We, the comrades of Unit 1012: The
VFFDP, will remember Jill Frey who was murdered by Walter Storey on February 2,
1990. Justice was served 25 years later on February 11, 2015 when he was
executed by lethal injection in Missouri.
We promise to remember Jill Frey on
her birthday on February 24 every year. We also recommend cutting down appeals
of the death row inmate as it wastes too much time, the justice system needs to
learn from the execution of the D.C Sniper and Michael William Lenz where
they were executed from at least 6 to 7 years from crime to execution. We can
also learn from these two victims, Huang Na (Singapore) and Ibolya Ryan
(United Arab Emirates) where their killers were executed two years and 7 months
respectively after their crime.
Let us hear this victim impact
statement from her brother, Jeff Frey:
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Victim: Special education teacher Jill Frey,
pictured, was brutally beaten and had her throat slit by Storey in 1990 at her
St Charles, Missouri home
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Statement of Jeff Frey, brother of Jill Frey, read during
the press briefing following the execution of Walter Timothy Storey:
First of all, we would like to thank the
tireless efforts of the law enforcement officers, Richard Plummer, Michael
Miller and Joe Dresselhaus along with Victims Advocate Brenda Porter, who was
our family’s and especially our mother’s steady support through the years, and
Kimberly Evans, the Victim Services Coordinator for Mo. Department of Corrections
who has offered all her time and support preparing for today. Also to Gov.
Nixon and Atty. General Koster for staying the course, upholding and fighting
for victim’s rights, and supporting the people’s choice for the death penalty
My attempt to give a brief statement about
this event and the past 25 years can never explain the overall effect this
senseless and brutal murder has had on so many people. Jill was a tremendous
person, daughter, sister, aunt, godmother, cousin, teacher and friend.
To go back 25 years (almost to the day) when
we received the tragic news, to what has taken us through three trials
over the next 10 years, then waiting another 15 years for the courts to
set an execution date has needless to say had an undeniable impact on Jill’s
family and friends. Over this period of time several of our family members have
passed away including both our mother and father. From the outset, this
tragedy took its toll on our father. He passed away shortly after the 3rd trial
and unfortunately his quality of life went from bad to worse beginning that
dreadful day of Feb. 5th, 1990 when he lost his oldest daughter. Our
mother passed away in 2011— six months after we finally received the news that
the US Supreme Court denied his final appeal.
Mom and Dad’s life, for the most part,
reverted to following every step of the case hoping to find closure to this sad
and devastating ordeal. Mom compiled over 10 binders which stacked three-feet
tall of everything related to the three trials, countless appeals, hearings and
opinions, etc. After Dad’s death, Mom devoted the rest of her life to seeing
this through. She was always fearful this animal would be freed to kill another
innocent woman.
Just to give you a rundown of what our family
had to endure over the past 25 years…
1.
Feb. 5,
1990… the tragic news
2.
1991…initial
trial…convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, second-degree
burglary and tampering with evidence… Sentenced to death.
3.
1995…Mo.
Supreme Court affirmed the convictions but reversed and remanded the death
penalty sentence due to ineffective counsel.
4.
1997…Second
jury trial and again the sentence was the death penalty.
5.
Mo. Supreme
Court again reversed and remanded the death sentence because the trial judge
failed to properly instruct the jury.
6.
1999…Third
jury trial again recommended the death sentence.
7.
2000…
Our father passes away after 10 years of pain and suffering.
8.
2001…Mo.
Supreme Court affirmed the death penalty.
9.
2010…US
8th District Court rejected all appeals.
10. 2011…Finally!
The US Supreme Court denied all appeals.
11. 2011… Six
months later our mother passed away without achieving her goal of seeing this
through.
12. 2015… Feb.11th
– the time has come and now passed.
13. Jill was buried
on Feb. 9, 1990. 25 years and two days ago.
We know Jill, Mom, Dad, and all of our family
and friends are relieved that this is finally over and justice has been served.
Unfortunately, we have had to endure and suffer through all the countless
delays and re-trials when there was absolutely no doubt that two days after
this brutal murder took place they had the right guy — a guy that we can truly call
a terrorist.
