Emotional overload days again
Ross Kleman. There's a name I'll never forget.
Just a smallish average-looking man, inconspicuous, probably forgettable in ordinary circumstances. But these are no ordinary circumstances.
Yesterday Ross was arrested, and today charged with the first-degree murder of our precious Emily.
And now, though uninvited, and most certainly unwelcome, Ross is inextricably interwoven into the fabric of our family as the person who decided that 14 years was long enough for us to enjoy the beauty of Emily, that Emily didn't need to have the children she was eventually hoping to have, that her parents didn't need to hear the music of her voice and her talents anymore, that August 10th, 2008 was the last chance her Stauffer aunties, uncles and cousins would have to see her smile.
After so many weeks of having the horrifying picture pass through my consciousness of Emily being jumped, beaten, strangled, there is now an image to affix to the previously blurry face of the attacker. Oddly, he doesn't look like the monster I would have expected.
I understand the system and I know Ross has not yet been proven guilty nor has he, to my knowledge, acknowledged guilt. Who knows what the next weeks or years will reveal. I do have a lot of faith in the RCMP who are involved with this case though, because I've seen with my own eyes the grief they were experiencing and the resolve they had to do this up right, so I trust that they have charged the right guy.
I can't even imagine what these days are like for Emily's parents, or, on the other side of the coin, for Ross' wife and extended family. Is there an explanation for this? What in the hell compelled him to do such a thing -- he looks normal, he claims to love God, wants to "help people". How could he act so normal and remorseless, living in a tight community turned upside down by his own hands? Has he done it before? Did he even really do it this time or is it all a horrible mistake?
How can this even really be happening? When does life ever become normal again?
Just a smallish average-looking man, inconspicuous, probably forgettable in ordinary circumstances. But these are no ordinary circumstances.
Yesterday Ross was arrested, and today charged with the first-degree murder of our precious Emily.
And now, though uninvited, and most certainly unwelcome, Ross is inextricably interwoven into the fabric of our family as the person who decided that 14 years was long enough for us to enjoy the beauty of Emily, that Emily didn't need to have the children she was eventually hoping to have, that her parents didn't need to hear the music of her voice and her talents anymore, that August 10th, 2008 was the last chance her Stauffer aunties, uncles and cousins would have to see her smile.
After so many weeks of having the horrifying picture pass through my consciousness of Emily being jumped, beaten, strangled, there is now an image to affix to the previously blurry face of the attacker. Oddly, he doesn't look like the monster I would have expected.
I understand the system and I know Ross has not yet been proven guilty nor has he, to my knowledge, acknowledged guilt. Who knows what the next weeks or years will reveal. I do have a lot of faith in the RCMP who are involved with this case though, because I've seen with my own eyes the grief they were experiencing and the resolve they had to do this up right, so I trust that they have charged the right guy.
I can't even imagine what these days are like for Emily's parents, or, on the other side of the coin, for Ross' wife and extended family. Is there an explanation for this? What in the hell compelled him to do such a thing -- he looks normal, he claims to love God, wants to "help people". How could he act so normal and remorseless, living in a tight community turned upside down by his own hands? Has he done it before? Did he even really do it this time or is it all a horrible mistake?
How can this even really be happening? When does life ever become normal again?
posted by ruthieB | 4:05 PM
1 Comments:
Once again our family (especially T & J) are going to go through the surreal experience of "is this really our family?" but as you have already noted it may take years. My imagination is already running away with me about motive and intent and I always imagine that what I feel is magnified about 1000 times to what they are going through. God be with you my bro and family.
DJ
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