Retribution

The day had come for Mr. Hepp to go to New York. He was to be on the Today Show tomorrow morning. When getting to New York he went directly to the Plaza Hotel. He checked in and then he left and walked to the NBC studio. He wanted to be sure that he knew the right way to get there. He then went back to the hotel. He had dinner at the Plaza and then went back to his room. He was nervous about the upcoming interview. The next morning he was up at six am. He showered , dressed and went out for breakfast. He then walked over to the studio. When he got there he was stopped by a security guard at the entrance. He told them that he was to be on the Today show this morning. They told him to wait a minute while they called upstairs to confirm what he was saying. After a minute they got back to him and led him to an elevator. “Get off at the second floor” he was told. He got on the elevator and punched the second floor. In a few seconds the door opened and he was at another security station. Here they again checked his identification. He was searched and went through a metal detector. He was then taken to a small room. There were several other people already in the room. He took a seat. In a few minutes a women came and took him to a desk outside the room. He was again told that he should not use any specific names. ”Let Mr. Larer introduce you and then he will ask you questions. Answer the question that he asked in as brief a manner as possible.” “I will call you about five minutes before you will go on. Take a seat back in the room.” About twenty minutes later the woman came to the room and called him. He got up and she took him to an area which was just off the area where he would be interviewed. From this spot he could see Mr. Larer and Raven Norville and Al Rokes sitting together on a couch. A minute later they went to a commercial and Mr. Larer walked over and shook hands with Mr. Hepp. He asked him “what the most important thing you want to get across.” “I want to tell that my daughter was raped and murdered and that I also won the New York State Lottery. I am therefore trying to do something to help change the system where rapists are released from prison while they are still not only capable but feel compelled to rape again.” Just then a bell rang and Mr. Larer went back to his seat. Mr. Hepp was taken to a couch across the stage. The show was back on the air. Mr Larer had taken a seat across from Mr. Hepp. He then introduced Mr. Hepp telling the audience that Mr. Hepp’s daughter had been raped and murdered. Mr. Hepp had also won the New York State Lottery. “Good morning Mr. Hepp,” said Mr. Larer. “Good morning” Mr Hepp answered “ “Tell us about your daughter, Mr. Hepp” My daughter was a freshman student at Cornell University” The day before her classes were to start she was raped and murdered,” I also won the New York State Lottery the same week as her funeral. I decided to use that money to buy homes near the judges who were giving light sentences to rapists.” “How many of these homes have you bought” asked Mr. Larer. “Four so far” answered Mr. Hepp. “What has been the results so far?” asked Mr. Larer. “Unfortunately there have been two rapes and one young man was kidnapped and raped . Unfortunately one young lady was also murdered.” Said Mr. Hepp. Mr. Larer then asked him “if he now had second thoughts about his plan?” Mr .Hepp then told him that he had nothing to do with them being released from prison and that perhaps the same rapes and murders would have happened to poor people if the criminals had been released into the poor communities. What is needed is a change in the way that rapists are handled in prison.” “What do you think we should do? asked Mr. Larer.” I think that most rapists need to be incarcerated for life.” He said. I’m sure that an occasional person will be incarcerated unfairly but, on the other had, we will save the lives of some innocent people,” said Mr.Hepp. Mr. Larer then said, “ This is a significant problem for society. What you are saying is that we will make mistakes but you feel it is better to punish an innocent person, who has been convicted of rape, then to allow rape or even murder of a totally innocent person.” “That is correct,” said Mr. Hepp. “Remember, these people have undergone a complete trial and have been found guilty by a twelve person jury. It is the judges who are giving the light sentences. Look at what has happened to the released rapists who I have placed in the judges neighborhood.” “Would these people have committed more rapes if they had been placed back in the communities that they originally came from?” said Mr.Larer. “That, sir, I cannot answer,” said Mr. Hepp. “ Thank you Mr. Hepp, said Mr. Larer. Mr. Larer then shook hands with Mr. Hepp and walked over to the area where he had been before the interview. Mr.Hepp then returned to Buffalo where he was picked up by his wife. She thought that the program had gone over extremely well. He still was unsettled whether to continue the program or not.