"TO MY FAMILY."
IF I SHOULD EVER LEAVE THIS WORLD BEFORE YOU DO,
HERE'S WHAT I ASK OF YOU.
BURY ME IN PINK.
"PLEASE DO NOT BE SAD FOREVER BECAUSE I AM HAPPY NOW."
ME AND SANDY WERE LIKE, OF THE SAME SOUL.
IT'S LIKE A...
INSEPARABLE.
AND THAT'S WHY WHEN SHE DIED, MY SOUL DIED.
"DEAR MRS. VIRGINIA THOMAS."
I'll START THIS LETTER TO YOU BY SAYING,
I AM NOT SORRY FOR WHAT I DID TO YOUR DAUGHTER.
SHE DESERVED EVERYTHING SHE GOT.
"I STOLE HER FUTURE AND I RAPED HER."
THAT'S WHEN MY THOUGHTS SHIFTED FROM THIS
IS A GUY WHO COMMITTED AN EVIL ACT
TO THIS IS AN EVIL MAN.
BRIAN DID A JOURNAL AND I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, OKAY.
BUT I THINK IT WOULD REALLY HELP
IF YOU WOULD READ THIS ONE, ONE PAGE.
"TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, I COMMITTED A CRIME, COWARD ACT,
THAT I'M TOTALLY ASHAMED OF.
I HOPE YOU COULD ONE DAY FIND PEACE IN FORGIVING ME
FOR MY SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOR."
HE SAID HE WAS SORRY.
I THINK WE ALL ARE SORRY.
Captions by VITAC... www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
THE DAY WAS BEAUTIFUL.
IT WAS A FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2ND.
I GUESS I GOT UP AROUND, I DON'T KNOW, 8:30, 9:00.
I WAS GOING OUT TO CLEAN MY HALLWAYS BECAUSE I DID THAT
A COUPLE DAYS A WEEK TO GET FREE RENT.
SO I THREW ON MY HEADBAND WITH MY HAIR UP
AND I WENT OUT WITH MY LITTLE VACUUM CLEANER.
AND I GOT ONE SIDE OF THE BUILDING DONE,
AND THEN MOM CAME RUNNING OVER ABOUT A HALF HOUR LATER
AND SHE SAID, "SANDRA'S APARTMENT'S ON FIRE."
THE LOOK ON MY MOM'S FACE WAS SO DEVASTATING
THAT I JUST DROPPED EVERYTHING.
SANDRA WAS MY SOUL MATE.
THERE WAS A CONNECTION THAT WE HAD.
WE WERE ALWAYS TOGETHER, ALWAYS TOGETHER.
SHE HAD A CERTAIN CHARISMA ABOUT HER.
SHE WAS JUST VERY LOVING AND SHE ATTRACTED PEOPLE LIKE A MAGNET.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
IF YOU MET HER, YOU LOVE HER.
YOU KNOW, SHE WAS JUST ALWAYS LAUGHING AND HAPPY,
BUT WE WERE JUST THAT TYPE OF FAMILY.
WHEN WE SEE THE SMOKE, WE REALIZE THAT IT IS
IN THE AREA OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX
AND IT'S A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH AMOUNT OF SMOKE
TO REALIZE THAT IT'S A RELATIVELY LARGE FIRE.
WE GET OUT OF THE CAR.
THE SMOKE IS OBVIOUS.
IT'S HEAVY.
I CAN SEE A LOT OF ACTIVITY.
FIREFIGHTERS WERE RUNNING BACK AND FORTH.
YOU FEEL THAT TENSION AND THAT ANXIETY.
DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE WALKING INTO.
WE WERE CORDONING OFF THE AREA
TO KEEP PEOPLE BACK AT THAT POINT
SO THE FIREFIGHTERS CAN DO THEIR JOB.
STAND BEHIND THE LINE.
- STAY BEHIND THE LINE. - EXCUSE ME.
EXCUSE ME.
I JUST REMEMBER RUNNING OVER TOWARDS THE BUILDING
AND I SAW HER CAR
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN I GOT A LITTLE SCARED.
AND I REMEMBER JUST THINKING, "WHERE IS SANDRA?
WHERE IS SANDRA?"
AND I COULD HEAR SOMEBODY SCREAMING.
I WANT TO KNOW IF I COULD HELP HER,
BUT THEY WOULDN'T LET US NEAR THERE.
SCREAMING, "HELP ME, HELP ME."
AND AT THAT POINT I WENT IN TOTAL SHOCK.
