Occasionally, God grants us serendipitous encounters the synchronicity of which cannot be denied. Such was the case when Lindsey Barnett stopped to speak to me after an incredibly traumatic experience for us both, the execution of Scott Eizember. You see, I was on one side of the glass and she was on the other. My job was to comfort Eizember in his final moments. Her job was to witness the execution of the man who killed her grandparents, A.J. and Patsy Cantrell. There is no reason that we should be friends. As fate should have it, we should be mortal enemies. Yet, ours is a God that makes a way out of no way. It is with that belief that I write.
There is no doubt that Scott Eizember killed The Cantrells. There is no doubt that it was brutal.
Upon finding out that Eizember killed her grandparents, Lindsey was given the unenviable task of informing the rest of her family. As the days played out, Lindsey recounted the repeated failures of the police and prosecutors to properly secure and process the crime scene. While such a fact wouldn’t change the conclusion that Eizember killed The Cantrells, it would serve a greater interest than the simple prosecution of a criminal, truth. To this day, Lindsey doesn’t feel like she knows the totality of what happened. Due at least in part, to prosecutors repeatedly encouraging her to, “shut your fucking mouth.” Recounting a variety of instances, Lindsey recalled seeing different facts than were presented at trial. Again, not necessarily facts that would change the conclusion that Eizember killed her grandparents. When the outcome is predetermined, justice is no longer blind. Pushing back against prosecutors and their supporters during the original investigation, began a long process of intimidation and judicial misconduct that continues to this day.
Fast forward to the present, Lindsey Barnett is by no means perfect. She is on her third marriage, with a long-term relationship with a woman situated between. I’ve encountered her as a hopeless romantic. Someone that despite a variety of setbacks, still believes in the possibilities of love. The great center of her life is her children. This is where the long process of intimidation and judicial misconduct has consistently reared its ugly head.
Despite significant proof of spousal abuse in previous marriages, repeatedly Lindsey has had to go to the same courthouse where Eizember was tried to fight for custody of her four children. This is the consequence of questioning the judicial process…constantly being forced to fight for the people you care about most. Despite having full custody of her two oldest children, Lindsey is presently under a no contact order with her youngest two children…even though she was never served or notified that such a hearing for was taking place. Let me make it clear, one judge in the same courthouse declared her a perfectly fit parent for her two oldest kids and another took away her right to even speak with her two youngest kids. Not surprisingly, the no-contact order was put in place when Lindsey began to ask questions during the last few months before Eizember’s execution. When I asked her why she thought all of this was happening her, she replied, “I didn’t keep my fucking mouth shut.”
I have no doubt that The Cantrells would have never wanted to see their granddaughter and great-grandchildren treated like this. Those who perpetuate the injustices that are taking place against Lindsey or even those who refuse to help her navigate this difficult time are enemies of The Cantrells and all that have claimed to love them.
To me, this is the problem with the death penalty. When you put all your focus on trying to kill someone, you forget what it means to care for the living.
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