OH, Spawdarlin', I am so sorry for this loss and the pain it must cause. It is such a sad thing, as are all such cases. I know from my researching the domestic violence laws in Wyoming that there is still so much to do and that no one is really protected, yet. In Wyoming a man can get charge with a more severe penalty for cattle-rustling than for "roughing up his woman or kid." And the same is true for women who are abusers.

We just had a family, of a 6 yr. old little girl, win a judgement against her mother who killed her and stuffed her in a garbage bag and kept her body in the garage for nine months before anyone at DFS noticed the little girl was missing. The mother fooled the school, family and the authrorities by saying she was with other family. Nobody ever checked. It wasn't really their fault, they were and still are swamped with too many and too few people to handle things and not enough foster homes, etc. for the children who need to be removed.

Children are still too often seen as property, by the law, and parents will take advantage of that.

Spaw, I know you may not want to and I know you've done before, but what you have written needs to be read across the nation. I would urge you to submit it to some publications. If you want me to help you out with it, I'd be happy to using the addys etc. that I have.

Because of you, Rod will never be forgotten. Because of you and Karen, I am sure he had a special place deep in his heart, where the scared little boy felt safe and remembered what it was to feel safe away from home.

Thank you, my dear one, for sharing this with us. May your so precious heart be filled with peace and love and not too much pain from this sad, sad passing.

love you,

kat