My message from the grave to the judge and jurors at my murder trial- Chris Messina

I am dead but not by choice. Someone took my life. I wanted to live in peace as long as humanly possible. I enjoyed my life, my family and all of my friendships. I know we all have to die at some point but should we all have to die by someone elses hands as I did? I've never murdered anyone. I haven't had an easy life either. I do not know the background of my murderer but at this point in my life I've lived homeless as a teen, penniless and hungry for years. I've been robbed, even molested. My parents were very poor, fought as long as I knew them and divorced when I was 13, but only after my father went to prison for allegedly molesting my half-sister. My father beat me quite regularly. Both died before I was 27. In addition, I've been beaten up by whites and blacks with no provocation whatsoever. I've been told I have it easy because I'm a caucasion male but I know better. In spite of all the difficulties of my youth I made a fair and peaceful life for myself. I dropped out of high school but eventually got a high school equivalent and later a bachelor's degree in college. I successfully defended my country as a US Army soldier during the first Iraq conflict and recieved an honorable discharge. I've tried my hand at business with mixed success. I've had a family, I've taught Sunday school for preschoolers, I've painted paintings, I've written songs, I've written stories, I've invented products, I've helped friends. I've been told kids from difficult backgrounds such as mine are likely to become criminals and/or become like their parents. I didn't. In fact, just as I hear I've got it easy for being a caucasion male I also hear that I was bound to become an illiterate and possibly dangerous citizen. Perhaps those ideas are simply excuses, excuses I've never relied on. I'm certain my murderer's lawyer will argue his client deserves a free pass on my murder for whatever difficulties they've suffered.

As much as my life had it's difficulties I still enjoyed it/made the most of it and never wanted to die as I did. What right does anyone have to take my life? Some lawyers argue mentally incompetent people should be allowed at least one murder because they don't know what they're doing. By the same reasoning should I be allowed to murder at least one mentally incompetent person prior to them committing a murder 'just in case' they decide to act on that which they don't know what they're doing?

My point is there was not, is not and will never be a good reason to murder me. I didn't want to die and didn't deserve to. If trying to live peaceably or having something someone else wants is an excuse for murder then we've made one too many excuses at the cost of our mortal safety.

I believe capital punishment is just. Some argue that if we put murderers to death then we are just as guilty as murderers but I believe otherwise, for by keeping murderers alive we deprive victims of any equal compensation for their death. A murderer steals something they can never give back. If there is any balance in justice then the only way they can make up for what they've deprived innocent victims of is by forfeiting their own life. This idea may be argued upon but let's look at it this way. If I were alive and a family member's life were taken by my murderer I would want them to die for it. If a lawyer sucessfully argued otherwise and gave the criminal a life sentence I would kill that lawyer and every juror who voted to keep the guilty murderer alive. I believe my life and the life of my family is worth more than any murderers and I would murder anyone who would have it any other way. That said, the only fair balance is to put the murderer to death to stop this amount of murdering. Now, the fact is I'm dead so I can't murder anyone as my murderer has. But whose life is more valuable to society and why? Murderers or would be victims? Is your life more valuable? Not if you let my murderer live.


The fact is we can put my murderer to death or we may keep them alive, but don't fool yourself. Keeping a murderer alive is not without cost. At the time of this writing the country pays roughly $40,000 per year to keep every prisoner alive. Which is to say we are not putting the same money toward helping the handicapped, helping the elderly, or even helping at risk youth who are suceptible toward a criminal lifestyle. Keeping a murderer alive is a decision to take money from all these ideas and others to support a murderer for life. That is not justice to the living, much less the victims.

Some argue that a life time of imprisonment is worse than death. Some believe the punishments exacted by other prisoners (i.e. 'bubba', homosexual rape, beatings, etc.) are an equal punishment for the crimes commited. I believe that all of this is just the kind of merciless, sick thinking which is counter productive to justice. Why bestow upon anyone a cruel, humiliated existance for the rest of their days and what good can come from such a system? Life is cruel enough. I don't believe a murderer needs to be put through a long, cruel prison term until they die. By this reasoning I believe capital punishment IS more merciful than a life sentence. Let it be known that the only fair sentence I believe my murderer should recieve is the death penalty or to be completely set free, because they are completely innocent. Anything in between is a compromise and has nothing to do with justice. If I could have a true say in the process I would ask that any juror who votes to not put my murderer to death would have to have this murderer live with them under their gaurdianship with full responsibility and financial support for life. When we send the problem away we ignore the problem and this is exactly what has gone on too long in this country.

Anyone has the right to fully disagree with my opinion, but I wish my opinion is clearly acknowledged by my jurors, lawyers and judge without any question regarding my stance on capital punishment. I fully support it and wish for it to be applied to my murderer as I, the victim of a murder, find it both just and merciful.

Signed,
Christopher L. Messina, murdered.

Blog Purpose

Dead men tell no tales, or so it is said, but the fact is some do. Many leave behind wills, some leave behind works that are discovered posthumously which may or may not recieve attention and interest and some leave clues to secrets they probably wouldn't want revealed if given teh chance. Perhaps it is better said dead people don't tell the entire tale they would prefer to.

I have a living will. It is very clear about who gets what and what to do with my body. I like the idea that it has some measure of law behind it should anyone ever dispute the wishes regarding what (very little) property I may leave behind. Some would say that as long as you have this and a good life insurance policy then you're about as ready to go for the afterlife as you might, but there is one detail I would like to have a say about after I die. I would like to talk to the judge and jury of my murderer should I have been murdered.

Yes, being murdered is a grisly thing to think about but the fact is it happens. What bothers me most about it is how the true victim has absolutely no say in the trial of their murderer. Usually the people discussing the case are not the (alleged) perpetrator and actual victim, but a couple of lawyers, judge and supposed 'peers' of the person on trial. True, I'm uncertain how many people are true 'peers' of murderers other than those found in prison but let's not get sidetracked by the absurdities and shortcommings of legal logic.

What say in the trial does the victim get? Is it possible to set up some legal document admissible in such a trial, at least in terms of sentencing? Shouldn't we consider this if we live in a country with such a high murder rate? As I am unable to exact any kind of justice or revenge from the grave I can only hope this blog will express those things which should be considered our rights as victims, should we be unfortunate to become one. My hope is to get others to tell that possible jurror exactly what they expect as a victim rather than be handed some pathetic legal arguement removed from the real victim. Perhaps, should this blog grow, we could see a law supporting this idea.