I would need to take several days before I understood that Aunt LeeLee, Robin and Trent were murdered. Because nobody was willing to discuss it, the puzzle would have to be put together for months. Once I had the ability to research it myself online, it would be years before I understood the full story.
Alabama was a major news source for the murders of a mother and her two children in their home in quiet, small-town Alabama. The story was occasionally mentioned on television, both during the investigation and the trial. But my parents changed the channel every time. It was too much for them. It was clear that they didn’t want us to remember about it.
However, I could not forget. Although it was scary, I still wanted to find out more. This is how I am. It was something I kept quiet about for a while and then I blocked it from my mind. But, I finally got the courage to Google the case. The more disturbing the story got, the clearer it became.
My mom shared with us the terrifying story of a stranger who had broken into her family’s home and “hurt” them. It scared me to my core. Like I said, I didn’t know the whole story with all the details until years later, but coming that close to something so awful, so terrifying—it was a turning point for me. This was a turning point in my life. My innocence was gone.