September 23, 2025 • 24 mins
An Alabama man is set to die by nitrogen gas this week, but the son of the woman he killed is trying to save his life. Will Berry was just 11 years old when his mother was murdered more than 2 decades ago. Amy and T.J. share his powerful plea to the governor of Alabama in a desperate attempt to stop the execution of 50 year old Geoffrey West.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey there, folks. It is Tuesday, September twenty third, and
a man is pleading, begging it, the state of Alabama
not to execute the convicted killer.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Who shot his mom in the head. Welcome to this
episode of Amy and TJ.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Rose.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
We hear this every once in a while, which we
right now have a man begging it to spare the
life of the man who killed his mother.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
It's remarkable, and when you hear his impassioned plea, I
you can't help but feel for this man and wish
that more people could have his grace and his forgiveness.
And there's so much to be learned from what this
(00:47):
son feels for this killer. It's remarkable to me.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I didn't plan to go here yet, but you made
me think of something. Does it require faith? Because when
I hear about stories like this, oftentimes it's people of
very strong faith attached to it.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I think that that is almost certain and almost always
the case. I can't think of an example where it
hasn't been attributed to God, to being christ Like, to faith. Yes,
that's where it stems from.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Because we just saw and I obviously what we saw
with Erica Kirk was a chilling moment that most of
us cannot relate to in many ways, that level of forgiveness.
It made us think about Charleston as well. You remember
how quickly those parishioners forgave that guy who goes and
shoots up a church full of people praying literally in
Bible class. They forgave him at It wasn't even at trial.
(01:38):
It was like his bail hearing or something like, very
very quickly. I don't know how. I'm not a man
of that type of faith that grew up in the
church as did you. But that concept of that forgiveness
Christ on the Cross, forgive them for they know not
what they do as he's being killed. That's the spirit
of this, I.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Suppose, And it's that value of human life and what
we're hearing from this son in his plea to not
have his mother's killer killed, which his execution is set
for this week for Thursday, he talks about the value
of this man's life and the value of being able
to have conversations with him, and he even said ultimately
(02:19):
his wish would be to be able to see him,
meet him and pray with him. That is remarkable.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Yeah, we shoul I'll tell you what we were talking
about here. The killer is Jeffrey West. He is the
convicted killer, and he is as we speak, scheduled to
be executed in Alabama this week by nitrogen gas. This
is supposed to happen on Thursday evening, so the clock
is now ticking. He was convicted of a nineteen ninety
seven murder of Margaret Parish Barry. She was a woman
(02:50):
who was working in a gas station, had two sons.
She worked at a support obviously her family. She was
shot and killed. She cooperated, according to authorities, gave the money.
It netted Jeffrey West and his girlfriend at the time
two hundred and fifty bucks. And this woman was shot
and killed as she laid on the floor behind the counter.
She was executed, according to police, because they did not
(03:11):
want to leave witnesses. That's the horror of the crime.
Will Barry Robes was eleven years old at the time.
That then eleven year old, now an adult male is
saying that the man who did that to my mother
and robbed me at eleven years old, I want to spare.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
His life right. And Jeffrey West, the man convicted of
this crime, who admits the crime was twenty one at
the time Will Barry was eleven. Think about that, they're
just ten years apart. You know, they're almost in terms
of just at this point in age, he's forty and
Jeffrey West is fifty and he wants to have a
relationship with this man, which is remarkable to me. But
(03:52):
it is one of the worst crimes, being shot execution style,
This poor woman, knowing she's got two young sons at home.
I can't even imagine the grief and the horror and
the And that's not a crime that is one and done.
That is something that you live with for the rest
of your life, that has affected your life from the
moment your mom was taken away from you at such
(04:14):
a young age. So for him to be able to
be at this place and space in his life is
nothing short of a miracle.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
See I thought, even so, how this kind of all
got going here? In a lot of ways, spokes is
that Barry and West, yes, the convicted killer and the
son of the woman he's convicted of killing, have been
exchanging letters, and from all descriptions at least I've read robes,
they're like almost pleasantries. I don't want to go that far.
