saw the mother of the slain young man point her finger at him, his younger brother, and laugh. It was a horrible day.

Things in this case seemed so twisted and off the wall. Since the very beginning nothing was as it seemed. It felt so surreal to me.

I spoke later to the other two mothers. We just couldn't believe with no evidence here in Michigan, nothing, but obviously so much down south. That no one seemed to care about it, not even our own attorneys. How could they keep our boys. And if they went to trial they most likely would never be coming home. We knew we had to do something or our sons would be in jail the rest of their lives.

I had originally been told by our attorney not to speak to the press. And in the beginning the press was horrible to our sons and our families so I didn't want to.And yet at the same time I just wanted to scream at them. Then with the news of the pair being arrested down south. The Media attitudes had started to change. During that time there had been one young reporter who had been most fair about our story. I started communicating with her through a friend. Eventually I trusted her and we began speaking "Off the record".
I talked with her on that horrible day too.

Though that was a horrible day it was also the day everything really started to change too. That day we 3 mothers decided the only recourse we had left was to go down south ourselves. We would have to do for our sons what no one else would. And we would have to do the investigating that the authorities in Michigan refused to do. Also Knowing with the police and Prosecutors attitudes and lies,we would need proof of anything we might uncover. We invited the reporter to go with us. She gladly accepted. She also got a photographer to go too.

We were all pretty much broke because of this case. I remember one phone bill was almost a 1000. dollars from my son calling home reversing the charges from jail. Not to mention attorney fees and such. So we got donations from family and friends. Then early on an April  morning we packed our bags, some sandwiches, cameras and note books. Loaded up the one mother's Bonnieville  and headed down the highway.

Three mothers, one reporter, and a photographer, heading down south. The five of us in one car. All strangers just a few months ago. Now on a quest together for the truth.