Happy New Year! The Political Fireworks Begin

Montgomery County Courthouse/Mercury  Photo by Carl Hessler Jr.

Happy New Year readers! Let the fireworks begin - the political fireworks, that is.

Election season at the Montgomery County Courthouse kicked off with a bang this week when District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman announced she won't seek a third term as D.A. and instead will seek a seat on the county bench. Within an hour, Ferman's second in command, First Assistant District Attorney Kevin R. Steele, 47, of Lower Merion, announced his intention to seek a Democratic Party endorsement to move into Ferman's fourth-floor office. Just one day later, current county Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr., 53, of Lower Salford, who was D.A. from 2000-2008, announced he wanted his old job back and will seek the GOP endorsement this year.

It's definitely going to be an interesting, and potentially contentious, election season.

The candidates' press releases couldn't be included in their entirety in the newspaper stories announcing their intentions. So, I thought I'd share those entire statements here to let readers see how the candidates approached their decisions.

PRESS RELEASE OF RISA VETRI FERMAN - Jan. 6, 2015

     Eight years ago this week, I announced my decision to run for District Attorney of Montgomery County. I did so based on my strong desire to keep our community a safe place to live, work, and raise a family. The overwhelming support of our community in 2007 and then again in 2011, allowed me to lead the District Attorney's Office and to continue doing the work I love and to which I have dedicated my career for the past twenty-two years.
     During this time, I came to fully appreciate the fact that our criminal justice system relies on competent and brave police officers to investigate crimes and tough professionals to prosecute them in the DA's office. Working alongside the men and women in this office, and our county's outstanding police departments, has been a privilege. The partnership between law enforcement and my office has enabled us to deliver justice to many, many victims of crime and their families, and that has been a true honor.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman/Photo by Carl Hessler Jr.

     Looking in the eyes of a victim or their loved ones and being able to tell them "we got the bad guy" is a feeling that is unsurpassed in my professional life. Knowing that the work we've done has made this county safer for victims of domestic violence, abused children, and seniors vulnerable to scams and other crimes has been equally rewarding and fulfilling.
     Plato wrote, "The beginning is the most important part of the work." I have been very fortunate that the District Attorney's Office has provided me with many new beginnings - first as an assistant district attorney, then as chief of the trials division, later as first assistant district attorney and finally in my eight years as the county's top law enforcement officer. During this latest chapter, I take great pride in the accomplishments of our office, among them:

• An incredible 98% conviction rate
• Founding Mission Kids - our Montgomery County Child Advocacy Center to protect abused kids
• Creating Montgomery County's first Elder Abuse Task Force to protect vulnerable seniors
• Establishing Montgomery County's first Violent Crime Unit to target dangerous offenders
• Building an unprecedented partnership with Montgomery County's school districts to keep kids safe

     What I have come to realize, however, is that in this office that I cherish, there are no new beginnings left for me. As much as I treasure my time in the DA's Office and the opportunity to protect the citizens of our community, I know that now is the time for me to move on. By the end of this year I will have served in this office for twenty-three years - fifteeen as a line prosecutor and eight as the District Attorney. Over those years, I believe I have accomplished every goal and challenge I had set for myself. Now I am ready to embark on a new chapter of my own life. As much as I love this place, I know that it's time for me to say "goodbye" and start a new journey - one sure to bring new adventrues, new challenges and new mountains to climb.
     With recent scandals in Pennsylvania's court system still fresh in memory, I am convinced it is critical we assure residents throughout Montgomery County that our judicial bodies are above reproach. We need tough judges who understand the criminal justice system and who will be firm, fair, independent and ethical. After much thought and conversations with my family and trusted colleagues, friends and neighbors, I have decided to seek a seat on the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in 2015. My commitment to public service in our community remains as strong as ever, and I am hopeful that my years of experience in the criminal justice system will serve our citizens well - if I am lucky enough to earn a seat on our bench. It would be a great honor and privilege for me to continue my commitment to public serve on the Court of Common Pleas in my home county, the same courts before whom I have practiced for over two decades as a prosecutor.

