My friend Luis (aka Taco) was murdered on December 11th, 2006. The first of two trials recently concluded and tomorrow afternoon i will be going to the sentencing of the first person found guilty. I was asked by the family to write a victims impact letter to the court and will possibly be reading it aloud tomorrow.
Love and hugs.
VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT
State of Washington vs. ABEL EDUARDO CONTRERAS Superior Court
Cause No. 06-1-05904-4
State of Washington vs. Anthony N. Sakellis
Cause No. 06-1-05885-4
I appreciate this opportunity to let the court know how the death of Luis Bernal has personally affected me. This is something that I have been forced to think about ever since last December, and no matter how much time passes finding the words to describe how I feel about the murder of my friend still proves to be very difficult.
I have known Luis for over 10 years. He was a loving son and brother, along with a caring friend and former roommate. He was a teddy bear and could always bring a smile to anyone’s face. I have countless memories of him including traveling, video games, hearing him play records, various road trips, late night talks, food runs, kitchen cleaning parties, holidays, shared pets, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, the last memory and image I have of him now is of his murdered body lying in a coffin, dressed in his favorite football jersey, covered in a blanket, and wishing that he’d just jump up and tell me that it was just one of his stupid pranks. Only it was not. I have spent countless hours playing out what that fateful night may have been like for him. I have heard him calling for help, and I have envisioned him being shot and killed. I have never wanted any of those thoughts to run through my head, but they have. His death has brought up emotions within me ranging everything from depression to rage. I feel sorrow for everyone who has been left to deal with this horrendous loss and I am angry at those who are responsible for making us feel this way. We will never be able to call Luis on the phone again. We will never be able to hear his voice. We will never share another birthday, laugh, story, smile, or joke. We will never find out what his children will be like, and he will never experience the joys of being an Uncle. How can anyone accurately portray the feelings these facts create? And how are we supposed to cope and accept his loss when it was something so completely unnatural and at the hands of another human being?
This letter was suppose to be written in order for me to explain what the impact of Luis Bernal’s death has been on me, but I don’t think that any arrangement or amount of words will ever give justice to how torn inside I am about this situation, and neither will any sentence that is ever handed down to the defendant. Luis will be missed by so many and no amount of jail time served will ever bring him back. My only wish is that the court recognizes the fact that Abel Eduardo Contreras deserves to be in jail as long as possible because five, ten, or fifteen years down the road Abel will still have the one thing that he robbed Luis of: His life.
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5 comments:
Wow.
I can't speak for the judge, but that impacted me heavily.
good job with this zill. i know it wasn't easy, but again... there is such wisdom in your words.
xoxo good luck today.
At the end of his sentencing, he turned to all of us, laughed, and smiled. Talk about a slap in the face.
Here is the news story that just came out:
No mercy for Tacoma victim, so none for murderer, declares judge
Adam Lynn, The News Tribune Published: January 11th, 2008 08:34 PM
Superior Court Judge Beverly Grant said Abel Eduardo Contreras showed no mercy to Luis Bernal when he fired three bullets into him as the man lay prone on the floor, bleeding from a cracked skull.
So Grant showed no mercy to Contreras on Friday, giving him the high end of the sentencing range for his first-degree murder conviction in Bernal’s death.
The Pierce County judge sentenced the 29-year-old Contreras to 39 years, six months in prison, as requested by county prosecutors. A jury convicted him earlier this month.
“There was no threat to you from Mr. Bernal,” Grant told Contreras before imposing the sentence. Bernal, 33, died in his Tacoma apartment in December 2006. Authorities said Contreras and another man pistol whipped Bernal because he owed them money.
Contreras then killed his former friend, a Web site designer and graphic artist.
“Luis Bernal owed the defendant money, and he paid with his life,” deputy prosecutor Heather deMaine told Grant during Contreras’ sentencing hearing. “It was a cold, calculated, heartless decision.”
Erik Bernal, the victim’s brother, asked Grant at the hearing to impose the maximum sentence.
“He didn’t deserve this,” Erik Bernal said of his brother. “He’d always try to help people. It’s taking everything I’ve got not to lunge at that guy.”
Jessica Truax described Luis Bernal as her dear friend who helped her learn graphic design and supported her when she decided to start her own business.
“He was always kind and resourceful,” Truax told Grant.
Defense attorney Mary K. High asked Grant to sentence Contreras to just more than 33 years, saying he was sorry that he’d caused so much pain.
High also vowed to appeal her client’s conviction. She moved for a mistrial during the trial, saying the state had improperly introduced evidence about Contreras’ possible gang ties.
Contreras, who has a criminal record in two other states, declined to speak on his own behalf Friday.
i'm so glad you could be there :)
🙉
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