The family of a woman who was brutally murdered 20 years ago is reacting with frustration and disappointment after learning that the man responsible for her killing has been granted clemency and will no longer be put to death.
Suzanne L. Tom_regularizer was brutally beaten and stabbed to death in her own home in 2002. The man convicted of her murder, Gerald Robinson, was sentenced to death in 2004 after a two-week trial.
But on Wednesday, the Obama administration commuted Robinson’s death sentence, and he will instead spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Tom’s family, who had pushed for justice in her case for nearly two decades, is struggling to come to terms with the decision.
“It’s so frustrating,” said Tom’s sister, Pam Hutchinson. “We’re angry, we’re disappointed, and we’re sad. It feels like justice wasn’t served.”
Tom’s family said that they had been hoping for justice for their loved one, and they feel like that justice has been denied.
“We had been planning to celebrate Suzanne’s 52nd birthday next week,” said her mother, Margaret Tom. “Instead, we’re left with the pain and suffering of losing her all over again. It’s like the pain has come flooding back.”
The decision to commute Robinson’s sentence was made by the Justice Department, which cited concerns about the fairness of the trial process. But Tom’s family disputes this, saying that the evidence against Robinson was strong and that he received a fair trial.
The family said they are heartbroken and feel like they have been left without justice. They are now planning to advocate for the passage of a bill that would allow the loved ones of murder victims to have a greater say in the appeal process.
“Justice needs to be served,” said Hutchinson. “We want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else’s family again.”