To The Family of Juli Busken.
Much has been made of my effort to save the life of Anthony Sanchez. I do not apologize for such work. Indeed, I believe that the message of Jesus compels me to such work. From the beginning, I told Sanchez that I would do everything in my power to save his life and that if I failed, I would be there to pray with him as he died. Though my work is unquestionably centered around Sanchez, that hasn’t meant that I haven’t thought of you consistently throughout this process. Contrary to what my detractors might claim, I am not a monster. On the contrary, I am a flawed human trying to do the best I can to cling to what I believe in the middle of an incredibly flawed world. Such beliefs teach me that I cannot work to save Sanchez without constantly praying for you and remembering your incredible daughter, Juli. One of the things that I’ve learned about working with guys on death row, is that you can’t hide from the horror. The business of killers and killing is always going to be horrific. That is, unless someone dares to stop it. How can we stop the killing? By stopping the killing.
I’m sure it’s apparent by now that I don’t believe that Anthony Sanchez killed your daughter. None of the sketches look anything like him, especially the joint sketch that looks almost identical to Anthony Sanchez’s dad Glen. Feet don’t grow at astronomical rates, the footprint of the murderer was a size 9 not the size 11 that Anthony Sanchez wears. None of the physical evidence found in the car matches Anthony Sanchez, not the fingerprints, hairs or skin fragments. DNA analyst Melissa Keith’s testimony in prior testimony contradicts the testimony that she gave in court. Our private tests have repeatedly shown that there is absolutely no way that Anthony Sanchez is the killer of your daughter. Of course, there is also the fact that Glen confessed to the crime on at least three different occasions. I would continue, but I imagine that you’ve already been repeatedly told that I am (we are) full of it. That’s ok. I have no doubt that you can figure out what the truth is on your own. More and more information seems to be coming in by the moment. Those who have eyes to see will see.
Honestly, I’m most interested in sharing with you that Juli Busken is as much a part of our work as Anthony Sanchez is. For so many of us who have worked on Anthony Sanchez’s behalf, we have left incredibly touched by her life and spirit. Nobody wants to dishonor the life of Juli Busken. I want to make that perfectly clear. The truth is, we (I) want to honor her by making sure that the killing stops. Whether you believe that Anthony Sanchez killed your daughter or not, you could demand that the killing stop…you could tell the authorities to stand down.
In the coming months, we will be out in public in a variety of ways, I’m writing to ask you to stand with us…to stand with me. So that jointly, we can look at the State of Oklahoma and declare, “You who are without sin cast the first stone.” That is the path that feels most like the path that Jesus traveled to me. Regardless of what you choose, know that you will forever inhabit my prayers. May we all keep the faith in these difficult times.
The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood
Spiritual Advisor, Anthony Sanchez
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