PRESS RELEASE OF KEVIN R. STEELE - Jan. 6, 2015

Montgomery County First Assistant District Attorney Kevin R. Steele announced his decision to run for Montgomery County District Attorney and is seeking the endorsement of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee.

Earlier today, Steele registered the necessary paperwork with the Montgomery County Election Board to establish the “Steele4DA Committee.”  His campaign is chaired by Joe Foster of Lower Merion, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee.  The Vice Chairman of the Steele4DA Committee is Mike Barbiero, who also serves as Chairman of the Abington-Rockledge Democratic Committee.  The Treasurer is Anne O’Connell Umbrecht of Lower Merion.

“Over the course of the last year, I’ve spent time meeting with people all over Montgomery County exploring what they were looking for in a District Attorney. It is clear to me that they want someone with experience, vision and innovative skills to lead the office forward,” said Steele.  “I’m excited to work with a great team of Democratic leaders to become the first elected Democrat to be the top law enforcement officer in Montgomery County,” Steele continued.



Montgomery County First Asst. D.A. Kevin R. Steele/Photo by Carl Hessler Jr.

Kevin is a committed public servant who has served as a prosecutor for almost 20 years where he’s earned a reputation as a tough, skillful and innovative advocate for justice. He has worked tirelessly to safeguard our children, elderly, schools and neighborhoods.  Kevin has been at the forefront of new and vital criminal justice initiatives aimed at ensuring the safety and security of our community as well as the use of technology in the judicial process.

Kevin and his wife, Tracy, are raising their three children in Lower Merion, where he has served on his local fire department board since 1997, has coached youth sports and led his local civic association.. 

 PRESS RELEASE OF BRUCE L. CASTOR JR. - Jan. 7, 2015

Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce L. Castor, Jr. announced that he will seek to return to the office of District Attorney in the upcoming election, an office he previously held from January 2000 to January 2008.

With the recent announcement that the current District Attorney will be running for a seat on the Court of Common Pleas, he is excited to run for reelection as the county’s top prosecutor. Prior to his election as Commissioner in 2007, Mr. Castor was a prosecutor for 22 years, including two terms as District Attorney.

Mr. Castor is serving his second term as County Commissioner. He states: “although I enjoy the public service of the office of County Commissioner especially with my duties supervising the county’s public safety efforts, I admit that I have known for some time that my most professionally satisfying years with the County were spent in furthering the interests of law enforcement. Keeping our streets safe and those who would do us harm behind bars is a public service second to none.”

During his time in the District Attorney’s office, Mr. Castor received the Trial Advocacy Award from the National Association of Government Attorneys in Capital Litigation for his work investigating and prosecuting homicides, further receiving recognition by Governor Ridge, Governor Casey, and twice by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He was inducted in the Pennsylvania Police Hall of Fame in 2007, and named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer ten times including four while serving as District Attorney. He is the only Montgomery County prosecutor in history to have ever gained such multiple distinctions. He left the DA’s Office as the sitting President of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys’ Association, having unanimously been elected by his peers statewide. He holds that organizations’ Meritorious Service Award, garnered while still in office, an extremely rare honor.

Mr. Castor has bipartisan support in seeking a return to the DA’s Office office. John M. Elliott, Esquire, a Democrat and Chairman of the law firm Elliott Greenleaf endorses Mr. Castor stating that “Bruce is one of the finest prosecutors Pennsylvania has ever had, Republican or Democrat, and I have known quite a few.” Marc R. Steinberg, Esquire, a Republican, the Managing Partner at the law firm Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford, past president of the Montgomery Bar Association, and chair of its Bench/Bar Committee, states: “I expect that the legal and law enforcement community, rightfully, will rally around Bruce as our candidate for District Attorney, beyond question the most qualified and proven lawyer in Montgomery County for that office.”