(04:43):
But I'm saying these are notes in which they have
found some kind of peace with each within each other.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I mean, it's it's a beautiful thing because obviously, well
I don't say obviously, because not all convicted murderers feel
this way. But Jeffrey West has expressed true remorse, and
we can get into some of his specific quotes because
they are powerful. And then you have Will Barry expressing
this incredible desire to forgive and to have those two
(05:09):
things come together in this moment and to have them
share that back and forth where Will Barry is willing
to give him grace. That is just a something you
don't see every day.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
And well, he's requested that's one Forgiveness is one thing.
Letting go its one thing. I mean people have forgiven
and still not try to stop at execution. This is
a different situation in which West and Barry have actually
requested no. I should correct that Barry was the one
who requested he wanted to meet with the killer. He
(05:42):
wanted to meet the man who killed his mother. He
put that request in through West's attorneys and through his team,
and they okayed it. But they're not being allowed to
see each other and Rome's I guess it kind of
makes sense to have these rules in place.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
They say it's about security, that you can't have a
victim of the crime meet the criminal because there are
security concerns. They're concerned about what people's.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Intent might be.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
You say, you want to go there to have a
pleasant conversation or to perhaps have some closure for something,
and then violence could ensue. So they just for they
just put out a general rule for everybody. Sorry, we
can't make exceptions, but this is a matter of security.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Which makes perfect I guess that I don't know if
exceptions or any safety exceptions could ever be made, but
this is how far he's going. I just find it
remarkable Robes that this man is not just he's not
just pleading for the sake of pleading and just saying
I don't want that on my conscious kind of a thing.
He's saying, there is something valuable in this man being
(06:46):
alive to his life that has been now denied so
much because he didn't have his mom to hear that
I need this man for something in my life. Please
don't kill him. That doesn't go far in the court
of the law, but in a heart in your heart,
like God, whatever.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
I know.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
We've seen this happen before, where you have victims' family members.
The surviving family members literally beg authorities not to put
the murderer of the person who took away their loved
one to death because they don't want that on their conscience.
And I believe Barry said something to the effect of,
(07:27):
I know it's being done on my behalf in the
sense that I am the person who suffered the most.
I am the victim of the crime because I'm the
one who lost my mother, and I'm the one saying, please, please,
don't murder this man on my behalf. It's almost as
if he feels like it weighs on his conscience that
somehow he's responsible for now what will be almost certainly
(07:51):
the death of Jeffrey West.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Haven't I heard a time?
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Please?
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Maybe you can think of one off the top of
your head. I've heard some families not want a person
to be executed because no, we want to stay in
prison and suffer.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Right, So yes, I have to that. It's more punishment.
It's an easy way out is death. The hard way
out is to actually have to live with the crime
and wake up every morning behind bars.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I would be totally okay. I don't know how this
could work ever legally, but I think the victims family
should decide if they say no, we do not want
this person executed, then they shouldn't be executed. I don't
think they should be able to say yes, but if
the family says we don't wish.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
This, I would be so fine. If that were written
into the laws. They should have a veto basically, a
veto power basically where they could say, Okay, I understand
that the state has sentenced him to death. I understand
that a jury of his peers has sentenced him to death.
But I get a veto, and if the victims agree,
(08:55):
then I would be fully for that. That makes perfect sense.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
We know we're not probably going to see that no.
That would also another thing I just thought about because
so many, how many victims feel as if there's no
one advocating for them, there's nobody on their side, victims, families,
even in this case of a Barry talking about he
didn't get any kind of heads up that there was
an execution date. He had to find out about it
on Facebook or something like that. Those types of things,
(09:23):
like they don't feel like they have any power or
say and oftentimes of what happens, and nobody's advocating for them,
So this would be some level of involvement or control,
if you will.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Yeah, I mean, it's funny. As soon as you said that,
I thought immediately of the Epstein victims. But this is
just another example, and this is unfortunately the way our
legal system work. We don't give enough credit to or
at least we don't. We don't give them the bare minimum,
the victims and the people left behind, to not be notified,
to not be included in the process, to not be
(09:54):
listened to, regarded, or even have what you want to
happen be considered. That is that's tough, and I don't
think that's We don't treat victims and victims' families correctly
in our legal system period.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
We hear it all the time, right, getting victimized over
and over again. Yeah, he's getting victimized, victimized. Well, folks,
this one. Some of these details have been kind of chilling,
and they kind of stir you, they kind of inspire
you to a certain degree as well. But I assure
you you ain't heard nothing yet. Stay here with us
when we come back. We are going to read some
(10:27):
of the most powerful words from the victim's son, words
in which he is making a very public plea, do
not kill the man that killed my mom.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Welcome back to this edition of Amy and TJ, where
we are talking about a scheduled education execution that is
said to happen on Thursday. A man who murdered a
mother of two execution style during a robbery. He is
set to die by nitrogen gas in the state of Alabama.
