A little more than an hour before the Status Hearing was to begin the phone rang and it was the wonderful assistant from the prosecutor's office. She informed me that there was a very good probability that the judge would be taking up the matter of a Plea Agreement in the hearing today as the prosecution and defense were about 95% in agreement on the deal. My stomach immediately got knots in it and I started calling family members to let them know.
Of course today we walk into the courtroom and it's the first time the court has been running late - they were still on the morning docket and here it was 1:20. A brief lunch break for court staff gave us time to talk with the assistant over in the prosecutor's office away from everyone and everything, then it was back upstairs. We listened to a few other cases get wrapped up and in walks the local newspaper reporter, whom we met during the preliminary hearing all those months ago. In walks the attorney that my daughter is preparing to put on retainer for the divorce battle she has to endure with this murdering monster and in the hall way we see the public defender that was originally defending Mr. Laubach.
The case is called and the judge immediately takes up the plea agreement. I can't go into a lot of details as we still have a pre-sentencing investigation to go through and then a sentencing hearing in September. But to make it short and simple - He PLEAD GUILTY TO FIRST DEGREE MURDER!
As the judge discussed things with Mr. Laubach the tears began to flow for each of us (myself, my daughter Erin and my daughter Melissa). So many emotions crashing in on my heart like the pounding waves in an ocean storm. I could feel some tension release from my body knowing we would not have to endure the jury trial and all the agony that would bring. My heart was so heavy, while Justice is what we needed and what we deserved it doesn't bring back our Joey. It doesn't fill the emptiness in our hearts that will forever be there.
When all was said and done we quickly left the courtroom and headed to the prosecutor's office. As soon as we were in the hallway it was HUGGING time. Time to hold my daughter and tell her how much I love her. At the prosecutor's office it was more hugging .. hugs for Penny, one of the assistants who has helped us in this journey, for Detective Griggs who has been amazing through this all, for Nicole our assistant who has been an amazing breath of fresh air every step of the way and for Tina, the prosecutor who I have the utmost respect for and thank the Lord for every day. There are so many more hugs to give too and I will get to them one by one as the next few days and weeks come along.
We may be in a small town in Idaho but these people - from the medics to the officers to the prosecutor's team are AMAZING and we are so thankful for everything they have done for us.
We have a ways to go to finalize this journey but it is nice knowing that he isn't going to be able to appeal this conviction (there are other things he may be able to appeal but that's for another time if it comes to it). Now it's time to focus on sentencing and presenting to the judge our victim's impact statements.
To our friends and family - THANK YOU for being there, for supporting us through this, for letting us vent, for holding our hands and wiping our tears.
September 19, 2014 will be our day in court, our day to be heard.
Get down on the floor and play with your kids, laugh with them, love them, cherish every moment with them and take lots of pictures.
Grandma Kathy