Mr. Castor knows that support from the law enforcement community is vital: “Through the years, I have maintained my many relationships with the men and women who live public service each day. Their backing will be critical to our victory.”

Bruce L. Castor Jr./Mercury file photo

Stephen Neufer and Robert Hegele, both former police officers with decades of experience, and each past presidents of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 14 for Montgomery County, support Mr. Castor’s return as District Attorney. Mr. Hegele says that “it has always been obvious that Bruce has a passion for law enforcement. I am happy that he wants to return to the office of District Attorney. In fact, I’m delighted.” A sentiment echoed by Mr. Neufer who added: “Bruce has the unparalleled respect of the law enforcement community in SE Pennsylvania.” Retired Horsham Chief of Police, and past president of the Police Chiefs’ Association of Montgomery County, Robert Ruxton, stated: “I worked with Bruce for many years while I was with Horsham Township, as chief and as president. I’m excited about the possibility of him returning as District Attorney of the County that we in law enforcement all love and serve. No one can do the job better than Bruce. I should know. I watched him at work many, many times.”

Montco Detective Completes National FBI Program

     Congratulations go out to Montgomery County Detective Lieutenant James F. McGowan who has graduated from the 258th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy.
     "Internationally known for its academic excellence, the National Academy Program, held at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., provides 11 weeks of advanced investigative, management and fitness training for selected command officers having proven records as professionals within their agencies," county District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said in a press release announcining McGowan's accommplishment. "Only one-half of one percent of all law enforcement officers gets the opportunity to attend the National Academy."
     McGowan has served with the county district attorney's office since 2000 and currently leads the homicide unit in the detective bureau. McGowan began his law enforcement career with the Hatfield Township Police Department in 1987 and served in both the patrol and detective divisions. McGowan, who has undergraduate and graduate degrees in criminal justice from DeSales University, left the Hatfield department in 2000 to join the county detective bureau.


Montgomery County Detective Lieutenant James McGowan
Photo courtesy Montco DA's Office

     During his career, McGowan has been involved in numerous high-profile criminal investigations.
     Last year, McGowan was one of several detectives who received commendations from Ferman for his role in one of the most high-profile Montgomery County investigations in recent memory. The county’s homicide unit was honored for successfully prosecuting a man who illegally sold a gun to another who used it to kill Plymouth Police Officer Bradley Fox, of New Hanover. McGowan received a commendation from Ferman in recognition of his "outstanding investigation, prosecution and conviction” of Michael Joseph Henry, who confessed to the “straw purchase” of nine guns, one of which was used to kill Fox in September 2012.
     McGowan also was involved in the successful prosecution of four men, who were convicted either of first-, second-. or third-degree murder, for their roles in the 2 p.m. May 5, 2013, home invasion robbery in West Pottsgrove that ended in the gunshot slaying of 19-year-old Kareem Ali Borowy on a Lower Pottsgrove roadway. Three of the men are serving life prison sentences.
     McGowan also currently is an adjunct professor with the Montgomery County Community College and DeSales University, in Center Valley, Pa.
     The 258th Session of the National Academy consisted of men and woman from 49 states. Included in the class are members of law enforcement agencies from the District of Columbia, 26 international countries, three military oganizations  and four federal civilian organizations, according to Ferman.
     Kudos to McGowan on his latest accomplishment!
    

A Family Tragedy - "Shock, Confusion, Grief"

Montgomery County Courthouse/Photo by Carl Hessler Jr.

     Prosecutors called it "a bloody massacre."
     The March 5, 2011, brutal murders of 70-year-old Joseph C. McAndrew, his wife, 64-year-old Susan C. McAndrew, and their son, 23-year-old James McAndrew, in the family's Holstein Road home in Upper Merion stunned the local community. The arrest of the couple's other son, Joseph Jr., sent additional shockwaves through the community.

