I was woken up by a scream from my daughter-in-law, she said. "NO!" I jumped up and
as I did I glanced at the clock. It was 1:20 AM. April 2,2002
I ran to my daughter's bedroom. As I entered the doorway, my daughter-in-law was throwing
the phone down on the bed. My daughter picked it up and asked what the hell did they say? Whoever was on the phone said, " Jimmy
had been shot." I looked at her face and took the phone and asked what was going on. Someone said Jimmy was shot and killed
at a friends house. Then they hung up. My grandson came in the room and all three of them started to dress to go find out
what happened. I called my oldest son and asked him to go where we was told Jimmy was.
After they left I woke up my youngest grandson and asked him to come pray with
me. I said. "Your Uncle Jimmy has been shot and we need to pray he is ok." My grandson looked at me and just stared. He got
up and we went to kitchen and sat down at table. We prayed his uncle, my son, was ok. Maybe just a would and he would be home
soon.
At about 3:30 AM some friends of Jimmy's came to my door. I knew when I opened the
door, it was true. My Jimmy was dead. The man grabbed me and held onto to me and took me back into kitchen. He held my
hand and explained all he knew about what happened. Which wasn't much. Just that Jimmy was killed.
My daughter came home about 5:00AM. We just looked at each other. We held onto each
other and I could tell she was in such a shock. She told my daughter-in-law she had to come home and tell me. She had
left my daughter-in-law and her son at a friends house. Still don't know why this was. Maybe she was hoping to learn more.
I just know I was so shocked that I really didn't think it was true. A little while latter my oldest son came to house and
had the Medical Examiner's phone number and I was to call him. I asked if their father had been called. I think he was.
I called the ME and asked if they had Jimmy there. They said yes. "Oh, God no, how
can this be?" I cried. Yet I was calm. Thank God for shock.
I remember little else of that night. Except my husband came and asked how I felt.
I said, "Like shit." He left a little later with my oldest, We had been seperated for a month and he was living with oldest
at time.
I remember other friends coming over and one had told me Jimmy died instantly. They
had talked to police and learned this I guess.
I called police later and asked what happened. I figured they had enough time to find
out something. The officer that finally called me back 12 or more hours later, said "I can tell you everything you need to
know over the phone." I said, "NO, you can get your ass over here and tell me if my son was murdered and what the hell happened."
He was not very nice and said my daughter-in-law had been there and knew it all. I had to remind him, she came AFTER the crime.
She knew nothing more than what she had been told by a few people. She didn't know 100% that it was Jmmy.
About 20 minutes later they showed up. Telling me they were sure, but not 100% sure
it was Jimmy. I asked if they took crime scene phots and the said yes. I said, "The, so? You can't tell me for sure it's him?"
They said no. We could view his body on Saturday, his sister's birthday after 10:00 AM. I think it was. My daughter-in-law
asked, "If it is not him, then what?" The cop said, "Then you'll have to deal with funeral home." Then he and his partner
left. I tried calling them the next day and asked why we had to wait till Saturday to see my son. They said they had the right
to do this for as many as 5 days. We were lucky to get to view him so soon. I felt all along as if I was the criminal. The
police treated us like crap and they know it. I asked any questions as to who did it and where. All I got was lies.
