October 15, 2024
Some people who lose loved ones to gun violence don’t like to use the word “Triggers.”
Of course, I understand why this term is upsetting to them, but that word doesn’t upset me at all. It just makes me want to fight harder for John.
My number one trigger is receiving hearing notices, and I received another one in the mail today.
As a crime victim, the law mandates that the courts notify us by mail about every hearing related to John’s murder case. This means we receive notifications not only for the hearings involving ‘Miller the Killer’ but also for the other individual charged in connection with John’s murder
Their hearings are held separately so that means we have a constant stream of notices delivered to our home.
We don’t need to attend these hearings right now. They’re part of the judicial process. The judge, prosecutors, and defense attorneys meet to handle the legal details of the case. We’ll be required to be present at these hearings when it gets closer to the trial.
Every time I receive a hearing notice, I’m reminded of that relentless pounding on our front door in the early hours of July 29th, when the detective informed us that John had been murded.
Each time I get a hearing notice; my son dies all over again.
Is there anything that activates your grief? What do you do when that happens?