SANDY! SANDY!
THEY PUSH US ALL AWAY AND THEN FROM THERE
I JUST TOTALLY LOST IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT STICKS IN MY HEAD TILL THIS DAY...
"HELP ME, HELP ME."
I KNOW THAT WAS HER VOICE BECAUSE IT HAUNTS ME
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE SCENE.
THE FIRE DAMAGE INSIDE THE APARTMENT WAS SIGNIFICANT.
WALLPAPER AND PAINT ARE ALL BURNT OFF THE WALLS
AS YOU CAN SEE.
THERE'S A LOT OF DAMAGE INSIDE.
I MEAN, HERE HE'S LOOKING AT THE BED, WHAT WAS THE BED,
AND IT'S COMPLETELY DOWN TO JUST THE SPRINGS
IS THE ONLY THING LEFT.
WE LEARNED THAT THERE IS A BODY.
KAREN, SANDY'S SISTER WAS PRESENT.
HER MOTHER WAS ON THE SCENE.
SHE KNEW LIKE WE DID THAT THE BODY WAS
VERY LIKELY HER DAUGHTER'S.
I TRY TO BE AS GENTLE WITH THE INFORMATION AS YOU CAN,
BUT YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM.
OH, MY GOD.
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?
YOU GO INTO COMPLETE SHOCK.
ME AND SANDY WERE LIKE OF THE SAME SOUL.
IT'S LIKE A...
INSEPARABLE.
SAME SOUL, TWO OF A KIND.
OUR HEARTS WERE THE SAME.
EVERYTHING WAS JUST...
WE WERE SO MUCH ALIKE.
THAT'S WHY WHEN SHE DIED, MY SOUL DIED.
I SPEAK TO THE DEPUTY FIRE MARSHAL.
WHAT'D YOU FIND OUT?
AND HE TELLS ME IT APPEARS
THAT THE FIRE WAS INTENTIONALLY SET.
DETECTIVE HITCH.
A SHORT TIME LATER,
I LEARN THAT SOMEONE HAS CALLED THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER
AND IDENTIFIED HIMSELF
AS THE DRIFTWOOD KILLER.
HE HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FIRE
AND THE DEATH OF SANDY,
BUT HE ALSO IDENTIFIES HIS NEXT VICTIM BY NAME
AND SAYS SHE IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT ONE TO DIE.
THEY HAD EVERYTHING SPRAWLED OUT ALL OVER THE YARD.
THIS POLICE OFFICER, HE SAID, "MS. THOMAS",
YOU CAN COME UP AND GO THROUGH THE STUFF.
EVERYTHING WAS CHARRED, EVERYTHING.
THIS IS THIS REALLY STRANGE THING.
IT WAS A LITTLE BIBLE AND THIS WHITE BIBLE...
IT WAS NOT TOUCHED.
IT WAS NOT BURNT.
IT WAS NOT BLACK.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS BIBLE SINCE IT HAPPENED.
YOU CAN SMELL A LITTLE BIT OF FIRE, SMOKE.
YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF IT ON THE PAGES, NOT MUCH.
LIKE SOOT.
I DON'T SEE ANY BURNS ON IT.
THIS IS THE PART I LOVE TO HEAR.
12/24/92, SO IT WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE.
"TO MY FAMILY."
IF I SHOULD EVER LEAVE THIS WORLD BEFORE YOU DO,
HERE'S WHAT I ASK OF YOU.
BURY ME IN PINK.
PLEASE DO NOT BE SAD FOREVER BECAUSE I AM HAPPY NOW.
"I LOVE YOU. SANDRA LEE."
DON'T BE SAD FOREVER BECAUSE I AM HAPPY NOW.
SO, HOW WOULD SHE KNOW THAT?
TO ME, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOWS A LOT OF LOVE
FOR HER FAMILY AND ALSO SHOWS A PERSON WHO'S VERY, VERY SAD.
THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER RECEIVED SOME PHONE CALLS
FROM AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF
AS THE DRIFTWOOD KILLER.
HE HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FIRE
AND THE DEATH OF SANDY,
BUT HE ALSO IDENTIFIES HIS NEXT VICTIM.
DETECTIVES GO TO THE APARTMENT
WHERE THE SECOND POTENTIAL VICTIM RESIDES
AND SHE IS TRANSPORTED
IMMEDIATELY BACK TO HEADQUARTERS.
WE'VE RECEIVED SOME THREATS AGAINST YOU.