Convicted killer Joseph McAndrew Jr./Photo by Carl Hessler Jr.

     "He snuffed out the lives of three people who were wonderful people who were having great impacts in their community and that's the tragedy of what occurred," Montgomery County First Assistant District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said this week when Joseph McAndrew Jr., 27, was sentenced to three consecutive life prison terms after he was found guilty but mentally ill of three counts of first-degree murder.
     "The family is devastated by what happened. The far-reaching impacts of what occurred are unimaginable," Steele added, referring to the grief suffered by the victims' relatives.
     That grief, that loss, was palpatable in the courtroom when Steele, with a sorrowful tone in his voice, read to Judge Gary S. Silow a heart-wrenching letter written by the killer's half-sisters, who are the daughters of the elder, slain McAndrew. You could have heard a pin drop in the courtroom as deep sadness flowed from the pages of the victim impact statement and was soaked in by all who listened. One could not help but be moved by the revealing, candid words.
   


Montco First Asst. DA Kevin Steele & co-prosecutor Kathleen McLaughlin

Excerpts of the McAndrew family's victim impact statement appeared in daily newspaper accounts about the sentencing hearing. However, because of limited space in daily papers, the entirety of the statement could not be included in the typical news accounts. So I am sharing the poignant statement, as read in open court to Judge Silow, to provide readers with a better understanding of the confusion and anguish suffered by those in the wake of such an unimaginable tragedy.


Honorable Judge Silow:

This statement is being made on behalf of Joseph McAndrew Sr.'s daughters and their husbands.

There are no words that can adequately describe the full impact of the horrific actions that took place during the evening of March 5, 2011. Those actions abruptly altered the path of our lives forever. The past three and half years have been filled with shock, confusion, disbelief, grief, depression, anger and anxiety. Everything we thought we understood in our lives, had to be reexamined. Simple things in life became great challenges, for example:

• being able to go alone into the basement at night
• having dinner in a restaurant and not anxiously be watching the door to make sure the defendant isn't entering
• focusing on the blessings in life, when all you want to do is cry

We had to rebuild our confidence in the things that most people take for granted everyday; all while trying to deal with and accept the loss of our dearest loved ones, Joe Sr., Sue, and Jimmy. We know life is not easy, but no family should have to go on the path we have encountered and will continue to encounter.

• The defendant didn't have to go through and clean out the home, which was once filled with so many wonderful memories, but now stands as an awful reminder of the tragic actions that took place.
• The defendant will not have to explain to our children why they won't be able to see their Nana, Pop Pop McAndrew or their Uncle Jimmy.

There is absolutely no justifiable reason for the actions that resulted in the loss of our father, mother and brother. Those actions can only be accounted for by true evil, nothing else.

By the grace of God, our family has begun picking up the pieces. We continue to pray that God will work in our hearts to be able to forgive the defendant for this horrific act. However, we will never forget what happened by the hands of the defendant.

Your Honor, while this victim impact statement conveys some of the impact of the defendant's actions to our lives, this statement isn't really about us. If it were, we would have elected not to make a statement. This statement is really about our obligation to confront evil. This obligation requires us to give you some insight into the far reaching, long lasting effects of that night that are beyond the scope of this trial. In doing so, we encourage you to sentence the defendant to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. It is imperative that the defendant never again has the opportunity to harm another person.

Sincerely,
The McAndrew Family

Swinehart Murder Still a Fascinating Tale

 

     It's a crime that has stayed alive in the minds of many Pottstown-area residents. The January 1982 murder of 44-year-old Pottstown real estate magnate David Swinehart ranks as one of the infamous stories that grabbed headlines in the region for more than 14 years in the 1980s and 1990s. The tale of greed, sex and conspiracy that ended with Swinehart being smashed over the head with a baseball bat and stabbed 14 times became known in local circles as the "Crime of the Decade."

     Interest in the crime continues to this day.

