Open Letter to Matt's Killer


Garcia's killing prompts questions

By Kelvin Wade | | September 11, 2008 16:26

This is an open letter to the killer of Matt Garcia. On Tuesday at the memorial service at Armijo, one of the most emotional and powerful moments came when Matt Garcia's grandmother tearfully said to her grandson's killer:

'I have no hate in my heart. I just want some closure in my life. I want to ask him, face to face, why did you kill my grandson? Did you know how much we loved him? What did he do to you? What were you thinking?'

Everyone who loved and cared for Matt has similar questions for you.

How could you do something as cowardly and monstrous as shoot an unarmed person from the back? What kind of person can do that and go to sleep and continue to function in society knowing you're guilty of an evil act of cowardice? Did you ever really form a conscience? Is remorse a concept you can even understand?

Don't you understand that you've destroyed your life as well? When you're apprehended, your life as you know it is over. By squeezing that trigger, you not only killed a man but you've killed your own future.

Did you know Matt? Couldn't you see the good he was doing in the community? Didn't you see how he was bringing people together?

Was your grievance against him worth what you've seen his family, friends and community go through since your hateful act?

Where is your family? The contrast couldn't be starker. While the Garcia family gave us someone who added so much to peoples' lives, your family gave us someone who takes without giving.

On Tuesday, I saw 2,000 people from all walks of life gathered together to honor a fallen young leader and celebrate a short life well-lived. I heard people dedicate themselves to making his dream of a safe, youth-friendly vibrant community come to pass.

When you pass from this life who will mourn you? Will it be a community of 105,000? Will there be a football stadium full of anguished people lamenting your death? Will the numbers even fill a minivan?

Why don't you do the right thing and turn yourself in? Why not seize the opportunity to tell your side of this horrific story? Why not step up and tell Chris Garcia why you killed her grandson?

It takes a man to stand up and be accountable for his actions.

There are more than 100 cops working to find you. The reward money for information leading to your conviction keeps going up. That money is going to get mighty tempting to your friends, if you have people who would call you a friend.

Others who may know something aren't going to want to get themselves into legal trouble protecting you.

What can we offer you? All we have to offer is a fair shake in the legal system.

A fair shake.

Something you didn't give Matt Garcia.

Finally, you didn't win. Ironically, your evil act spread the inspiring story of Matt Garcia throughout the land. I saw the spirit of Matt Garcia alive and well in thousands of people Tuesday. We'll never let him die. Peace.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For more on what we can do to keep Matt's dream alive, click here.

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