Step by Step A Journey of Hope: Bill Pelke

This is a clip from the documentary "Step By Step A Journey of Hope" produced by Micki Dickoff.
http://www.journeyofhope.org/pages/micki_dickoff.htm



Bill Pelke's 78 - year - old grandmother Ruth, taught Bible lessons to neighborhood children in Gary, Indiana. One day, May 14th, 1985, four ninth grade girls from the local high school come to her door asking about the lessons, and she invited them into her home. As she turned to get information for them, one grabbed a vase and hit her over the head. Another pulled a knife out of her purse and began to stab her. Ruth was stabbed a total of 33 times. While one of the girls held the knife inside her, the others ransacked her house. They ended up with $10.00 and her ten-year-old car.

A year later, one of the girls, Paula Cooper, was sentenced to death for the crime. She had been 15 when the murder occurred, and at 16 became the youngest female on death row in America. Originally supportive of Paula's death sentence, Bill eventually forgave Paula, began corresponding and visiting with her, and worked to overturn her sentence. She is now serving 60 years in prison. Bill recently retired after over 30 years of service with Bethlehem Steel and plans to devote his retirement to abolishing the death penalty. He recently purchased a tour bus to travel across the country and spread the message of forgiveness and hope.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• bill
• pelke
• journey
• of
• hope
• micki
• dickoff
• murder
• victim
• family
• death
• penalty
• executions

[ZexiLexie61]

@fuzzywuzzy2622 She did not. I'm not saying I agree with what she did but, she don't deserve to die. At a very young age she was already abused she watched her mother get raped by her father. She already been to 5 DIFFERENT High schools and in-and-out of MANY foster homes. The one thing they could have done was given her treatment to this. She wasn't the one that actually killed her. The main stab was from one of the other girls.

[choppedpeanuts2]

@fuzzywuzzy2622 Interesting observation. Thanks!

[choppedpeanuts2]

Journey of Dopes!

[swlovesvegans]

yea this guy got her killer off death row after 9 million signed a petition and intervention from the Pope! no joke

[fuzzywuzzy2622]

An eye for an eye! She deserved to be put to death! This is a perverse syndrome where the victims want to be liked by the killers.

[vee3367]

This is a heartbreaking video. GOD BLESS YOUR HEART AND SOUL FOR FORGIVING THIS LADY!

[sadiez321]

@triggadiva75 you are the dumbest bitch in the whole fucking world. maybe she'll do to you what she did to the old lady ;]

[APhilCollinsFan]

well ! if he forgive the killer ! let the killer live.

[jdlund]

@spaziete1, oh and if our criminal system being too soft is the problem, why is it that many countries without the death penalty, nicer prisons and less harsh punishments have far, far lower crime rates per capita? Having harsher punishments wouldn't do a damn thing, criminals don't really determine their behavior based upon the punishment they are likely to receive.

Either way, bottom line, murder is wrong, it's a line that shouldn't be crossed, by 15 year old girl or by the State of Indiana.

[jdlund]

@spaziete1, yes it was inhumane the way she murdered that woman. It is gruesome betrayal of one's own humanity to intentionally end another person's life. However, that's precisely why it is wrong for the State to do it. The government walks someone from his or her cell, straps them to a chair or gurney and intentionally ends his or her life. That is clearly murder by any definition, period. If it was wrong for the murderer to kill, it's wrong for the State to do the same.