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People say,
"You needed to come to prison
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to become the person that you are."
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Right, 'cause you are gonna be a person
that's gonna help shift the culture,
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you gonna help change the world one day.
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I wanna be a beacon
that redemption is possible, right?
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Demonstrating reconciliation is possible.
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You don't have to come to prison
and just let yourself just waste away.
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You can grow.
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Look at me.
I am a person who has achieved it.
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I think we could all be dangerous people.
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People say you're a monster.
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I'm not sitting here saying I'm innocent.
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I just murdered some guy in cold blood.
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Thank you for your patience.
Mm-hm.
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Just count to ten for me, please.
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One, two, three, four,
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five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
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I was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
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My upbringing was one of poverty.
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As a young man,
I was always ambitious and creative.
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Always wanted to do
some type of music or some type of poetry.
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But I was being pulled between two worlds,
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my... my creativity
and the negativity in which I lived there.
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The neighborhood that I grew up in,
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it was drugs being sold,
it was people being shot.
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I remember you couldn't even go too far
up the street without getting jumped
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'cause you was
outside of your neighborhood.
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There was always violence.
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We get taught from this high
that you got to be hard.
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You don't let nobody punk you.
You... You do this.
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This is the code of the street.
That's the code.
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Toxic masculinity is the norm, right?
And I picked it up.
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I started doing everything
that others in my environment was doing.
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I started taking chances,
like trying to sell dope.
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Drugs and alcohol kind of stifled
a lot of my... a lot of my dreams.
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As a person, Danielle
was way different than what I was used to.
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I'm used to dealing with girls
from a certain demographic, right?
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And this was, like, um,
a young girl from the suburbs, right?
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And she was just so happy,
and sunny, and bubbly all the time,
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like, every time.
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She kept me out of the streets
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because she always believed
in whatever I was doing.
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So far as, like, she pushed my creativity,
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she kept me grounded
and kept me chasing my dreams,
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making me believe that it was...
that it was real.
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Everything was looking good.
I was working.
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I was going to night school,
getting my diploma. Right?
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And I was really non-existent
in the streets.
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I was just mostly with Danielle.
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She was the most excited
to be a mother that I've ever seen.
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All right? And I was excited.
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I was at all the classes
to breathe and breathe
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and every prenatal appointment.
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So we were... we were stoked.
We had a big baby shower.
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So yeah, it was... it was...
it was a wonderful experience.
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I needed money.
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So I started kind of like, trying to,
you know, go back out with my friends,
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go in the streets, go bust a few moves,
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like, trying to get back
into the groove of things.
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It was just like the hood
or the gangster thing to do, you know.
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That's how my mindset was back then.
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My friends leave.
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So, I'm going to, you know, get my money,
count my stuff up for the day,
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and I'm going to look for
this one particular gun that I had.
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And I can't find it.
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Now, in hindsight, I'm drunk,
but I'm looking for it
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and I can't find it.
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So I'm looking all around.
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And Danielle was like,
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"One of your friends
might do got it, right?"
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So, like, now, I get... I get pissed.
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I grab this big gun, right?
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So now, I guess she sees
how serious I'm getting,
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and now, she's telling me, like,
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"Chill, relax," like,
"You're going to find it."
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I'm like, "No, they got me..."
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"I invited y'all to my house,
and y'all gonna steal!"
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This, that, and the third.
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And I'm still... going.
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I'm more enraged,
and I got the gun like this,
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and I'm pointing it and telling her,
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"No, I'm about to go there,
I'm gonna do this and do that."
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And as I'm demonstrating,
the gun goes off.
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I kind of like paused for a second.
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And then,
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I run over to her 'cause I thought
maybe she jumped out the way,
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or maybe she's just playing,
trying to teach me a lesson. All right?
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So I grab her.
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And I'm... And I'm holding her, I'm like,
"Stop playing!" Like, "Get up!"
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And then I feel,
like, blood on my forearm.
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All right?
And I kind of was scared to look at first.
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So then I kind of turned and looked,
and I seen that she was actually shot.
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And in that moment...
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...it was shock. All right?
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And when I say shock, I mean
like disbelief. Like, I don't... I don't...
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Like, this can't be actually real.
This can't be actually happening.
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After that, I done went through
a thousand different emotions
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of what I should do.
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I started thinking, like,
it was... it was guilt and shame.
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And it went from shock to... panic.