AND EXPLAIN TO HER THAT WE ARE CONDUCTING
A HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION
AND THIS PERSON NAMED HER AS A POTENTIAL SECOND VICTIM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH ANYONE?
ANY IDEA WHO COULD BE MAKING THESE THREATS TO YOU?
SHE HAS RECENTLY BEEN RECEIVING OBSCENE THREATENING PHONE CALLS.
SHE HAD HAD THE PHONE CALLS TRACED
AND SHE IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIES BRIAN STECKEL.
MY BROTHER'S NICKNAME ALL HIS LIFE WAS BIG RED.
HE HAD THE BRIGHTEST RED HAIR.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S HAIR WAS BRIGHTER THAN THAT.
I WAS AN OLDER BROTHER, BUT I ALWAYS LOOKED UP TO HIM.
WE WERE NOT A RICH FAMILY,
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE THE STUFF THAT OTHER FAMILY'S HAD.
YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD LAUGH ABOUT OUR SHOES,
MAKE FUN OF THE CLOTHES WE WORE,
AND BRIAN WAS ALWAYS THE PERSON
TO STAND BEHIND US AND BE STRONG.
THE FIRST MEMORY OF BRIAN'S TEMPER SCARING US
WOULD HAVE BEEN,
I'D SAY, ABOUT 13, 14 YEARS OLD.
RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL...
WE WERE HEADING HOME AND SOMEBODY STARTED
A FIGHT WITH HIM.
AND HE BASICALLY TURNED AROUND AND IT GOT REALLY UGLY.
HE JUST STARTED, YOU KNOW, WAILING ON THE GUY
JUST FOR THE SAKE OF DOING IT.
HE WENT FROM BEING GOOD TO BEING BAD,
VERY BAD, TERRIBLE.
WE LEARNED THAT STECKEL FREQUENTS BARS IN THE CITY
OF WILMINGTON AREA, SO ALL AVAILABLE DETECTIVES,
WE ARE GOING IN AND OUT OF BARS.
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GENTLEMAN?
LOOKING FOR HIM, TRYING TO FIND HIM.
NO.
THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY TO GET HIM INTO CUSTODY.
THE CALLS TO THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER
INDICATED THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER VICTIM,
SO THE POTENTIAL THAT HE COULD KILL SOMEONE ELSE IS VERY REAL.
PATROLMAN MIKE MCGOWAN, HE OBSERVES A SUBJECT
WALKING ON UNION STREET
THAT HE BELIEVES MATCHES THE DESCRIPTION OF BRIAN STECKEL.
ASKS THE PERSON TO STOP AND ASKS FOR A NAME.
HE PROVIDES HIM WITH A FICTITIOUS NAME,
BUT MIKE RECOGNIZES FROM THE PICTURE THAT HE'S BEEN PROVIDED.
THIS IS BRIAN STECKEL, AND I INSTRUCTED THEM
TO BRING BRIAN BACK TO HEADQUARTERS.
WHEN PATROLMAN MCGOWAN WALKS HIM IN THE BACK DOOR,
I AM AT THE DOORWAY OF OUR TURNKEY AREA.
IT'S AT THAT POINT, I OBSERVE ON BRIAN'S BOOTS
WHAT APPEARS TO BE A DROP OF BLOOD.
THE CONFESSION AT THIS POINT
IS VERY CRITICAL TO THE INVESTIGATION
IF HE IN FACT HAS MURDERED THIS YOUNG LADY.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S AT THAT POINT
THAT BRIAN SAYS, IS SHE DEAD?
THERE WAS A KNOCK ON MY DOOR IN TAMPA.
AND THERE WAS TWO POLICE OFFICERS THERE TO SAY
YOU HAVE TO CALL HOME.
IT'S AN EMERGENCY.
THEY DIDN'T SAY WHAT IT WAS ABOUT.
THEY JUST TOLD ME TO CALL HOME.
MOM GETS ON THE PHONE.
I SAID, "WELL, YOU'RE OKAY.
WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM?"
AND SHE SAID,
"YOUR BROTHER WAS ARRESTED FOR MURDER IN DELAWARE."
I WAS IN TOTAL DISBELIEF.
IT'S YOUR BROTHER.
YOU WANT TO SAY THAT, "NO HE DIDN'T DO IT.
YEAH, IT IS A BIG DREAM.
YEAH, IT'S GONNA GO AWAY TOMORROW,"
BUT IT DIDN'T AND IT DOESN'T EVER GO AWAY.
