REGION: Department of Corrections releases Gardner's central file
March 17, 2010 4:30 pm
<snipped> The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Wednesday released the central file for John Albert Gardner III, the registered sex offender accused of killing 17-year-old Chelsea King and suspect in the disappearance and death of 14-year-old Amber Dubois.
King Family Statement We stand here because of a despicable, evil act committed against our beautiful daughter Chelsea, committed against our family and committed against our community.
The decision whether to give our blessing to the District Attorney’s proposal was torturous. While our unequivocal first choice is the death penalty, we acknowledge that in California that penalty has become an empty promise.
For that reason, as well as the following, we support this penalty of life imprisonment without any possibility of parole or appeal.
First, a multi-year court proceeding will have a destructive effect on our 13-year-old son Tyler, who deserves as much of a normal childhood as we can provide. Additionally, our community will benefit from the opportunity to heal sooner knowing that this confessed murderer has been dealt with.
Second, we find ourselves in a position to help give another grieving family a measure of closure. The Dubois family has been through unthinkable hell the past 14 months. We couldn’t imagine the confession to Amber’s murder never seeing the light of day, leaving an eternal question mark.
Lastly, we know that Chelsea and thousands of others are counting on us. Now unencumbered from a protracted trial, we can fully devote ourselves to raising our son and bringing about changes that protect our children.
There is nothing satisfying about this moment. It is only one more unbearably painful day that we will have to carry in our memory as long as we live.
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