     Indeed, at 9 p.m. tonight former Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr., now a county commissioner, will be featured prominently on Investigation Discovery Channel when the network airs a program that examines the Swinehart murder and the subsequent trials related to the crime, according to county spokesman Frank X. Custer. Castor prosecuted three of the five defendants charged in the case.

David Swinehart...killed January 1982

     Castor’s appearance tonight marks the fifth case involving Castor that Investigation Discovery has profiled in recent years., Custer said.

     I remember the Swinehart case well as it was the focus of much of my time when I took over the county courthouse beat for The Mercury in 1991. I had a front-row seat to all the drama that unfolded.

     Swinehart, trial testimony revealed, was stabbed and beaten to death with a baseball bat as he left his home in the 200 block of Maugers Mill Road in Upper Pottsgrove on Jan. 15, 1982. Swinehart and his wife, Patricia Ann, were estranged at the time and Mr. Swinehart had been visiting his four children who ranged in age at that time from 6 to 17, according to testimony.

     Prosecutors alleged Patricia Swinehart conspired with Thomas and Jeffrey DeBlase, her nephews through marriage, to kill her husband in order to collect more than a half-million dollars in life insurance money and so the socialite could continue her sexual affair with Thomas, then a handsome 24-year-old construction worker and former Pottstown High School quarterback.

Patricia Swinehart/Mercury file photo

    Patty Swinehart denied ever asking either of her nephews to kill her husband and she was acquitted by a jury of murder charges during a high-profile trial that lasted several weeks in January and February 1994. The DeBlase brothers were both convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the death of their uncle.

    When Patty Swinehart and Thomas DeBlase, for the first time in many years, came face-to-face in court during Thomas’ trial in 1996, she forced to testify against her ex-lover and about their affair, there wasn’t an empty seat in the courtroom.

     For a brief time, soap opera took over a court of law.



The Mercury/ Dec. 31,1989

     Following is a brief synopsis of the case, compiled from The Mercury’s vault:

     Jeffrey DeBlase, now 57, was convicted in 1985 of first-degree murder in connection with the slaying of his uncle. Sentenced to life in prison, Jeffrey DeBlase is currently housed at the State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon, Huntingdon County, according to court records.

     Jeffrey DeBlase was the first of five defendants to stand trial for the murder.

The Mercury/ Feb. 3, 1996

     DeBlase’s brother, Thomas, Swinehart’s wife, Patricia, and two other Pottstown area men, Terry Lee Maute and Arthur Hall, also were charged with taking part in one of Pottstown’s most notorious crimes.

     Prosecutors called the case a “contract killing,” alleging Patricia Swinehart conspired with her nephews and Maute to kill her husband. The motive, authorities alleged, was to collect $523,000 in life insurance money and to allow Mrs. Swinehart and Thomas DeBlase to continue their sexual affair. The DeBlase brothers were Mrs. Swinehart’s nephews through marriage.

     Thomas DeBlase, now 56, was convicted Feb. 2, 1996, of first-degree murder and is serving a life prison sentence at the State Correctional Institution at Coal Township in Northumberland County.

     Patricia Swinehart, who would be72 now, was arrested July 28, 1993, more than 11 years after her husband's killing. At the time, prosecutors said the arrest came after they uncovered new information about the case. She was acquitted of all murder charges in February 1994 during an emotional trial at which she was represented by veteran criminal defense lawyer Frank DeSimone. She denied any involvement in the killing.

     Maute, who would be 66 now, was acquitted of murder charges in 1985. However, he was sentenced to a 20- to 64-year jail term on unrelated forgery and theft charges.

     Hall, who would be 65 now, pleaded guilty to robbery charges in connection with the crime and served a 29- to 59-month county jail term.

 

I will be interested to see what Castor has to say tonight during the national television program that examines the case.