WHEN WE INITIALLY INTERVIEWED BRIAN,
HE IS CALM. HE'S DOCILE.
BRIAN HAS BEEN LIVING IN AN APARTMENT
IN THE SAME BUILDING, ON THE SAME FLOOR.
HE HAD SEEN SANDY, THOUGHT SHE WAS ATTRACTIVE.
ON THE DAY OF THE MURDER,
STECKEL SAYS HE WENT TO THE APARTMENT
AND THERE IS A CONFRONTATION.
BRIAN ADMITS TO RAPING, STRANGLING,
BEATING SANDY AND SETTING HER APARTMENT ON FIRE.
IT'S AS IF HE'S TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING
VERY INSIGNIFICANT TO HIM.
IT WAS REALLY HARD TO GET A TAKE ON BRIAN
IN THAT FIRST INTERVIEW.
ARE WE DEALING WITH A TRULY EVIL PERSON HERE
OR ARE WE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW,
A GUY WHO DID A BAD THING?
YOU KNOW, YOU THINK MAYBE SHE LEFT THE KETTLE ON.
SHE WENT SOMEWHERE OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW.
DETECTIVE HITCH CALLED AND SAID, "I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU."
AND HE TOLD US THAT SHE WAS MURDERED
AND THE GUY TURNED HIMSELF IN.
IT WAS JUST DEVASTATING TO KNOW
THAT SOMEBODY WAS IN CONTROL OF HER LIFE ENDING.
I STILL LIVE FOR HER EVERYDAY AND I CAN'T GET OVER IT.
THE NIGHT BEFORE SHE GOT KILLED,
I JUST REMEMBERED BEING OUT ON THE PATIO AND HER CALLING.
Karen, pick up.
I LET IT GO INTO VOICE MAIL A FEW TIMES.
SHE SAID, "SIS, WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING YOUR CALL?"
I GUESS I WAS AVOIDING HER.
SANDRA WAS IN AN ABUSIVE MARRIAGE
AND FINALLY SHE GOT DIVORCED.
SHE WAS DEFINITELY IN A LOT OF PAIN AND SHE WAS ON DRUGS.
AND SANDRA TO ME WAS ABOVE THAT,
AND I WAS PLAYING THAT HARD LOVE.
I want to talk to you. Call me back.
I THINK MY SISTER WAS TRYING TO CONTACT ME
BECAUSE SHE WAS ASKING EVERYBODY ELSE,
YOU KNOW, IF SHE COULD MOVE IN WITH THEM.
AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE SAID.
AND THAT'S WHAT BOTHERS ME IS WHEN SHE GOT MURDERED,
SHE FELT LIKE I DIDN'T LOVE HER.
BRIAN SEEMED TO BE PROUD OF WHAT HE DID.
HE SEEMED TO WANT TO DO IT AGAIN.
DETECTIVE DOWNS SAID TO ME, STECKEL WAS A SERIAL KILLER
WHO GOT CAUGHT HIS FIRST TIME OUT.
BUT THEN THERE WERE OTHER POINTS DURING THAT INTERVIEW
WHERE YOU SAW A DIFFERENT PERSON.
I THINK PROBABLY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME,
HE DID WONDER, "WHAT THE HECK DID I DO?
WHAT DID I DO HERE?"
BUT WHAT WE SAW AFTER THAT,
THE THINGS HE DID TO TAUNT SANDY'S MOTHER,
TO TAUNT THE PROSECUTORS,
THIS WAS NOT A MAN WHO WAS REMORSEFUL.
I MEAN, HE WAS A MONSTER.
THE LAST TIME I SPOKE TO BRIAN,
HE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR
AND HE WANTED TO STAY THE NIGHT WITH US.
I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO LET HIM STAY,
BUT I WAS CONCERNED HE WAS ON PROBATION
AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE RIGHT THING TO DO
BECAUSE OF MY FAMILY BEING SO YOUNG
AND WE WERE JUST NEWLY MARRIED.
I GAVE HIM A HUG. I TOLD HIM I LOVED HIM.
HE JUST LEFT AND DIDN'T TURN BACK.
AND THAT'S THE LAST TIME I SAW HIM
UNTIL I HAD TO COME BACK HOME.
I THINK HE FANTASIZED ABOUT KILLING OTHER PEOPLE,
AND BRIAN WANTED TO BE A SERIAL KILLER.
HE THEN STARTS WRITING LETTERS FROM PRISON
DESCRIBING WHAT HE HAD DONE TO SANDY.
