USCG PO3 Amy Ignatowski Murder Case

[BuoyJumper]

He should have gotten 99 years.

I understand where you're coming from Jo especially with your cousin Angela having been murdered.  That's a terrible loss for your family.  I know that has to be grief and hurt talking as much as anything.

I have to say however in getting to know Amy's Aunt Jenni (her father's sister) just a little bit through this terrible ordeal, I don't think Amy would have wanted a sentence as severe as what you have suggested that would most likely have been appealed.  The emotional and financial strains on her family were unimaginable having to travel back and forth from Michigan to Corpus Christi for the trial.  To have dragged that out through appeals would have just caused her family that much more trauma and grief.  

From what I have learned from those who knew "Iggy" and from her Aunt Jenni she was such a happy, upbeat type of person she would have wanted this tragedy to be over as quickly as possible for the sake of her family so that they could begin to move on.  However they will never get over it.  They will never get over what might have been had Amy lived and had a family of her own.  The future course has been forever altered for her family.

They'll never get over her murder any more than I have gotten over the murder of my Dad.  Had my father not been murdered things would have turned out much differently for my three children and three grandchildren.  For one, we wouldn't be living in Texas and I would have retired an E7, E8 or E9 I am sure as that was what I had intended when I enlisted.  I would now be a retired Coastie living in NJ and running our family business SERVO-TEK with my son David gradually taking over the presidency.  We would still be keeping our family cabin cruiser at the Seaside Park Yacht Club at the Jersey shore.  But that murder changed the lives of three generations and more to come.  That's why I say you never get over something like this but you learn to live with it and move on.          

[cowsrmom]

Once the trial was over and we all knew that the man was convicted, a different kind of fear took over for a while.  We all were fearful of how we would feel NOW.  Would anything get better?  Would our family be starting out from where we left off when we knew Amy had died but didn't know she had been murdered?  Robin, her mom said as much to me.  But the dank scent of fear gradually left us and was replaced by a tighter sense of belonging to each other.  We say "I love you" all the time.  We hug more, we laugh more, we do a lot of cool things we wouldn't have done otherwise.  We tell each other to be careful because we know what can happen.

Whether the guy got 30 years or life, didn't really matter as long as it was over.  Her murderer was convicted by Mr. & Mrs. Everyday Person and I trust that those folks listened very hard and followed their innate longing for truth in this verdict.  I am satisfied that justice won.  I still have hope that this man will realize some day the consequences of his actions and will be sorrowful for someone else besides himself. (for instance his father, sister, mother, his friends, my family) I hope that he will ask to be forgiven.   Only that would come close to the proper penance for killing a human being; he needs to feel the responsibility for his act and face ALL the consequences. No amount of time would serve better.

This weekend, my oldest daughter, Rachel will celebrate her marriage to one of Amy's best friends, Geoffery who went through AMT training with Amy.  Amy knew they would be a perfect match for each other.  She looked out for her own and was always careful to steer her family out of harm's way or come to help when she was needed.

So anyone who has ever suffered a loss so huge, as has Ron and his family, please hold on and look up because if you can do that, you will replace the sadness and the loss of trust and hope with LOVE, the Author of life.

I'll drink a champagne toast for you, Ron, your family...and one for all of Amy's Coast Guard family as well.  God bless the Coast Guard; friendliest branch of the military!  Thank you!

[BuoyJumper]

Jenni ... Great to hear from you and congrats on your daughter Rachel's wedding and having another Coastie in the family.  I can just see Amy looking down and grinning from ear to ear with that huge smile that just lit up her face.


Thanks for the champagne toast ... back at ya Jenni for your daughter's wedding ..

[JekelKat]

I guess its just gets me because 30 = 15. If he was away for 30 years? Maybe... but possibility of 15 just doesn't seem severe enough.

I'm glad the family is moving on, and able to love the memories instead of fearing them.

I only hope the scumbag that took my cousin away gets life in prison without the possibility of every seeing the real life again.

[cowsrmom]

Thanks Ron!!!!   Happy trails...

....and Jo.....I'm so sorry to hear that your cousin was murdered.  Nobody understands that kind of anger and hurt and loss of innocence you may be feeling except others who have experienced the same thing.  I watched my son Frank, who was almost like a twin to Amy they were so close, become depressed an filled with anger over the murder of his cousin.  I could do nothing but answer his phone calls and listen to him talk about it.  It's only been since May of this year that he's been able to focus properly on something other than his feelings of anger and hopelessness.
Please take heart in knowing that someday you will be able to go on and not feel that kind of crushing anger every day.  The hurt and pain doesn't diminish but somehow you're given the strength to move.  I wish you peace!