 

    

                                   

Montco's Marge Cesare keeps 'Hope Afloat'

    

     Marge Cesare, first deputy of Montgomery County's Jury Selection Board, will be celebrating life and raising awareness about breast cancer when she participates in the 2014 International Breast Cancer Paddlers' Commission (IBCPC) Dragon Boat Festival in Florida later this week. Cesare, 62, who has worked for the jury board 13 years, is a member of the Philadelphia-based dragon boat team, "Hope Afloat USA."
     "I'm a 14-year breast cancer survivor and I joined this team two years ago. It's the best move I ever made, actually. The camaraderie there, everyone on the boat is a breast cancer survivor, so there is a lot of understanding," Cesare said as she prepared to head to the Sarasota area on Oct. 24 to take part in the competition. "The people are beautiful people."
     Cesare said a relative who also is on the team approached her two years ago and said, "You've got to try this."
     "I tried it and instantly loved it," said Cesare, who has competed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Vermont with the team, one of several that represent Philadelphia. "We were in five races this year and took home a medal in every race."
     The team, last month, won a Gold Medal in Cape May at the Cape May Dragon Boat Festival.
     Cesare, one of 20 paddlers on the boat, said she enjoys being on the water and the thrill of the competition.
     "Oh, it's a rush. It's just a rush," Cesare, of West Norriton, smiled brightly. "You're nervous once you first get out there. Once you start, you're so in the zone you can't hear anything around you except the drummer on the boat telling you what to do. It's exciting and the adrenalin is flowing."

Marge Cesare, first deputy of Montgomery County Jury Selection Board, wearing her team jacket.
Photo courtesy of Marge Cesare

     With the competition comes a lot of personal fulfillment, Cesare said.
     "You just feel so honored to be on a team like this, so lucky to be on a team like this and have these friends," said Cesare, a mother of two and grandmother of four. "You grow to love these people. They become your second family. I'm so humbled being on that team."
     About 3,000 breast cancer survivors and supporters from all over the world are expected to participate in the event, according to organizers. The festival marks the first time that international teams have competed in the U.S. Teams from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Italy and New Zealand are expected to participate in the event.
     "Our team is excited this event is being held in the USA and we are eager to head to Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota to paddle," Peg Schofield, president of the group, said in a news release. "Being part of this world-class event at a world-class rowing venue is simply joyful. It enables us all to put our fears behind us and paddle forward to celebrate life."
     The festival kicks off Friday, Oct. 24, with pre-race events that will include training sessions, educational forums and social activities focusing on breast cancer awareness, wellness and healthy lifestyles. Race days are Oct. 25 and Oct. 26.
     The IBCPC is an international not for profit organization whose mandate is to create positive, proactive breast health awareness through the development and support of recreational dragon boat paddling teams within the framework of participation and inclusiveness. The organization promotes a healthy, active lifestyle and provides organized opportunities for physical fitness and wellness education among breast cancer survivors and their supporters, according to its website. For more information visit www.ibcpc.com
     Kudos to Marge for raising awareness and for celebrating life.
     I'm sure her courthouse family wishes her much success and is cheering her on.


    

Remembering Shirley

     Those passing through the hallways of the Montgomery County Courthouse at lunchtime during the last several months noticed a void. The chair, regularly  occupied by Shirley Jane Dilliplane, of Pottstown, sat empty while she reportedly recovered from an illness.

Montgomery County Courthouse/Photo by Carl Hessler Jr.

     "Where's Shirley?" many concerned courthouse employees often were heard saying as they strolled past the chair on the courthouse plaza level where Shirley, 52, sat each day on her lunch break, between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m., crocheting blankets and joking with fellow employees she had come to know during her 28 years working for the county as an accounts payable clerk.
     Shirley's laughter and sense of humor were a constant, day-in-and-day-out, at that location, and courthouse visitors noticed when she was not there. I, on many occasions, was witness to the strong-willed, friendly woman speaking her mind, and she would often have a comment about the tie I wore on any particular day. Many in the courthouse family would stop and chat with her about her latest blanket creation.
     Sadly, word came on Sept. 22 that Shirley, a 1980 graduate of Pottstown Area High School, had passed away.
    

