The most brutal homicide case I have ever worked with was a few years ago. It was a horrific and violent crime, worse than anything I had ever seen even on TV. The victim's Mom was a nice woman who was upset but not to the degree I would have expected. I know with my psychology training that people tend to grieve in different ways, but her style of grieving was quite unusual.
I sat with her when we looked at the autopsy photos and she didn't shed a tear. She looked discontent, but not sad.
During the trial, she pulled the prosecutor aside and asked him if she would be able to have her daughter's TV from evidence. The TV had blood on it and pictures of it were used among other things in the house to show how violent the crime was. The Prosecutor told her the TV needed to stay in evidence through the trial. I asked her if she had bought the TV for her daughter, and she said no--but it was a nice TV.
The defendant was found guilty and sentenced to a very long time in prison. Victim's Mom was pleased with the verdict and the sentence. Right after the defendant was taken out of the courtroom, victim's Mom asked the prosecutor if she could have the TV now. He told her that, unfortunately, it would need to stay in evidence for at least 3 years in case of any appeals. I left that advocacy job not long after that trial ended.
Three years later I started my new advocacy job and, out of the blue, I receive an email that had been sent to the prosecutor in that homicide case saying, "It has been three years now, can I have the TV?"
Truly amazing.
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