In July 2007 my father and my brother were at home in their house in Woodlawn, TN. My dad was upstairs in the office when he heard noises outside, and decided to investigate. He went outside and there was a truck stopped a the mailbox. He got within 10-13 feet of the truck when he saw a man and a woman in the truck and the woman in the yelled to him, "Call 911! My husband has a gun to my head!" My dad took off running toward the house. He ran through the garage, closed the garage door and called 911. During this time the woman who shouted out to him was murdered. Two cars pulled up behind the truck and saw the man trying to pull her back into the truck. The man then took off running in the woods behind my parent's house.
One of the people that pulled up behind the truck had a young girl with him, and my dad told the man the girl could come inside and play with my brother while they were talking to the police. Somewhere during this time, my dad called my mom to let her know what was going on, and let her know that the road to their home was blocked off. After calling a few people to see if she could go to their house to wait, my mother was overcome by the feeling that she needed to go home. She drove down Lylewood Road until she reached the bend in the road two houses up from theirs where police officers were turning cars around. The police officer came up to my mother's car and told her she would have to turn around. My mother said, "No! I know what happened. I know she's been killed. It happened at the end of my driveway and my son is inside without either of his parents because you're interviewing my husband. Please get me home!" They let her park in a neighbor's driveway and escorted he home.
The woman who was killed that night was Pamela Cooper.
My father tells me he still sees her face all the time. He also blames himself that he did not save her, that he did not do more for her. I cannot imagine how that could feel. I honestly believe he did all he could. The coroner's report said that Ms. Cooper was shot 11 times. Obviously Andrew Cooper was in the furthest place from his "right mind" that night, and who's to say he wouldn't have killed my dad? My heart has been aching for my dad through this because I know that he's been struggling with it so much. There hasn't been anything that anyone has said to him that could make him feel any less hurt in wishing that he could have done more and maybe saved her life.
This was the first time in my life that I ever saw my dad vulnerable, and he most certainly had every right to be. When I think of my dad, I think of all of his strength and integrity. I still think he is strong and has unmatched integrity, but it was so foreign to see him like this. For almost two years he has been interviewed and had to see pictures of Ms. Cooper that have haunted him. For the first time in my life I felt like roles were reversed. I wanted to protect my dad like he's protected me for so many years, but I felt like nothing I could do or say would make him feel any better. I think dad also struggled with the fact that for almost two years, Andrew Cooper said he was not guilty. My dad knew the truth. He saw his face last night and knew that other than Cooper, he was the last one to see Pam alive.
Friday morning I was listening to the radio when I heard that the trial for Andrew Cooper was going to begin on Monday. I called my mother and asked how my dad was doing. She said, "He's ok. He knows what he has to do." I told her I would call dad that weekend, but for some reason I could not bring myself to do it. It was extremely selfish of me, but I knew that once I was on the phone with him I would start crying. It's so hard knowing what my dad has had to go through and the pain he's carried with him since that night. I decided not to call.
Monday morning I was listening to a Rebecca St. James CD and the song that was playing was "Quiet You With My Love". It was my Ah-ha! moment. I got all choked up and started crying. I felt like there was a warmth all over me and turned the radio off and began to pray. I said, "God, I don't know what is supposed to happen today. I don't have a clue, but I need you right now. Lord please give Ms. Cooper's family and my father your peace today. He wishes terribly he would have done more. Lord please help him to know that he did all he could and guide him through his testimony today. Let him know that he is still helping her, even today. I don't know your will for this trial, but I just pray that it be done. Thank you so much."
Two hours later I pulled up the website for The Leaf Chronicle. The headline was "Cooper pleads guilty to murder minutes before trial". I had to read it six or seven times because I was in disbelief! All I could think to say was, "You sure answered me quickly!" I couldn't believe it. I was so grateful. I instantly thanked God and started tearing up all over again. That warmth I felt in the car was covering me and I knew the wounds Ms. Cooper's family and my dad were feeling were going to begin to heal. Even just typing this now I feel so overwhelmed with emotion. I called my parent's house on my lunch break that day and my mom was so overjoyed she was in tears. It finally felt like some healing could begin. I thank God for His grace, His peace and His love. It did all make sense when I thought about it later. He pleads guilty and receives a sentence of life in prison plus 25 years for especially aggravated kidnapping. The New Testament tells us that we are no longer supposed to take "an eye for an eye". I know that this is God's will. If Andrew Cooper doesn't make himself right with God and accept Jesus as his Lord and savior, his punishment will be more than the courts could ever give him.
This situation did prove to me how much God does listen, even when we think he doesn't. Sometimes it's a matter of the timing, and we become impatient. In this case he answered almost instantly, but I am sure the family of Ms. Cooper as well as my dad have been praying for a resolution for almost two years. It came in the form of a guilty plea on Monday, April 20, 2009. Praise God!
No comments:
Post a Comment