BRIAN WAS TRYING TO STRETCH THIS MURDER
THAT HE COMMITTED AND WAS TRYING TO DRAW EVERY BIT OF EXCITEMENT
THAT HE COULD GET OUT OF IT.
HE BEGINS TO SEND LETTERS TO THE PROSECUTORS
ASSIGNED TO THE CASE,
TO THE ORIGINAL JUDGE ASSIGNED TO THE CASE,
SAYING I'M GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN.
BUT THE WORSE OF THOSE LETTERS
WERE WHAT HE SENT TO GINNY THOMAS,
SANDY'S MOM,
DESCRIBING IN INTIMATE DETAIL
THE WAY HE KILLED HER BABY GIRL.
I WAS IN THE DETECTIVE DIVISION.
I RECEIVE A CALL.
IT'S GINNY THOMAS AND SHE SAYS,
"MARK, I HAVE THE LETTER."
AND I TOLD HER,
"I'M ON MY WAY, PLEASE DON'T OPEN IT."
I TRIED TO PROTECT GINNY DURING THIS THE WAY
I WOULD WANT A POLICE OFFICER TO PROTECT MY MOTHER.
THERE WAS NO OTHER PURPOSE TO SEND THAT TO SANDY'S MOM,
BUT AN EFFORT TO DESTROY HER,
EMOTIONALLY DESTROY HER.
WHEN I PULL UP IN FRONT OF THE RESIDENCE,
GINNY IS SITTING ON THE FRONT STEP
OF THE HOUSE HOLDING THE LETTER, AND I WENT UP TO HER.
I TAKE THE LETTER FROM HER AND SHE SAYS TO ME,
"IT WAS ALL I COULD DO NOT TO OPEN THIS AND READ IT."
SO, THIS LETTER TO GINNY
THAT BRIAN SENT SAYS,
"DEAR MRS. VIRGINIA THOMAS."
I'll START THIS LETTER TO YOU BY SAYING
I AM NOT SORRY FOR WHAT I DID TO YOUR DAUGHTER.
SHE DESERVED EVERYTHING SHE GOT.
"I STOLE HER FUTURE AND I RAPED HER."
THE LETTER GOES ON FOR 17 PAGES.
AND THAT'S WHEN MY THOUGHTS SHIFTED FROM THIS IS
A GUY WHO COMMITTED AN EVIL ACT
TO THIS IS AN EVIL MAN.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
I REALLY TRIED TO BLOCK IT OUT OF MY LIFE SO I CAN MOVE ON.
I SAW SOME OF THE PICTURES AND SOME
OF THE EFFECTS OF THE CRIME.
IT JUST, LIKE, WAS UNFATHOMABLE TO ME.
I JUST WALKED OUT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE.
I JUST WANTED TO GO AWAY FROM IT.
I JUST WANTED TO BE OVER THAT.
MY BROTHER, AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME,
WASN'T THE PERSON THAT I KNEW, NOT GROWING UP.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN DO THAT
IF YOU'RE NOT ON DRUGS OR ALCOHOL
OR SOMETHING THAT'S DISTORTED YOUR MIND TO THAT DEGREE.
THAT'S KIND OF DISTURBING, VERY DISTURBING
BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
THAT WOULD MEAN TO ME THAT HE...
WAS REALLY GONNA DO THIS WAY BEFORE.
THAT IS...
BUT I DID NOT KNOW
AND THAT WILL DISTURB ME A LONG TIME
THAT HE WAS THERE THE DAY BEFORE.
SO I AM GLAD I DID THIS INTERVIEW.
VERY GLAD BECAUSE I FOUND OUT WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW
THAT HE WAS A VERY BAD MAN.
CAN YOU CUT?
OH, THIS IS THE LETTER HE WROTE ON OCTOBER 31ST.
AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW HAPPY HE WAS TO SEE ME AGAIN.
"LOVE YOU, BRO. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE FUTURE."
HE WOULD SEND US LETTERS VERY FREQUENTLY.
HE DID A LOT OF WRITING BECAUSE HIS TIME WAS VERY LIMITED.
- YOU DON'T. - YOU DON'T.
YOU DON'T.
I SAW HIM LIKE A COUPLE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE EXECUTION.
THE COUNSELOR SAID, "IT'S IN YOUR BEST INTEREST
THAT THE LAST THING YOU DO
IS GIVE YOUR HUG GOODBYE OR WHATEVER
AND WALK OUT OF THE ROOM AND LEAVE AND DON'T TURN BACK."
