[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 156 (Wednesday, December 7, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H11183-H11184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       JUSTICE FOR MURDER VICTIMS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, Kenneth Lee Boyd committed a violent and 
vicious crime on the evening of March 4, 1988, in North Carolina. On 
that night, Boyd armed himself with a .357 Magnum pistol and committed 
cold-blooded murder against members of his very own family.
  On that evening, Boyd picked up his children from his father-in-law's 
home and told the boys they were going for pizza. But that was a lie. 
With the pistol sitting in the seat of the car between Boyd and his 
children, he went back to his father-in-law's home, a place where his 
estranged wife was staying.
  His 13-year-old son, Christopher, sensing something was up, tried to 
hide that pistol. And when Boyd pulled up to his father-in-law's 
driveway, Christopher, frightened, jumped from the car and ran to warn 
his grandparents and his mother.
  Boyd then approached the house and began his shocking shooting spree. 
He first shot and killed his father-in-law, Thomas Curry, through the 
door. He then found his estranged wife in the doorway of her bedroom. 
He shot her several times and then went outside and reloaded his murder 
weapon, came back and shot her some more. In the end, it was decided 
Julie Boyd was shot a total of eight times.
  Boyd went back outside, shot some more, and this time at his brother-
in-law, Craig Curry, who was moving Boyd's children and a nephew to a 
wooded area to safety. The bullet missed Craig, who was trying to hide 
in the woods.
  Boyd then returned to the home, called 911, informed the operator he 
had just killed his wife and father-in-law and told them to come get 
him. When the police arrived, he surrendered.
  Last week, finally, Kenneth Boyd became the 1,000th execution to take 
place in the United States since the Supreme Court allowed the death 
penalty to resume in 1976. Last week, Kenneth Boyd was finally punished 
for his sins and crimes that he committed over 17 years ago.

[[Page H11184]]

  Last week, when justice was served, the weak-kneed do-gooders and 
media had a heyday. Headlines surfaced and everyone focused on the 
number 1,000. Boyd was portrayed as a martyr. If the media was so gung 
ho keeping score, why did very few of them also report the number 
558,000?
  Mr. Speaker, this higher number is the total number of murder victims 
since the ruling in 1976. That is 558,000 people murdered by killers 
here in the United States. And who is carrying the torch for their 
cause? We continuously hear about the murderers, but we hear very 
little about the victims of crime.
  Mr. Speaker, as a former judge and prosecutor, I have witnessed 
firsthand how victims are being treated in the justice system. Being a 
victim is a terrifying and unforgettable nightmare; then to become a 
victim at the hands of the criminal justice system is shameful, 
especially in a system that claims to have justice for all. The first 
duty of government must be to protect its citizens and victims, and 
victims should never be ignored to the benefit of criminals.
  A Federal judge in Houston is now playing his role in overlooking the 
victims of crime as well. In June 1994, Charles Raby was sentenced to 
death for the 1992 slaying of 72-year-old Edna Franklin. Her throat was 
slit twice, her ribs were broken, and her body was stabbed numerous 
times with a knife. Charles Raby is currently on death row waiting to 
be executed, but he has filed another lawsuit challenging the 
constitutionality of lethal injection on the grounds it is cruel and 
unusual punishment.
  U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes recently denied a motion by the State 
Attorney General to dismiss Raby's ridiculous claim, and now he will be 
given access to State documents and employees to try to prove this 
worthless claim. This man brutally killed a 72-year-old woman with a 
knife and Judge Hughes is concerned his execution may be painful. Where 
was this Federal judge when Edna Franklin was brutally executed? This 
ought not to be.
  Mr. Speaker, victims deserve to be treated better than this. We as a 
culture must not stand by and do nothing while those 558,000 were 
murdered and others hurt in our country. We must support victims of 
crime, and we must make sure the criminals who commit crimes against 
them pay for those acts of violence.
  There are too many victims who cannot stand up for their own rights, 
and so it is up to us as concerned citizens, justice officials, public 
policymakers, and Members of this Congress to stand up for the rights 
of every homicide victim in this Nation to honor their memories through 
action. By continuing our commitment to helping the families and 
friends of murdered victims, and promoting a crime policy that ensures 
a place at the table of justice for them, we honor those lives that 
were stolen by senseless violence.
  The theme of the 2005 National Crime Victims Week put it best: 
Justice is not served until crime victims are. That is just the way it 
is.

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