(11:10):
His name is Jeffrey West. He was twenty one at
the time at the crime. He's fifty now. But the
remarkable thing about this story is the son of the
woman who he murdered is now making an impassioned plea
to have that execution. State He would like to see
Jeffrey West live out the rest of his life behind bars,
(11:31):
but he would like the opportunity to meet with him,
connect with him, pray with him. And he thinks there
is value in letting this man live. And it is
a powerful, powerful letter that he wrote to authorities trying
to see if he can have any impact or any
influence over this execution again that is scheduled on Thursday.
(11:52):
And just to note, Jeffrey West. We have some quotes
from him about his level of remorse, not that that
makes it okay, not that it makes him any less guilty.
He says, there is not a day that goes by
that I don't regret it and wish that I could
take that back. Of course, he's referring to the murder.
I wish I had the opportunity just to swap places
(12:13):
and let it be me and not her.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Can you, I mean, it's hard to It is difficult,
but people can change see things differently. He's had almost
thirty years to think about this, and it's difficult to
have remorse or feel bad for someone who did such
a horrific crime. But can we be open to the
possibility that what he did then is who he was
and what he said now is who he is now.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I think that's absolutely possibly hard to do. He was
twenty one. Look, I'm not excusing anything that he did
at all. It's disgusting, horrific, and he should be behind
bars for the rest of his life. But he was
twenty one, and it was interesting for me to think
about the fact that this young kid, this son, now
who is standing up for this man who murdered his
mother was eleven at the time. They're ten years apart, so.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
There could be brothers.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
They yes, right that ten years doesn't mean anything now
at this point in terms of a difference in how
they probably view the world. But certainly they've had very
different experiences, and certainly Barry has suffered greatly because of
what this man did.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
And Will Berry, we want to let you hear it
in his words. He wrote an extended op ed a
little bit back that was put in a local paper there.
But he explains better than we can where his head is.
I will start with his first excerp. He says, quote,
mister West was sentenced to death for killing my mother.
His execution data set for September twenty fifth, But I
(13:41):
do not want the state of Alabama to kill him.
That won't bring back my mother. It will only add
to the pain I have lived with since the night
she was shot. I believe there is a better way.
Like hearing that line, how can you deny his request?
You haven't even heard that, like, oh, some of the
heaviest stuff. But that's just it's sincere, and I know
(14:04):
the law is the law. He wrote to the governor.
The governor wrote back, said she has to do what
the law requires her to do. I get it, but
she does have the options.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
She said that she has stayed one execution, but that
was because there was some doubt into whether or not
that person had actually committed the crime, and that is
the only time she's done it. It doesn't sound like
she is willing to consider that in this case.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Should we do we remind me? Please? Don't prosecutors talk
to families ahead of time, say hey about a plea deal?
They often talked to them about. Do they also give
them and say, hey, would you like us to go
for the death penalty? Would you not do they?
Speaker 3 (14:43):
I don't know. I think they should. But the problem
was will Berry was eleven years old at the time,
so they would never take the word or the thoughts
or sentiments of an eleven year old. They wouldn't put
that on him. So I think he was just too
young to weigh in. And I don't know what the
other family members generally speak.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
I'm trying to think of cases. I'm thinking more so
law and order or something maybe right now I'm what
I'm trying to think of cases. Do prosecutors often consult
with the family and take into account their wishes.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Wouldn't it be at the discretion of the prosecutor. I
don't know that there's some hard fast rule. It probably
is case my case.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
If they some maybe do it, some maybe don't. But yeah,
that was that's this guy. Your heart hurts for this guy.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
We want to read some more of what he wrote
in this op ed because this will move you. My
mother was the person I loved most in the world.