WE WERE AT THE END OF OUR 29 MINUTES OR SO.
THEY SAID, "YOU HAVE A MINUTE TO GO."
I SAID I LOVE YOU,
I GAVE HIM A HUG...
AND THEN WE HEADED FOR THE DOOR.
AS I WAS EXITING, I TURNED TO LOOK BACK
AND THAT WAS THE LAST TIME I SEEN MY BROTHERS FACE
WITH A SMILE ON IT.
I TURNED AROUND WHEN I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO TURN AROUND,
AND THAT'S THE FACE I SEE EVERYDAY
I WALK AROUND WITH MY OWN LIFE.
I HAD NO OVERWHELMING DESIRE TO GO SEE BRIAN STECKEL DIE,
BUT I KNEW SANDY'S MOM WAS GOING TO BE
AT BRIAN STECKEL'S EXECUTION
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO GINNY
TO BE THERE FOR HER.
I FELT LIKE WHAT I WITNESSED, HOW I WATCHED BRIAN STECKEL DIE
WAS FAR LESS TERRIFYING AND HORRIFIC
THAN THE DEATH THAT SANDY LONG EXPERIENCED.
BRIAN WAS EXECUTED 10 OR SO YEARS AFTER HE KILLED SANDY.
BRIAN HAD 10 YEARS TO VISIT WITH HIS FAMILY.
SANDY'S LAST 10 MINUTES WERE IN SHEER TERROR AND AGONY.
I STOOD DIRECTLY BEHIND GINNY THOMAS.
ALL I REMEMBER FEELING IS JUST SYMPATHY FOR HER,
SORROW FOR HER.
I DID NOT HAVE ANY SYMPATHY FOR BRIAN STECKEL.
I KNOW THAT'S COLD.
WHAT I FELT FOR BRIAN WAS, THIS IS JUSTICE.
HEY, BUDDY.
HOW ARE YOU, HONEY?
NICE TO SEE YOU.
IT'S BEEN 23 YEARS.
OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, GINNY THOMAS AND I
DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP
THAT IS DIFFICULT TO DESCRIBE.
IT'S BEEN AWHILE FOR US ANYWAY, RIGHT?
IT HAS. IT'S BEEN REAL LONG.
I DON'T REMEMBER...
YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO COMPLETELY HEAL
THE EMOTIONAL PAIN.
BUT YOU'VE BEEN STRONG.
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN STRONG.
YEAH. YUP.
BUT THERE IS SOME SENSE OF SATISFACTION
THAT YOU DID EVERYTHING YOU COULD DO
TO HELP THEM TO FIND SOME LEVEL OF CLOSURE.
YOU'RE WORKING THESE CASES FOR THESE FAMILIES.
I INVESTIGATED A LOT OF CASES.
SOME OF THE DEFENDANTS I REMEMBER.
SOME OF THEM I DON'T.
BRIAN IS SOMEONE THAT I DON'T THINK I'll EVER FORGET.
MY BROTHER WAS SO ANGRY, PARANOID.
HE DRANK.
TOOK SOME PILLS FOR, YOU KNOW, ANXIETY AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
MY DAD, HE DIED OF A HEART ATTACK SUDDENLY.
HE DIED OF A BROKEN HEART BASICALLY.
HE WAS NEVER THE SAME.
AND THEN AFTER MY DAD DIED, MY BROTHER DIED.
BRIAN STECKEL, I FEEL STOLE MY FATHER
AND MY BROTHER'S WILL TO LIVE AND MINE.
I'VE BEEN LIKE THIS FOR YEARS.
I TRY. I JUST CAN'T.
I MISS THEM ALL.
BRIAN DID A JOURNAL AND I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, OKAY.
BUT I THINK IT WOULD REALLY HELP
IF YOU WOULD READ THIS ONE PAGE, OKAY?
"TEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO, I COMMITTED A CRIME,
A COWARD ACT THAT I'M TOTALLY ASHAMED OF
AND NO ONE AS NICE AS HER
DESERVED TO DIE IN THE MANNER IN WHICH SHE DID.
I HOPE YOU COULD ONE DAY FIND PEACE IN FORGIVING ME
"FOR MY SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOR."
AT LEAST HE SAID HE WAS SORRY.
YEP.
HE SAID HE WAS SORRY.
I THINK WE ALL ARE SORRY.
IT STILL WON'T BRING ANY OF THEM BACK.
THEY STILL LOSE HER AND WE LOSE HIM.
IT'LL NEVER RIGHT THE WRONG.