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I could hear the police coming.
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And I see the flashing lights.
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So I go and run the other way.
I'm gonna flee, right?
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I know this run
is probably going to be short-lived,
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but I'm panicking and I'm not thinking.
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I'm just trying to just get away
from the situation.
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So I just keep... I keep going.
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What happened?
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It was just like a deep hurt
and regret and remorse.
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And it changed everything, right?
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It was... It was the day
that I lost everything, right?
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I lost Danielle.
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I lost my family, lost my... my... my respect.
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I could probably accept it more
if I did something on purpose,
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but for this to be an accident,
like, why was her life cut short?
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And why did I have to be
responsible for it?
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What's the lesson?
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I always hear people say
that everything happens for a reason,
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and a lot of things
changed in my life after that.
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I stopped drinking and smoking in prison.
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Now, that led me
to finally be able to know myself
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for the first time
since I was eight or nine years old,
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where I wasn't on some type of drug.
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And after I got clean,
I was able to grow into the leader
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that I actually'd always been.
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Everything that I do
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is so that other people don't have to make
the same mistakes that I made.
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And I just want you to know
that redemption and reconciliation, right,
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it's not... it's not something
that's out the picture. It's possible.
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So I started reading certain books
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like, on cognitive behavioral therapy
and things of that nature,
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and reading those books on fertile mind
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opened my eyes up
to different thinking areas,
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different communication techniques.
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I taught people communication skills
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and conflict resolution skills,
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because I noticed
that a lot of people in here,
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that's what we lack.
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And starting that program was probably
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the most transformational thing
for me in my personal journey.
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When I leave here,
I wanna take the Danielle Project
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and be able to implement it
on a grand scale.
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So I just see myself getting out
and being a thought leader.
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In the prison system,
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Black folks make up
nearly 40% of those who are incarcerated.
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Despite the fact that in Minnesota,
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they make up
less than 7% of the population.
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We have a dominant narrative
in this country
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that people who have a darker skin
are more susceptible to crime.
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Jamel, he should have never gotten
20 years for what was an accident.
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I've seen way too many people
take the same path that Jamel took
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because that was the one
that was broad and wide,
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and you were almost pushed down it.
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{\an8}I am Minister Janaé Bates,
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{\an8}and I'm the communications director
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for a faith-based and community-based
organizing, uh, vehicle
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for regular Minnesotans
right here in Minnesota.
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I met Dontez
when we were 16 years old.
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I call him Dontez
as well as most of his family and friends.
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Um, even though of course,
he's Jamel Dontez Hatcher.
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He has always had this, like,
high level of emotional intelligence,
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and he really cares about
how people are feeling.
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I had just gotten licensed
as a minister.
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I thought, surely, this is God,
you know, opening a pathway for me
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to be able to provide pastoral care
to a friend who really needs it.
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And I got to learn about all of the work
that he had been doing in the prison.
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For him to use this time
not just as his punishment,
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but also for preparation
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to prepare himself to be the man
that... that he's becoming today.
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You know, the work that he's doing
in the prison really does deserve to...
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to get some light outside of the prison.
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Right now,
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the prosecutors are in communication
with the family of Danielle,
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and they're talking to them about,
you know, what this would mean for them
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if Dontez were released early.
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We miss her every day.
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Absolutely.
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There isn't a day go by
that I don't think about her.
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{\an8}And a lot of time where...
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{\an8}I'm driving and we pass
the cemetery where she is,
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and we'd send her our love.
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I just love this one with this smile.
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Because this is how
she kind of lived her life.
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Absolutely.
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- Always has a great smile.
Always had a smile.
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She was kind of a magnet.
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She had a bright spirit
some people were drawn to.
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Dontez was drawn to that spirit as well.
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Dontez's trial,
it was kind of a blur to me.
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I don't remember what he said,
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what anybody said.
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All I remember is sadness.
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I don't know
if I ever really got angry towards him
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because I felt like
he loved her too much to hurt her.
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He asked for forgiveness.
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He was saying that it was an accident,
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that he really didn't mean
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to kill the woman that he loved so much.
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And he said he had to find restitution.
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And he wanted to do
something more with his life,
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so Danielle wouldn't have died in vain.
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He talked about reading the Bible.
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And I could just see
that he was really serious about...
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what he wanted to do, how...
the direction that he was going in.
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I think he has proven
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that he is trying
to be the best he can be.