Her absence and the senseless way she died has cast
a long shadow over my life. Even so, the weeks
since I learned that Governor Ivy set an execution date
for mister West have been some of the most unsettling
(15:44):
I can recall. My dearest wish is to meet with
mister West. Yet with only weeks left until his execution date,
it's not clear who has the power to make that happen,
or how to ask them directly?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Is life from eleven years old to now? That chunk
of his life he needs some resolve too, and he's
got the clock is ticking. Any answer he needs or anything,
any piece he wants. The clock is ticking for this guy.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
That is It's yeah, it's a matter of days. And
here's here's a really really significant part of what he wrote.
Because we were just talking about how victims are not
empowered in our legal system, and so he writes, I
was a child when mister West took my mother's life,
old enough to understand what had happened, but too young
to process it. I had no say at the trial.
(16:34):
I've had no say since then. No one from the
Alabama Attorney General's office called me in April to say
they had requested an execution date. No one from the
governor's office called in July when Governor Ivy said it.
If my wife hadn't stumbled across an article on Facebook,
I'm not sure when I would have learned.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Obviously that's horrible. Okay, obviously that's awful. Obviously that's terrible.
And I think too many, so many victims have that story,
don't they.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Yes, this is a common theme that we need to correct,
that we can correct in this country.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
So he feels like a victim again, and now the
thing that can give him peace, He says, the clock
is ticking for him. I don't have you seen anywhere
in researching this story. I don't think he has any
options left. I guess the Supreme Court maybe would be
the only one with the governor.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
The governor it's the end, you know, they've got the
phone sitting there, but she's already said, she's already said
she's not going to So it doesn't look like there's
much he can do. But just to hear this, this
man's plea, that this is causing him even more pain,
is just.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I don't know, how is there a a who are
you harming by not executing the guy? Right? So I
guess the state of Alabama can say, no, he's a
horrible person. We've decided, and we have laws, and we
want him dead. But the person impacted most by his
action who gets whose word should count in this matter?
(18:00):
And this next excerpt here Robes is the one where
he really gets into and you give some insight into
how his faith is informing his belief and his decision
and his push and his plea to save this man's life.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Now, I believe in the teachings of Jesus and in
his words on the Mount, For if you forgive other
people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others
their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. My
faith teaches that every trial we endure brings us closer
to salvation. It teaches submission to God's will.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
This next line here, he said that he believes that
in seeking his execution, the state of Alabama is playing God.
What do we do with that?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (18:44):
This is now a a what it's become now a
death penalty debate to a certain degree, and a lot
of people have an issue with that. I don't want
anyone to exactly revenge in my name, he says, nor
in my mother. I believe life without the possibility of
parole is just punishment. There is an ending to this
story where mister West and I find comfort in each
(19:07):
other and in the healing power of forgiveness. What the
actual wow.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
That brings tears to my eyes? Because then he goes
further and says, I want to tell mister West that
I forgive him, and I want to ask questions both
about what happened that night and about who he is
as a man. In some ways, I suppose I just
want to be in a room with him. Through his
legal team, mister West has agreed to my request, even
(19:35):
in what may be the last weeks of his life.
He is willing to spend time with me and reckon
with the harm he has caused. I believe that speaks
well of him. Despite the deadly mistake he made the
night he killed my mother. I know that she forgives
him and that she would want me to sit down
with him. Oh that makes me like cry, how are
you going.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
To deny that guy's request. I know it's a legal process,
but my good, sweet lord, the part there he sounded
like a guy that if you were in front of him,
it sounds like almost he said, I don't know, just please,
I just want to get in a room with him,
Like he doesn't have it all figured out.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
I just need this just it's closure for him, and
it's a connection to his mother. He was the last
person to see his mother alive, but he was.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Also the one who caused her to have that last
moment of life. Whoo, this one is man.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Wow. And then he goes on to say, and this
is what we've been speaking to. The criminal justice system
is not built with victims needs, wishes and well being
in mind. I know that as well as anybody, because
what is being done in my name is not what
I need or want. I know the clemency is a
lot to ask for, but having spoken with a restorative
(20:46):
justice specialist who is also in communication with mister West,
I feel hopeful there could be a future where he
and I might sit down together, where we might pray together.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Who is this guy?
