Was John Martin wrong?? Was he sick?? Did he ruin lives?? Is he a compulsive liar?? Certainly..... Is he a threat, or a danger?? The blind hatred you're holding onto will kill. The John Martin of today will not.
Sadly, you're just killing yourself...a little every day. That's your choice, but to be honest, it's not much smarter than the deadly ignorant choices that dumb 19 year old kid made nearly 40 years ago.
Go on with life and let the parole board do their job. It won't be long and he'll be going up for parole every year. Then, are you going to go every year to protest?? Stop wasting your life. You can't change the past..... best wishes.
These feelings are not of hate, but of fear. I cannot hate someone I do not know. I do, however, HATE what he did to James Stemmons, Leroy Spencer, and Melvin Craft - not to mention their families, as well as society as a whole.
Those three men took MUCH more than $115 from this family. From this family they took a husband, a father, a grand-father, an uncle, a brother-in-law, and a cousin. From society, they took an upstanding citizen and prominent local businessman. In fact, one week before my father was murdered he loaned one of Martin’s accomplice’s family members $100, so they would be able to buy Thanksgiving dinner for their family. While Martin has been allowed to grow old, we did not get to enjoy my father growing old. John Martin did NOT “lose his life.” He made calculated choices and is paying the consequences. James Stemmons and Leroy Spencer were murdered and truly lost their life, not Martin - the one who pulled the trigger.
To call murder an “ignorant choice” is ignorant in and of itself. Ignorance is lacking knowledge, information or awareness about something. That which defines a civilized society is one where citizens know right from wrong. EVERYONE knows murder of another human being is not civilized and there are consequences to be had - this is the foundation of our criminal justice system. Martin robbed Melvin Craft and Leroy Spencer. He then took them out of the room he had held them hostage in, only to led them to a steep incline out the back of the store. Martin then instructed them to “run” down the incline and he proceeded to shoot them, a true act of human target practice and complete disregard for human life! Later, when Martin was questioned he told Detective Goodwin he murdered my father “just to see someone die.” One who kills for the thrill of killing should NEVER be allowed to make “deadly ignorant choices” again. Martin is not one who should be pitied, but one to be feared.
My father is very proud that his family is standing up for what they believe is right, just as he taught. This includes ensuring his murderer serves the sentence that was imposed upon him in a court of law and to keep society safer by continually fighting for justice.
Yes, he was 19 when this cold-blooded murder spree took place; however, the hedonistic nature of this man shows he is incapable of being a productive upstanding citizen. While I believe this man has no RIGHT to try, he is honestly NOT CAPABLE. How will he survive in today’s society? How will he work if he possesses no skill other than acquisition by criminal means? The only way he will be able to survive in today’s economy will be to return to the life he knows – one of crime and murder. While you may feel he has lost his life and has paid his dues to this family, has he paid his dues to society?
While I appreciate your desire to allow the Parole Board to do their job, they have done just that every time they have denied this murderer to walk the streets a free man. And yes, should they decide to allow him to present his case for freedom every year – I will be there to stand up for what is right. I will be there every year and I will not stand alone. We cannot change the past, but we can stand tall and work hard to keep society safe from this cold-blooded murder, and yes that includes you. I will not stand for hate, but for justice.
is. Even if he was my family I would not want him on the street because that is a sick person. He thought it was fun and now he should live the rest of his life right where he is at. Sorry just had to say that because you're a fool if you would not agree with us! I hope Karma is kinder then I suspect she will be. Good day.
I am the niece of Jim Stemmons and if you think for one moment the James Stemmons family hasnt held their head high and continued through life you are sadly mistaken. Just because they stand behind their loved one in his honor shows the true integrity of this family. They have all gone on to be assets to the society in which we live. Even though they suffered the greatest loss of a parent and/or grandparent they continued on as a legacy to James Stemmons. Your thoughts are your and yours alone and obviously you have never had your father or grandfather murdered while making an honest days living to support his wife and young children. I find your remarks ignorant in their own right and very insensitive to a family that I am proud to call mine.
John Martin lost his freedom, not his life! I lost my beloved Grandfather, my Jimmy Jim!
You are correct, John Martin is an aging, out of shape, gray-haired man who appears to be meek and mild mannered. A man who choose to kill other human beings when he was a dumb and dangerous kid. Please do tell why and how you think he is not capable of such atrocities now?
Tell me Bob, when was the last time you sat and listened to what John Martin had to say? I have made it a personal mission to attend each and every parole hearing to do just that, listen to him. I have listened to him change his story, I have listened to him blame drugs and alcohol, I have listened to him blame peers and I have listened to him tell the Board that he did my Grandfather a favor by shooting him those last couple of times. Yes, that is right, John Martin told the Board that he did my Grandfather a favor by firing those last couple of shots. All so he could end my Grandfather’s misery!
I do not pursue vengeance or payback, I pursue justice! Do not put words in my mouth by claiming I hate John Martin! I do not know him personally, I only know him as the person who murdered my Grandfather in cold blood. I have never said I hated him! I hate his actions, I hate his words, and I hate how he does not accept full and complete responsibility for his actions. I hate his lack of true compassion; those are some of the things I hate about John Martin.
Because I do not hate, I find strength every single day to pursue what I believe is justice. To answer your question, yes I do plan on attending each and every Parole Hearing for the rest of John Martin’s life regardless of how often it might be.
I hope and PRAY it will be God’s will…to let John Martin serve out the remainder of his sentence behind bars.
Kim Sheldon, Granddaughter of James Stemmons
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