The clock seems to drag the last few days. My heart is hurting and my anxiety increases as we move closer and closer to the Sentencing Hearing next week. I have prepared my Victim Impact Statement and submitted it to the Prosecutor's Office for review. I have read it and re-read it to try and prepare myself for standing in that courtroom and reading it to the judge. How do you hold back the flood of emotions while doing that? I know there will be tears but can I control myself enough to be able to speak and be understood.
Wow - I had just finished writing that first paragraph on Monday (two days ago) when the phone rang and it was the Prosecutor's Office. New twists in the case. Why was I so shocked? Why didn't I see it coming? The news settled in and we'll be fine, we'll know more come the 19th and then go from there. Now we wait and see....again.
And now here it is the following Monday, a week has passed. I have sat at this computer, staring at this screen so many times over the past seven days. Originally this post was going to be about the sentencing hearing, about the hole in my heart that seems to be getting larger and larger as the minutes pass by. Then it was going to take a turn and focus on putting some facts out regarding some stories that have been floating around thanks to the parents and friends of the monster who murdered my precious grandson Joey. (See that beautiful sleeping boy - the first picture taken by Grandma Kim when he was not quite two months old, the second taken just days before his death). Now I'm just a rambling Grandma who wants Justice done and wants to shout from the rooftops what this monster did to my grandson.
First and foremost I want people to stop and think - WHY would a man plead GUILTY to FIRST DEGREE MURDER if the cause of Joey's death was a "tragic accident" as he and his supporters continue to say? A person innocent of murder, a person that happened to be caring for a child that died from a "tragic accident" would NOT plead guilty. This person would also not change the story of what happened MULTIPLE times as Mr. Laubach did. Heck even the Judge said "So THAT's the story your going with!" at the Preliminary Hearing when the defense presented their case as to why he should not be bound over to district court for murder. Why would the Judge say something like that? Because in the all the testimonies it was shown how Mr. Laubach changed his story some many times that we all lost count in the courtroom. If this was truly a "Tragic Accident" the defense would have the credible experts to back up Mr. Laubach's story and he would not have pled GUILTY!
Now we are only three full days and a wake up to the hearing. The twists that could be coming were hard to take at first but then we were able to see how they can actually be a benefit to us in the long run...we'll know more on Friday.
The criminal justice system is sure a game - a suspenseful game at that. Waiting for the next move, waiting to see what legal issue, rights of the defendant, delays because of new attorneys or wanting to test a piece of evidence again and again, reports to be filed and decisions to be made. With each twist comes a delay of some sort. With each delay or move comes more stress, more nightmares, more thoughts of everything Joey will never have a chance to do, more tears for the loss of such a sweet little boy.
I have the fortune of having some amazing friends that will listen whenever I call, will help me to laugh and let me get lost in conversation with them and to put this whole business to the side for a few minutes at least. But believe me it's only a few minutes because my every day is consumed with this entire ordeal, with missing my grandson, praying for my daughter and trying to keep the images of Joey in that hospital bed out of my head and replaced with the fun images and memories. But it's hard to replace those images, they always reappear. Even during conversations that have nothing to do with the case, with Joey, the thoughts still come into my head. Watching my son and his grandpa play in the park yesterday, I am smiling and loving seeing them play but then I think about Joey, how he will never have days like this.
One great thing last week was the chance I had to meet up with the Detective Broughton and give her a hug. I have wanted to catch up with her for a while now and do just that and to thank her. She was the first person on scene the day this all began. She is an angel in uniform and I thank the Lord every day for her.
Sleep has been an impossible thing this past week, Deep sleep is a thing of the past, but at least I have been able to stay in bed all night until now. Some day I hope some kind of peaceful sleep will return to my life.
For now I ask you all to keep my family in your thoughts and prayers as we head into court on Friday morning. Many things will be said by both sides and while Erin and I get to stand before the Judge and say our pieces the defense will have people stand and speak in the monster's behalf as well. I know it's going to be an emotional day for all of us.
