[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14864]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       JUSTICE FOR ASHTON GLOVER

  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, ``humorous,'' ``outgoing,'' ``warm-hearted,'' 
``devout.''
  These are a few words to describe 16-year-old Ashton Glover, words 
that came instantly to those who knew her best and loved her.
  Ashton had the world at her fingers. She was entering Clements High 
School for her final year and then wanted to attend Texas A&M 
University to become a veterinarian. She was born in Lufkin, Texas, and 
she was proud of her country roots, and she held on to them. She now 
lived in the small town of Sugar Land, Texas, outside of Houston.
  She was a self-described tomboy. Ashton proudly held an officer 
position with the Future Farmers of America, and she preferred the 
outdoors and being among nature.
  Ashton was a devout Christian. When not with the First Colony Church 
of Christ Youth Group, she was always willing to help those less 
fortunate or those in need. She was always there to provide advice to 
friends or give a simple hug to those in pain. She thought her mission 
on Earth was to help people.
  A room instantly illuminated with Ashton's presence. Those who knew 
her stated they were the lucky ones. They were able to share in 
everything that Ashton was.
  Those who knew her, however, did not know that two other students, 
with hearts full of malice and souls fatally bent on mischief, were 
plotting to steal the life of Ashton.
  On July 7 Ashton met up with two 18-year-old students to go 
``mudding.'' As you know, Mr. Speaker, that is something we do in the 
South, driving trucks through muddy fields. It was the type of activity 
that appealed to this fun-loving girl.
  Little did Ashton know that these two scoundrels had no plans to go 
``mudding'' with her. Their sinister intentions were not revealed until 
it was too late for her to escape. They took Ashton to a dark, deserted 
construction site, away from the security of Sugar Land, Texas. Away 
from those who loved her. Away from the safety of her home. And they 
executed her gangland style.
  No reason. No argument. No justification. Just what one murderer 
called ``a morbid curiosity'' to see what would happen, to see what she 
looked like when we shot her in the back of the head.
  These two teenage terrors, feeling no remorse or human compassion, 
left Ashton to die there in the heap of garbage while they went over to 
IHOP for breakfast.
  Mr. Speaker, there is something evil and cold about people who kill 
someone and then go and have a hearty breakfast.
  After they were through eating their pancakes, they came back and 
buried her in a shallow grave. They went home and slept off the night's 
atrocity, while her family had nightmares of where Ashton was.
  When Ashton's body was located by police, the outlaws decided to run 
in the darkness of the night. They fled north to Canada, but they did 
not run fast enough or hard enough. They were caught at the U.S.-
Canadian border after police typed their names into the national 
criminal database.
  This tragic and unspeakable crime hits close to my heart. As a father 
of four and grandfather of five, no father wants to lose a child in the 
fullness of youth. As a former prosecutor and judge, I believe in 
justice. And there must be justice, Mr. Speaker.
  Justice for a young girl who had a full and rewarding life ahead of 
her, who was murdered just so a couple of cowardly cunning criminals 
could see what it looked like to kill somebody, when a young girl took 
her last gasping breath. There must be justice for her family and her 
friends who must now endure life without her.
  These two killers must also get some justice, Mr. Speaker. Justice is 
getting what one deserves. These teens will no doubt cry and whine for 
mercy, but justice must rule the day. Justice for these two demons who 
brutally executed a young Ashton and extinguished a bright light in 
this world.
  Some individuals will now argue that these two 18-year-olds should be 
treated with compassion because of their age. Mr. Speaker, these two 
killers were macho enough to violently end the life of a young girl 
just to see the results. They should be macho enough to accept the 
punishment in the penitentiary, where they belong.
  Victims should not be discriminated against based upon the age of the 
offender. As King Solomon was once quoted as saying, ``Justice will 
only be achieved when those who are not injured by crime feel as 
indignant as those who are.''
  And, Mr. Speaker, that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________