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I'm really happy about
the way he has evolved.
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My prayers, I would say,
have been answered.
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I'm hoping to see
Dontez and his wife have a happy life.
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His wife, she's a wonderful woman,
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and I see that relationship
working out very well.
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And if there's any way I can...
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can help that happen, I'm... I'm all for it.
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Okay.
So, I just want to acknowledge,
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we have a bunch of folks in the room.
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I know there's people from Ohio
and from Minnesota.
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We have people here from Scotland.
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I had been praying for a partner
for years.
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{\an8}Um, and I had been praying
with a very long checklist of things
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that this person needed to be.
And he checked all the boxes.
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I did not put on the list
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"He probably shouldn't be in prison"...
...but...
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We have family and loved ones
who have joined us from all over.
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So we're watching my wedding.
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You can barely see me,
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but I'm in this corner
and I'm cheesing so hard.
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I smiled so hard
through the entire experience.
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I would say the most special moment
is happening right now.
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It's when Dontez was telling me his vows.
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They're incredibly beautiful
because he's a poet.
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The love of my life.
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You have made my life so bright.
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You have picked me up
from the deepest depths of darkness.
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I was a man with rips
and tears in my soul.
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Oh, but here we go.
This is where we tie the knot.
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Will you honor and cherish him
as long as you shall live?
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Oh yes, I do.
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I love you, baby.
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Oh, I love you.
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Janet and Ernest Jenkins
were also present,
241
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:10,800
and it was beautiful,
242
00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:15,320
because they are the grandparents
of, uh, Danielle.
243
00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:20,920
It has been incredible
to have their support,
244
00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:25,520
and they represent
what I really hope for a lot of the world.
245
00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:27,520
Truly.
246
00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,040
We've dreamed about
247
00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:40,600
what it's gonna finally be like
to be able to be together,
248
00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:42,440
living together in one place.
249
00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:49,840
And Dontez could be out
as soon as a few weeks from now.
250
00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:57,240
And we are certainly wanting to spend
a bunch of time with Chyanne,
251
00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,560
Dontez and Danielle's daughter.
252
00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:03,440
Because for him,
253
00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,120
it is so incredibly important
to have a relationship with her.
254
00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:43,440
When I first heard the name Danielle,
I was young.
255
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,320
I also thought she was related.
I just didn't know how she was related.
256
00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:57,520
{\an8}I found out who Danielle really was to me,
uh, when I was about 17.
257
00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:05,960
And I found out
who my dad was at the same time.
258
00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:17,400
- Chyanne, you want some toast?
- Yeah.
259
00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:20,600
I'm gonna make some toast.
Some eggs, toast and bacon.
260
00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:22,400
Are you gonna put it on the...
261
00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,880
You can make a sandwich
if you want, I don't care.
262
00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:42,440
I was not ready to tell her.
263
00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:48,960
{\an8}She was that, uh, light
that was brought back into my life
264
00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:51,440
{\an8}after Danielle died
265
00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:53,920
that kept me going.
266
00:24:55,360 --> 00:25:00,480
I didn't feel I needed to tell her
until later in her life.
267
00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:06,360
My goal was to first
268
00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:11,760
set up either counseling or something
in place so that when I did tell her,
269
00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:16,240
she had somewhere to go for help
or had other people to help her.
270
00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:24,200
I had found out the truth
from my dad's side.
271
00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:27,240
I was sent a link.
272
00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,760
And it was actually
a link to my dad's website.
273
00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:51,720
He wrote this letter
before I knew who he was.
274
00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:57,680
It says, "I love you.
I always have and always will."
275
00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:02,480
And he just talked about
how, like, one day I will find this,
276
00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,480
and he hope I will,
and that we can start a bond.
277
00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:14,440
I was shocked, but I was mainly confused
'cause I had so many questions.
278
00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:26,560
I wish I had been contacted first.
279
00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:30,960
Conversation should have went
through me first before contacting her.
280
00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:38,320
I... I thought it was quite selfish
to... just call her
281
00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:40,120
or text her out of the blue.
282
00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:46,760
But I would say that the situation
has panned out pretty well.
283
00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,360
She does have a relationship
with her father now.
284
00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,240
So she can start that journey with him.
285
00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:01,560
The first time
I talked to my dad was on the telephone.
286
00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,720
I was... I was very nervous.
