Jerry’s victim, Caroline Stuyvesant, was hospitalized with her injuries for several months. The media had gone on to other news. Jerry’s case was again assigned to the public defender. He was to be charged with assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder. Murder was off the table, because state law did not recognize a fetus as a person.
“I want to be charged with murder,” Jerry told his attorney.
“Out of the question,” was the answer. “State law won’t allow it, and anyway, I’m appointed to defend you, not prosecute.”
Jerry was alone with his thoughts. Pure torture. [Too cruel. Let me die. If I could only die.]
His thoughts were interrupted. “Someone to see you,” a jailer said.
“Who is it?”
“Your mother.”
“Please forgive me, Jerry,” Mary said through the partition.
“I should be dead. Not him,” Jerry said.
“You have to forgive yourself,” Mary said.
“How can I do that?”
----
Jerry’s trial returned media attention to the case. It had all the sensational aspects necessary for ratings: Conjoined twin survives bomb blast that killed his brother, goes on to shoot abortion doctor’s wife. Jerry pled guilty. He requested the death penalty. He refused to allow his defender to enter a plea of insanity. He was sentenced to life with possibility of parole.
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