Remorseful...Justice Still Eludes Offender/Victim

Webster’s Definition of Remorse “A Deep moral anguish and regret for past misdeeds.”

I know the meaning of the word, but how does one find remorse in a case such as mine?

August 20, 1972, my wife was drugged and viciously raped...On August 23, 197 I entered the home that my wife’s rapist was hiding in, and I made the mistake of taking the law into my own hands

Over the years, I have wrestled with the burden of causing the death of another human being, for decades I struggled with the what if’s and the why me? And I often think of the family affected by my actions.

To the innocent people occupying the home that my wife’s rapist was hiding in... I give to you my sincere apology. Ruth, you and my wife was very close friends... Please know that I never had any intentions of harming you. My rage was only directed at the man who drugged and raped my wife.

Emotionally, the crime that I committed and was convicted of caused a great deal of pain, anger, hatred and suffering. People grieve in different way, but the grief is always there.

At my trial I could see that the pain was apparent from both of our families, I can’t describe the torment that the family of my wife’s rapist had to go through with their loss, but understanding that pain and suffering is not alien to any particular people, I know that they coped the best way that they could.

For a number of years I had no remorse. I felt that my actions was justified, my distorted religious views at that time conditioned me to believe that my actions of defending and protecting my family was what any real man would do.

However, my many years of spiritual growth, counseling, and therapeutic programs, I have now discarded all notion that such extreme actions are justified, and one of the first things that I did after I was baptized in 1988, was to write a letter expressing my remorse to the family of my wife’s rapist. I sent the letter to the commutation board to be forward on to the family.

I am deeply sorry for the pain that my actions caused not only the family of my wife’s rapist but my family as well, my remorse is genuine, it comes from the heart, and I take full responsibility for the actions that occurred during the early morning hours of August 23,1972.

My fate is now in the hands of the Pennsylvania Pardons Board... and my question to the commutation board members is... How long will justice elude the cry from a remorseful man?

 

Respectfully Submitted with sincerity 

Daniel Cummings