287
00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:06,440
I feel like he was very nervous.
288
00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:09,760
I could hear it in his voice.
289
00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:16,080
I felt very good
after we had our first talk
290
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:20,520
'cause that's when I knew that...
291
00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:24,560
I'm gonna have a bond with him now.
292
00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:29,240
I can't know who my mom was,
293
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:34,120
which I wish I could,
but I at least want to know who my dad is.
294
00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:50,840
Oh, I didn't even see this.
He just added these pictures.
295
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,520
That's my dad.
296
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:55,200
That's me.
297
00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,680
Those are my great-grandparents.
298
00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:04,000
That's my dad again. That's me.
And that's, uh, Janaé, his wife.
299
00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,520
Very special days,
except when we had to leave.
300
00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:10,640
That was the hardest part.
301
00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,760
- Here.
- I'm just debating if I want some eggs.
302
00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,840
That's... That's enough...
Yeah, that's enough. Mm-hm.
303
00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:32,360
That's not enough.
304
00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:40,640
The difference between him then and now
is that he's grown a lot mentally.
305
00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:43,960
I think he has come a long way.
306
00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:51,120
But about what happened to Danielle...
307
00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:57,320
There really has not been
a clear discussion
308
00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:59,040
on exactly what happened.
309
00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,040
Because I don't know
exactly what happened.
310
00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:16,200
I didn't want to hear it.
I wasn't ready.
311
00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:22,480
I want Chyanne
to find out the truth from him.
312
00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:28,200
And I think that is something
that has to come from him.
313
00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:30,960
To face her.
314
00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:36,480
To face Chyanne and say,
"This is what I did."
315
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:13,280
Danielle was shot in the face
with a shotgun.
316
00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:20,480
But Hatcher denied
having any involvement in her death.
317
00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:25,160
So I have a trust issue
with anything that he has to say.
318
00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,120
{\an8}My name is Jeff Cook.
319
00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:32,160
{\an8}I was the lead detective
on the Jamel Hatcher murder case.
320
00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:40,000
I felt absolutely terrible for the family
to have to go through this,
321
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:41,920
as I do with any homicide victim.
322
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:45,840
There are things
that can't be unseen by family members.
323
00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:51,400
And that her family
had to go and find her,
324
00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:53,920
you know, it's heartbreaking.
325
00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:13,920
The mother was notified
by the grandparents
326
00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,160
that people couldn't
get ahold of Danielle.
327
00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:19,000
So she took her 11-year-old son,
Danielle's little brother, with her,
328
00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:20,320
and they came to the apartment.
329
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:25,400
They found that the apartment door
was unlocked, and entered.
330
00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:30,360
They found Danielle laying on the floor
between the closet and the bed.
331
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:37,080
{\an8}They then found the baby on the bed
in a bouncy seat.
332
00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:42,120
And she had been sitting there so long
and been crying and... and thrashing around
333
00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:44,160
that she almost
worked her way out of the seat.
334
00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:49,520
{\an8}The child was left alone
for approximately 18 hours.
335
00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:14,120
Have a seat right here.
336
00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,200
My name's Detective Cook, okay?
337
00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:24,560
You go by Dontez, right?
338
00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:25,720
- [Jamel] Yeah.
- Okay.
339
00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:27,520
When we questioned him,
340
00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:32,960
he did a number of things to try to put up
roadblocks in the investigation,
341
00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,520
uh, to try to create an alibi for himself.
342
00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,960
He said he had been to the apartment
earlier in the evening, but he had left,
343
00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:41,840
and she was fine when he left.
344
00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:48,520
He, uh, initially said that
he had gone to a friend's house,
345
00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:49,680
LaTanya Harper.
346
00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:51,320
And spent the night there.
347
00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:56,880
He not only claimed
that he went to Ms. Harper's residence,
348
00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:59,600
but that he engaged
in sexual activity with her that evening.
349
00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:05,360
But it was part of the overall plan
to create an alibi.
350
00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:09,880
That... That told us a lot
about Mr. Hatcher.
351
00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:13,160
His cold, calculated nature
of going and having sex with somebody
352
00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,240
after he just killed his baby's mother.
353
00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:32,640
So this is LaTanya Harper.
354
00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,600
Here's a copy of the statement
that you made to us.
355
00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:39,600
I want you to read that before we start.