It is sad that the courts play politics and
protect murderers when surveys show that from 60-70 percent of Americans
support the death penalty. But the system allowed this terrorist to beat it for
25 years. It is sad all the lawsuits and dollars wasted over the drugs used in
carrying out these executions. The people of the State of Missouri like the
majority of states have voted for the death penalty. So, why are we arguing
over what is cruel and unusual punishment — of a murderer, of a terrorist? Why
do we continue to allow the argument about the secretive process of obtaining
and using lethal injection drugs? Is it because this process might cause a
brutal murderer to suffer a painful death? What is a painful death? What is
cruel and unusual punishment? Is it a twitch of a finger? Is it a squinting of
an eyelid? Is it a curling of a savage killer’s toes, or maybe violent tremors
of the body for several minutes? Or is cruel and unusual punishment when a man
breaks into a woman’s home in the middle of the night while she is in bed,
proceeds to brutally beat and assault her, break six ribs, hit her in the face
and head 12 times suffering injuries to her forehead, nose, cheek, scalp, lips,
tongue and even her eyelid torn off? She had defensive wounds to her arms and
hands, abrasions to her knee, a six-inch stab wound to the abdomen, and four
internal impact injuries to her head all before she lost consciousness! What is
cruel and unusual punishment? Is it a minimum of 20 blows to Jill’s body before
cutting her throat to her spine? Jill died of blood loss and asphyxiation from
not one but two six-inch cuts across her throat, cutting through both of her
jugular veins, her airway, her esophagus and into her spine. If not enough, he
then threw her off the bed and stomped on her so hard it broke her shoulder
blade. Along with all of the evidence, blood, finger prints, etc. — a deep
shoeprint stamped into Jill’s night shirt and back. The shoes were found under
his bed.
What is cruel and unusual punishment? Is it a
little sting that we get when the IV needle goes in the arm or the burning
sensation when the drug is flowing into the veins? Or is it going back into the
victim’s apartment the next day, trying to wipe everything down of all
fingerprints, and even using her own toothbrush to clean under her fingernails
because while struggling for her life Jill took fingernails full of skin from
his chest. What is cruel and unusual punishment? We just witnessed a terrorist
close his eyes and go to sleep! Now, let’s remember the kind of death Jill
experienced. This guy had choices many times through that dreadful night. He
could have stolen the keys, the money and left. But, to have a knife with him
and do what he decided to do, he has now paid the price for those choices.
Everyone makes decisions in their life and unfortunately that night his choice
was to end Jill’s life in the most brutal fashion. Why are we so concerned
about cruel and unusual punishment when executing a brutal murderer? This guy
had no mercy on Jill but now we are expected to have mercy on him.
Jill did not deserve this brutal attack. She
made all the right choices in her short life of 36 years. She dedicated her
life to special needs children and their families. Her goal was to
mainstream special needs children into a regular classroom. She always
volunteered for Easter Seals camps, Special Olympics and several other related
organizations.
Jill has a memorial scholarship in her honor
presented every year to a senior at Highland High School in Highland, Illinois.
A memorial garden was built at United Services in St Charles, Missouri, where
Jill was teaching before her death. An annual memorial leadership award is
presented to a Special Olympic athlete in her name. Jill also received several awards
while living her dream and applying herself to the fullest in her profession.
One that meant much to her was being named the “Outstanding Young Educator” by
the Illinois Jaycees. But most of all, she was a loving, caring, and giving
person and everyone she came in touch with became a better person having known
her. Jill, we are so proud of you and your love and dedication to everything
and everyone you believed in!
To say Jill was a special person is an
understatement. Having Jill taken from us not only affected her family and
friends lives but all the special needs children that she taught and loved, all
the children she could have taught and been enriched by her love. Her
never-ending desire was to give of herself always. This world lost a very special
and beautiful person.
So, the execution brings a sense of closure
to a part of this unspeakable tragedy in our lives. It will not bring Jill back
nor will it ever lessen the pain and suffering we go through every day. Going
through three trials has etched in our memory everything that happened to Jill
that night. We can never erase the thoughts of the struggle Jill endured trying
to survive. We will never forget.
Just think for a moment if this attack
happened to your family or even one of your friends. How would this affect your
family? What would you consider justice under the law? This guy had a choice,
and now his sentence has been carried out according to the law but in a very
peaceful way compared to what he did to Jill.
After 25 years, we now can try and close this
chapter. We do not have to worry about another trial or appeal, lawsuits or
anything else. We hope by hearing our tragic story the people of this country
will push to change this process and stop these lengthy lawsuits and appeals.
Twenty-five years is tragic.
Jill, Mom, Dad, and all the rest of our
family at your side, we know you are here and you saw it through with us. We
know you are finally at peace!
We, all family and friends, can only hope to
find that same peace and begin to go on with our lives. We all know you are
forever at our side until that day when we meet again. We miss you all each and
every day.
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A family member holds up a picture of Jill
Frey.
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Statement provided by
the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Family
remembers Jill Frey after Missouri executes her killer, Walter Storey
Published
on Feb 11, 2015
Family
members and friends of Jill Frey came to witness the execution of Walter Storey.
Jill's brother, Jeff Frey, spoke about her after Missouri carried out the
execution. Storey was sentenced to death for the murder of Jill Frey, a
neighbor whom Storey brutally killed with a knife on February 2, 1990. This
marks the 1st execution by Missouri in 2015.
VIDEO SOURCE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ER5PyGD-HU
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