Justice X 2

I have put a couple of cryptic posts on instagram today and wanted to explain in a little more detail. I want to send a shout out to Donna, Loree, and Susan for their support this past week and their love that they have shown me and our Kami. They sat through awful testimonies in a court room only about 8 feet away from Jeff.    I have written previously about Kami's husband and what he did to her before she took her life.  I truly believe in my heart that if Kami had not met Jeff she would still be here.  Kami passed away on August 28, 2014.  In October of that same year, Jeff raped an 18 year old girl.  A little over a year later, he beat up and raped another young woman.  He was a drug dealer, manipulator,  con artist and a very dangerous man.  He preyed on young girls and found their weak spots and then zeroed in on those weak spots.  Luckily these two young women were not afraid to come forward and testify against him.  During this testimony several thing's came out.  The fact that he preyed on young women more than 20 years younger than him was a common thread.  Kami was 20 and he was 40 when they got married.  These girls, both admitted drug users, talked about how they knew Jeff as their drug dealer.  They both talked about how he promised them things and then through jealous rages, changed into a violent person.  He would slowly make them more and more dependent on him and then when they felt like they had nowhere else to turn, he would circle around his prey like a python and squeeze until they couldn't breathe.  He made them feel inferior, stupid, worthless among many other things.  He kept accusing them (as he did Kami) that they were cheating on him.  He would fly into jealous rages.  Kami didn't cheat on Jeff, Kami was loyal until the end.  He kept such tight reins on her.  He always knew where she was and what she was doing and who she was with.  Even then, he would still accuse her of things.  I have been wondering why he chose to marry Kami and not just use and abuse her.  Kami was very loving and despite what he did to her, she loved him.

During one of his victims testimonies this week she stated that he told her that "he wouldn't kill her, he would hurt other people in her family and she would kill herself".  I didn't actually sit through the testimonies and my sweet friends only told me what I asked, they knew that I didn't need to hear the awful things that had been said during the week.  They said to me over and over that they understood what drove Kami to her decision.  Not that we accept this decision she made, but that they could see what she had been through with Jeff to lead her to that choice.  She felt she was out of options.

Kami loved her family fiercely no matter how she treated us, I knew she loved us.  If we were threatened in any way, Kami would protect us.  She wouldn't want to see us hurt and most of all she didn't want to disappoint us. Jeff had eaten away at Kami's self esteem as well as her physical body.  When she died she was only about 100 pounds and at 5 foot 9 that is skinny.  Kami was a shell of herself both mentally and physically.

I went to court for the final closing arguments and was so impressed with the district attorney's.  They were every bit as good as the two that tried Kami's case a few months ago.  Very passionate and concerned for the victims.  There were 10 counts against Jeff for everything from sexual assault, kidnapping, felony menace, weapons, drug possession, intent to distribute, etc.  This is a man that we had Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas with because we wanted  Kami to be part of our family and didn't want her to be driven even further away.  Do I wish Kami hadn't made the choices in her life that started her on the path of drugs and alcohol, absolutely.  Could I take that free agency away from Kami, absolutely not.  As much as I tried, she tried harder.

Listening to the closing arguments yesterday I learned so many things that I wish I had never heard but on the other hand, it answered several unanswered questions to Kami's death.  There are truly evil people in this world and you never in your wildest dreams imagine that they will come into your lives.  These women that tried this case were amazing.  They had done their homework and were going to make sure that no one else was hurt.   Walking into that courtroom and seeing Jeff was so hard.  I went because I wanted him to see that he didn't have that kind of power over me and that I am not afraid of him.  I wanted to meet the people that were protecting these girls and I wanted to tell them thank you.  I was able to meet them tell them thank you and give each of them a hug.  It was an emotional meeting to say the least.

My sweet little Mormon friends have heard things that they will never un-hear  They  provided a service to me that I can not repay. When I mentioned that Jeff's case was coming up, they didn't hesitate to go sit in that court room day in and day out for the entire week.  After just being there for one day yesterday, I couldn't sleep last night.  I thought about it all night long.  I love my friends.

The case went to the jury about 3:30 yesterday so they adjourned for the night and went back today. These 12 men and women had given up 7 days of their lives to listen to the terrible things that Jeff had done.  I'm sure they were not able to sleep either.  They went back into deliberations again this morning and my stomach was in knots.  Waiting for that text to let us know that they had come to a decision.  None of my posse was there today.  Because of the uncertainty of when it would happen, I didn't want them to waste another day.  I will say that Loree was driving like a bat out of heck to get there but didn't make it in time.    I received the text that he was found GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES😁😍😁.  I stood up and told my co-workers the news and everyone was happy.  They have seen the hell I have been going through.  The kind of hell no parent should go through.     I called Bud and then I went in a room and cried.  The release of emotion was so overwhelming.

About an hour later I got a call  from the District Attorneys that had tried the case.  You could hear the joy in their voices and the heartfelt concern for these two women and for my daughter, even though they never knew her.

Jeff will be sentenced in May.  He will more than likely spend the rest of his life in prison.  He has given many people that he has come in contact with a life sentence so it is only fair.