Get down on the floor, hug your kids and play with them. Cherish every moment and even when they upset you remember they are learning, watching and growing every minute of every day. Help them, teach them, enjoy them and love them. See the world from their perspective. And take lots of pictures!!!
God Bless you all
Grandma Kathy
Wow - I had just finished writing that first paragraph on Monday (two days ago) when the phone rang and it was the Prosecutor's Office. New twists in the case. Why was I so shocked? Why didn't I see it coming? The news settled in and we'll be fine, we'll know more come the 19th and then go from there. Now we wait and see....again.
And now here it is the following Monday, a week has passed. I have sat at this computer, staring at this screen so many times over the past seven days. Originally this post was going to be about the sentencing hearing, about the hole in my heart that seems to be getting larger and larger as the minutes pass by. Then it was going to take a turn and focus on putting some facts out regarding some stories that have been floating around thanks to the parents and friends of the monster who murdered my precious grandson Joey. (See that beautiful sleeping boy - the first picture taken by Grandma Kim when he was not quite two months old, the second taken just days before his death). Now I'm just a rambling Grandma who wants Justice done and wants to shout from the rooftops what this monster did to my grandson.
First and foremost I want people to stop and think - WHY would a man plead GUILTY to FIRST DEGREE MURDER if the cause of Joey's death was a "tragic accident" as he and his supporters continue to say? A person innocent of murder, a person that happened to be caring for a child that died from a "tragic accident" would NOT plead guilty. This person would also not change the story of what happened MULTIPLE times as Mr. Laubach did. Heck even the Judge said "So THAT's the story your going with!" at the Preliminary Hearing when the defense presented their case as to why he should not be bound over to district court for murder. Why would the Judge say something like that? Because in the all the testimonies it was shown how Mr. Laubach changed his story some many times that we all lost count in the courtroom. If this was truly a "Tragic Accident" the defense would have the credible experts to back up Mr. Laubach's story and he would not have pled GUILTY!
Now we are only three full days and a wake up to the hearing. The twists that could be coming were hard to take at first but then we were able to see how they can actually be a benefit to us in the long run...we'll know more on Friday.
The criminal justice system is sure a game - a suspenseful game at that. Waiting for the next move, waiting to see what legal issue, rights of the defendant, delays because of new attorneys or wanting to test a piece of evidence again and again, reports to be filed and decisions to be made. With each twist comes a delay of some sort. With each delay or move comes more stress, more nightmares, more thoughts of everything Joey will never have a chance to do, more tears for the loss of such a sweet little boy.
I have the fortune of having some amazing friends that will listen whenever I call, will help me to laugh and let me get lost in conversation with them and to put this whole business to the side for a few minutes at least. But believe me it's only a few minutes because my every day is consumed with this entire ordeal, with missing my grandson, praying for my daughter and trying to keep the images of Joey in that hospital bed out of my head and replaced with the fun images and memories. But it's hard to replace those images, they always reappear. Even during conversations that have nothing to do with the case, with Joey, the thoughts still come into my head. Watching my son and his grandpa play in the park yesterday, I am smiling and loving seeing them play but then I think about Joey, how he will never have days like this.
One great thing last week was the chance I had to meet up with the Detective Broughton and give her a hug. I have wanted to catch up with her for a while now and do just that and to thank her. She was the first person on scene the day this all began. She is an angel in uniform and I thank the Lord every day for her.
Sleep has been an impossible thing this past week, Deep sleep is a thing of the past, but at least I have been able to stay in bed all night until now. Some day I hope some kind of peaceful sleep will return to my life.
For now I ask you all to keep my family in your thoughts and prayers as we head into court on Friday morning. Many things will be said by both sides and while Erin and I get to stand before the Judge and say our pieces the defense will have people stand and speak in the monster's behalf as well. I know it's going to be an emotional day for all of us.
Get down on the floor, hug your kids and play with them. Cherish every moment and even when they upset you remember they are learning, watching and growing every minute of every day. Help them, teach them, enjoy them and love them. See the world from their perspective. And take lots of pictures!!!
God Bless you all
Grandma Kathy