356
00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,960
Her assertion initially was
that he arrived around one o'clock
357
00:33:57,960 --> 00:33:59,040
with her there.
358
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,440
She then admitted that he didn't get there
till around four in the morning.
359
00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:14,680
Through witness interviews,
what we believe occurred that night was,
360
00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:17,720
{\an8}Mr. Hatcher and Danielle
got into a very heated argument.
361
00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:21,080
Several of the neighbors
had actually gone and complained
362
00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,240
to management about
the arguing in that apartment.
363
00:34:23,240 --> 00:34:26,280
And we... we believe
the argument continued from there on,
364
00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:28,320
and that's when
Jamel ended up shooting her.
365
00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:39,800
It was very frustrating to have
the prosecutor's office tell us
366
00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:41,200
we didn't have enough.
367
00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:44,600
We wanted Mr. Hatcher charged with murder
368
00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,840
because we learned
that Mr. Hatcher had been
369
00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:49,320
physically abusive
to Danielle in the past.
370
00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:51,760
He had kicked her.
371
00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:53,720
He was very demeaning to her
372
00:34:53,720 --> 00:34:57,400
and talked down to her
and was very controlling of her.
373
00:34:58,280 --> 00:34:59,920
That gave us a feeling
374
00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:04,040
that he was a very callous person
when it came to his baby's mother,
375
00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:06,120
and perhaps he didn't care for her
376
00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,880
as much as he liked
to make everybody believe he did.
377
00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:48,840
The last words I said to him
was that I curse you.
378
00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:53,720
For what you've taken from our family.
379
00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:58,720
{\an8}I hope that you are forever haunted
by the image of Danielle.
380
00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,680
{\an8}Because she loved you completely
381
00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:05,520
and unconditionally.
382
00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,000
And may you never find that again.
383
00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:31,960
She called me that day,
384
00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:34,200
the day that she had died.
385
00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:38,480
And she says to me,
386
00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:42,320
"Auntie, do you ever stop worrying
about your child?"
387
00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:45,760
And I said to her, "No, baby, you don't."
388
00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:49,600
It was an abusive relationship.
389
00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:56,000
And I was so happy thinking,
390
00:36:57,360 --> 00:36:58,600
"She gets it now."
391
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:02,280
"She's gonna leave him."
392
00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:07,880
And then when I hung up, I was happy.
393
00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:11,480
But I shouldn't have been happy.
394
00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,040
I should have gone over there.
395
00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:20,480
I should've picked her up.
396
00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:27,560
After Danielle was killed,
397
00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:29,360
he ran away
398
00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:31,720
and hid.
399
00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:36,080
{\an8}He left a baby.
400
00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:40,160
{\an8}His child.
401
00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:46,840
There was no anonymous phone call
402
00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:50,120
to the police, to our family.
403
00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:53,160
Nothing.
404
00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:58,000
So my sister and my nephew
have to walk in and find her,
405
00:37:58,720 --> 00:38:01,960
the baby crying,
and find... and find Danielle.
406
00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:08,560
- Why?
407
00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:12,120
Because he was too cowardly
to make an anonymous phone call?
408
00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:31,960
I want to be a beacon of
409
00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:35,840
that redemption is possible, right?
410
00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:40,000
A lot of things changed in my life.
411
00:38:40,720 --> 00:38:43,360
So I started reading certain books,
412
00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:46,800
like, on cognitive behavioral therapy
and things of that nature,
413
00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:49,880
and I was actually able
to grow into the leader
414
00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:51,600
that I actually'd always been.
415
00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:55,000
And through... through the Danielle Project,
416
00:38:55,000 --> 00:39:00,120
I'm actually helping to...
to switch people's mindsets, right?
417
00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:05,320
So I need to take this
418
00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:07,960
and be as impactful as possible,
419
00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,800
make it as big as possible,
because every time I do it
420
00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:13,640
is a celebration of Danielle, right?
421
00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:15,720
Every time I do it,
it's my way of keeping her alive,
422
00:39:15,720 --> 00:39:19,920
and invested in people
and being that role model for people.
423
00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:22,280
It helps me
to keep personally growing, right?
424
00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:34,640
I don't believe that.
I don't believe any of that.
425
00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:41,320
I didn't know that he was doing classes
named after Danielle.
426
00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:44,840
That seems like using her name
427
00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:46,800
for personal gain.