Memorial to Shirley Jane Dilliplane

     In the days that followed, some employees who knew the longtime county worker created a memorial, in the chair considered Shirley's. The memorial began with a flier, attached to the chair, announcing Shirley's funeral details. But soon, another employee added a floral tribute and then another added a crocheted blanket, gently draping it over the arm of the wooden chair. Finally, a photo of a smiling Shirley was placed on the wall behind the chair.
     "We saw her every day. She used to sit in her same place. We saw her knitting every day. She always talked to everybody," recalled Lisa Blake, a courthouse employee who often talked with Shirley. "She had a sense of humor, funny, and was always nice to everybody."
     "She liked to joke with me about Christmas because I hated Christmas. She likes it and I hate it and she'd put things on my Facebook page a lot," Blake laughed.
     In addition to crocheting blankets for relatives and friends, Shirley, a daughter of Marie A. (Garner) and the late Richard E. Dilliplane, also loved to read, attended Allentown School of Business and obtained an associate degree in accounting. In addition to her mother, Shirley is survived by a brother, a sister and numerous nieces and nephews, many of whom she would often mention with love and laughter during her conversations with others.
     Those who took the time to create the memorial for Shirley exhibited a special kindness. I'm sure your thoughtfulness was appreciated by many.
     "I tell God to tell her, 'Hi,'" Blake said.
     Rest in peace, Shirley. You will be missed.


In Memory of Shirley Jane Dilliplane

A Mother's Tears and a Letter of Grief

     You could have heard a pin drop last week in a Montgomery County courtroom when a mother's anguished words, read by a prosecutor to a judge, filled the courtroom where one of the men responsible for her son's murder was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Montgomery County Courthouse/Photo by Carl Hessler Jr.

    Gloria Watson's grief was palpable.
    While Watson, of New York, was not able to join other relatives in the courtroom on that day, Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Strubel read a victim impact letter penned by Watson, whose son, Vincent Taylor, also known as Victor Baez, was gunned down outside a Pottstown bar on March 22, 2013. With each word uttered, the eyes of some of Taylor's relatives shed another tear.
     The entirety of Watson's heartbreaking letter could not be included in a typical news account of the day's events. So, I thought I would share all of those sorrowful words here to give readers a better understanding of the pain that is suffered by those left in the wake of the tragedy of murder.

"To whom it may concern,

     Where do I start? This is the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. My eldest son, Vincent Taylor, was murdered on March 22, 2013. Everything in my life changed that very moment I got the news. I have not been the same since.
     I have cried every day since that day. Every time I remember him I cry. If he was sick for a long time I would have at least had time to prepare myself that may be, may be he could die. How does a mother accept the death of her child? You bond with that child from the womb and see that child growing up and becoming a man, only to lose him so senselessly.
     An empty void has been left in my heart that will never ever be filled. There was only one Vincent and to me he was everything. He loved life and loved having fun.
     To you who murdered my son, I say to you, you did not only put my son in the grave, but the family who loved him and cared for him, our lives have changed also. I don't imagine that you even gave thought that your life would have changed too. The only difference is you are still alive and if you have a family they can still come and talk to you, but you are obviously dead inside to yourself and to the world for you have committed murder.
     Your life has changed also from that moment because you will no longer have a freedom to make something of yourself, but that your every dignity will be taken away from you and you will now become part of a world of an animal and to be caged. I hope you will have that time to experience all the indignities that you switched your very life for.
     May God have mercy on your soul." - Gloria Watson

     (NOTE: Michael Romain Hinton, 27, of Norristown, was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence for his role in Vincent Taylor's death. Hinton's cousin, Maurice Laverne Andrews Jr., 20, of Pottstown, was convicted of third-degree murder in connection with the slaying and is scheduled to be sentenced next month.)