Victim Impact Statement from Allen's Sister

To Arkansas Parole Board Members:

I regret that my family is standing before you once again due to Chad Hamilton’s choice to appeal your decision. I apologize if my words sound familiar as you respectfully listened as I shared my heart only four months ago about the impact of losing my brother and pleaded for the denial of his murderer’s parole.

As you reconsider the parole of Mr. Hamilton, the man who brutally murdered my brother, I plead with you to momentarily step into my shoes and consider the ramifications of his choices and the eternal impact he has had on countless lives. Every time I relive this tragedy, it is like a double-edged sword in that I’m not only reminded of the pain and sorrow of losing Allen, but also overwhelmed with fear of the possible devastation and harm Mr. Hamilton could bestow on another family.

Today I am pleading with you to honor your previous decision to deny Mr. Hamilton’s early release and to uphold the court’s verdict. I understand that Mr. Hamilton will not always be chained to the decision he made on that unforgettable night, but I will live with the heartache of his decision every moment of every day of my life.

I sincerely regret that I am unable to address you in person as I am living in Chicago. I would give anything to be there to express to you how the man requesting parole has profoundly altered the course of my life. My baby brother, Allen, had the best heart of anyone you’ve ever met. To know him was to love him. He was a selfless young man who loved and gave with all he had. He was a peacemaker from the very start. As long as I can remember, Allen never wanted anyone to fight or disagree. From our home as a child to his high school classroom, he was always keeping peace and taking care of those around him. Who would have guessed that this very attribute would be what put him in harm’s way of Chad Hamilton and cost him his life? He left home that Friday night after cooking dinner for my mom and kissing her cheek good-bye, never to return as a result of Chad Hamilton’s conscious decision to stab him through his precious heart, taking my baby’s brother’s innocent life.

More than myself, I regret that my sweet mom cannot be there to explain how having her youngest son tragically stolen away from her shattered her world. Allen was the culmination of everything she taught us to be--loving, loyal, humble-spirited, and kind-hearted. She loved him as much as any mother could love a son. She was proud of the person he was both in life and in death. Despite our mom’s challenging health conditions, her faith and love for family had kept her fighting. However, after Allen’s death, she often told me that her heart was breaking a little more each day, and I witnessed the pain of losing her baby boy ultimately become too much for her to bear. Two days after the final murder trial, her heart stopped beating and the doctor said he had never known of someone “who so truly died of a broken heart.” Words are not adequate to fully explain how the careless and cruel act of one man, Chad Hamilton, has stripped me of not only one but two of the most cherished people in my life.

As a Christian woman, I believe that God will ultimately serve due justice, but as a citizen of the United States, my hope is that I am affirmed in believing that our Justice System will protect the innocent and honor those who have been lost.

Respectfully yours,
Angela Fortune