428
00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:50,760
I want to believe
everyone's capable of change,
429
00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:54,800
but I think he's gotten an education
on how to manipulate the system,
430
00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:56,840
courtesy of the state.
431
00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:09,560
My thoughts on him getting early release
and getting my family on board,
432
00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:11,600
I don't think that's okay at all.
433
00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:18,160
I totally believe that he is using them
434
00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:21,680
and that this is, uh,
some sort of manipulation.
435
00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:27,560
My parents believe
that it is important for healing.
436
00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:29,400
That is their journey.
437
00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:32,480
And my sister,
438
00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:35,480
she'll do what's necessary
to protect Chyanne
439
00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:37,520
and give her what she needs.
440
00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:08,680
This is where I am
with Jamel right now.
441
00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:16,520
Eighteen years ago,
I would have hunted him down
442
00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:19,320
and taken him out myself.
443
00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:23,840
But the only thing
that stopped me from doing that
444
00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:26,120
is my children and Chyanne.
445
00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:32,520
I can't tell people how to heal.
446
00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:37,040
Everybody heals on their own... time,
447
00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:39,520
and their own way.
448
00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:48,560
But I had to be able
to let go of some of the hatred I had.
449
00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:53,120
I felt that it was time to give up
450
00:41:54,240 --> 00:41:56,200
that diet of
451
00:41:57,520 --> 00:41:59,280
wanting revenge,
452
00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:01,720
wanting to hate.
453
00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:07,360
And I have to support Chyanne.
454
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:11,200
Because she wanted to put a face
to this person
455
00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:14,640
that now she knows as being her father.
456
00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:17,880
So I had to, um...
457
00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:24,040
deal with that.
458
00:42:44,040 --> 00:42:47,040
I know there's going to be
a million opinions around the world
459
00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:48,920
about my story.
460
00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:52,160
Some good, some bad.
But at the end of the day,
461
00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:55,920
I'm gonna be that great father.
I'm gonna be that great husband.
462
00:42:55,920 --> 00:42:59,520
I'm going to do the stuff
with the Danielle Project.
463
00:43:00,640 --> 00:43:01,800
That's all I can do.
464
00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:22,400
In terms of my release,
we're still waiting on the prosecution.
465
00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:26,800
It feels frustrating because
I feel I've done everything I can
466
00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:29,920
to prove that I'm ready
to be released early.
467
00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:37,960
Through our investigation,
we learned that Mr. Hatcher had been
468
00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:40,680
physically abusive
to Danielle in the past.
469
00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:45,520
And what we believe occurred that night
was they got into a very heated argument,
470
00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:48,160
and that's when
Jamel ended up shooting her.
471
00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:52,400
And he did a number of things to try
472
00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:54,960
to put up roadblocks in the investigation.
473
00:43:55,920 --> 00:43:59,520
He not only claimed
that he went to Ms. Harper's residence,
474
00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:02,400
but that he engaged in sexual activity
with her that evening.
475
00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:06,440
That... That told us a lot
about Mr. Hatcher.
476
00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:11,000
Okay.
477
00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:14,920
When you look at the situation, right,
478
00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:17,480
it doesn't look too good, right?
479
00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:23,000
I was definitely
verbally abusive to Danielle.
480
00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:27,960
I may have not been,
like, beating her, beating her, right?
481
00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:31,000
But if me and her get into it,
like, I would take her
482
00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:34,040
and hold her down on the bed
or maybe shake her or something like that,
483
00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:38,520
but make no mistake,
Danielle's death was an accident.
484
00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:41,240
I would have never killed her on purpose.
485
00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:46,960
In terms of me lying,
486
00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:49,640
on the day after Danielle's death,
487
00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:55,680
I was so high off of PCP
that I don't remember my first interview.
488
00:44:55,680 --> 00:45:00,480
But that night, I don't never remember
having sex with LaTanya.
489
00:45:05,680 --> 00:45:07,600
If something like that did happen...
490
00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:12,160
...that's terrible.
491
00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:14,680
That's terrible. Like I said, I was high,
492
00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,000
and I don't... I don't...
I don't... I don't know.
493
00:45:22,240 --> 00:45:26,280
I know after the fact I did
a whole bunch of unsavory stuff, right?
494
00:45:26,280 --> 00:45:27,840
Trying to cover it up, or whatever.
495
00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:31,360
But I didn't want to go to jail for life
496
00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:33,400
or get the death penalty
or something like that.
497
00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:36,120
So that's what I was hiding.
I was hiding the truth.
498
00:45:36,120 --> 00:45:38,320
I did it out of fear.
499
00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:46,440
He only cared about himself.
500
00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:49,040
After Danielle was killed,
501
00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:50,720
he ran away
502
00:45:50,720 --> 00:45:51,880
and hid.
503
00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:53,840
He left a baby.
504
00:45:54,680 --> 00:45:55,520
His child.
505
00:45:56,600 --> 00:45:58,800
There was no anonymous phone call.
506
00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:00,240
Nothing.
507
00:46:00,240 --> 00:46:03,920
So my sister and my nephew
have to walk in and find her.
508
00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:09,240
My thoughts on him getting early release
509
00:46:09,240 --> 00:46:11,480
and getting my family on board,
510
00:46:11,480 --> 00:46:13,520
I don't think that's okay at all.
511
00:46:14,720 --> 00:46:18,760
I totally believe that he is using them.
512
00:46:20,080 --> 00:46:23,800
I think he's gotten an education
on how to manipulate the system,
513
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:25,840
courtesy of the state.
514
00:46:30,720 --> 00:46:34,080
I can understand
where Monica's coming from.
515
00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:38,600
In hindsight, like, yes,
I was... I was absolutely wrong.
516
00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:40,880
I could have made an anonymous tip.
517
00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:44,240
But that was the last thing on my mind.
518
00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:46,960
I was... I was 19.
519
00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:49,080
I was... I was selfish.
520
00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:51,720
I was self-centered, right?
521
00:46:51,720 --> 00:46:54,560
And a lot of stuff that I...
A lot of stuff that I did,
522
00:46:54,560 --> 00:46:58,480
it probably was to... to save my own skin,
523
00:46:58,480 --> 00:47:04,360
save my own self, and I have to
dedicate my life to make amends for that.
524
00:47:14,320 --> 00:47:18,240
As far as me using the family
to secure early release...
525
00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:21,880
Me personally,
526
00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:24,760
I hadn't... I hadn't even
527
00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:27,840
considered the fact...
528
00:47:29,200 --> 00:47:30,520
Like, this is about
529
00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:33,360
the fact that I'm a father
who loves his daughter. All right?
530
00:47:33,960 --> 00:47:38,080
Monica is still in that place of pain
and skepticism, right?
531
00:47:39,880 --> 00:47:41,240
And I don't blame her.
532
00:47:42,240 --> 00:47:46,000
And yes, I have
a lot of negativity in my past,
533
00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:49,720
but onward has to be
my only direction, right?
534
00:47:51,640 --> 00:47:56,040
And with Melanie and my daughter
and the Jenkins' support,
535
00:47:56,040 --> 00:47:59,000
I'm going to do everything
that I said that I was going to do.
536
00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:03,040
And prove to the world time and time again
that I am who I say I am.
537
00:48:03,040 --> 00:48:06,120
And that my transformation is...
is legitimate.
538
00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:18,920
The first thought
that went through my head
539
00:48:18,920 --> 00:48:21,720
{\an8}was, "Damn, it would be
so much easier in life
540
00:48:21,720 --> 00:48:24,440
if I were to just kill her
and get this over with."
541
00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:27,640
I... I could have
made the choice to try to stop him.
542
00:48:27,640 --> 00:48:30,040
I could have made the choice to get help.
543
00:48:30,040 --> 00:48:32,800
I stabbed this guy one single time.
That was it.
544
00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:37,840
{\an8}One split second can determine
the rest of your life.
545
00:48:38,440 --> 00:48:43,000
How do you say "I'm sorry"
for taking away someone's loved one?
546
00:48:43,600 --> 00:48:46,880
He came to our house to kill our family.
547
00:48:47,560 --> 00:48:50,800
Oh, fuck.
This is where it's gonna get bad.
548
00:48:52,200 --> 00:48:55,440
He said, "Bro,
I've got these voices in my head."
549
00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:58,640
I'm out to kill any and every
motherfucker I can get my hands on.
550
00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:03,040
My only regret is that
I didn't finish what I started.
551
00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:05,480
People say, "You're a monster,"
552
00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:07,960
but nobody stops to think
what made us that way.
553
00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:14,200
I don't have remorse
for her being dead as a person.
554
00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:18,000
I just hate that it was...
...my dumb ass who did it.