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Is an amazing human being?
Speaker 2 (21:06):
You take the last one here, I'm crying out for
the moment.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
This, this last one is is a powerful way to
close this and to give us all something to think about.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Someone we may need to forgive in our lives, even
if it's ourselves. But this is just beautiful. He says
time is working against us. Time is working against all
of us.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
So I know that was the first point I was making. Yes,
he his first line there applies to everybody.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Time is working against us. Whether or not she can
see her way to granting clemency, at the very least,
I hope Governor Ivy will grant a reprieve, which she
has the authority to do. That time would allow mister West,
his family, and mine to engage in vital healing conversations.
(21:58):
I need time to heal all.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I have never ever, ever, ever gotten involved politically and
advocating for somebody to get the death pill on me
or not. But he is not even asking to spare
his life moving forward. Just give me a beat, she is.
He's actually saying a reprieve. Just give me a reprieve
so we can have some time to do what I
(22:23):
need to do. How can you deny that? And not
a human level, bro, not a legal level, not a
state of alabima. Is on a human level.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
It's heartbreaking because because he wants he's not allowed to
meet this man. He's not allowed to talk to this man.
And that's all he's asking for is time to do so.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
You can put them behind glass. We can guarantee safety.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
We can do that, absolutely, they can.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
We can do that.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
I just that part.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Just I need a minute, give me a reprieve, just
delay to let this happen. We don't know what's going
to happen. We're not obviously laws, government, governor. These are
all tough decisions and we get it. But this, if
ever an exception to be made, I don't know. If
there's some I don't know what the damage is ropes
(23:10):
in setting a precedent or something, I don't know, But
what is the damage in giving an eleven year old kid,
which is what he is, which is what he's stuck
at as far as his relationship with his mom, giving
that kid a moment he's not had.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Unfortunately, we know how these things typically turn out. We will,
of course stay on top of it. But yes, right now,
Jeffrey West's execution is set for this Thursday. We will
keep you updated, but we hope at the very least
this moves some of you. All of you, I know
(23:47):
it has certainly us to have that forgiving spirit in
our hearts because you are set free from that anger
and that resentment. And this is just a beautiful example
in a world where we don't have many moments like these.
But also, yes, very reminiscent of Erica Kirk this past week.
(24:08):
So with that, everyone, thank you for listening to us.
I'm Ami Roebach alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you
really soon.
Hey there, folks. It is Tuesday, September twenty third, and
a man is pleading, begging it, the state of Alabama
not to execute the convicted killer.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Who shot his mom in the head. Welcome to this
episode of Amy and TJ.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Rose.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
We hear this every once in a while, which we
right now have a man begging it to spare the
life of the man who killed his mother.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
It's remarkable, and when you hear his impassioned plea, I
you can't help but feel for this man and wish
that more people could have his grace and his forgiveness.
And there's so much to be learned from what this
(00:47):
son feels for this killer. It's remarkable to me.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I didn't plan to go here yet, but you made
me think of something. Does it require faith? Because when
I hear about stories like this, oftentimes it's people of
very strong faith attached to it.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I think that that is almost certain and almost always
the case. I can't think of an example where it
hasn't been attributed to God, to being christ Like, to faith. Yes,
that's where it stems from.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Because we just saw and I obviously what we saw
with Erica Kirk was a chilling moment that most of
us cannot relate to in many ways, that level of forgiveness.
It made us think about Charleston as well. You remember
how quickly those parishioners forgave that guy who goes and
shoots up a church full of people praying literally in
Bible class. They forgave him at It wasn't even at trial.
(01:38):
It was like his bail hearing or something like, very
very quickly. I don't know how. I'm not a man
of that type of faith that grew up in the
church as did you. But that concept of that forgiveness
Christ on the Cross, forgive them for they know not
what they do as he's being killed. That's the spirit
of this, I.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Suppose, And it's that value of human life and what
we're hearing from this son in his plea to not
have his mother's killer killed, which his execution is set
for this week for Thursday, he talks about the value
of this man's life and the value of being able
to have conversations with him, and he even said ultimately
(02:19):
his wish would be to be able to see him,
meet him and pray with him. That is remarkable.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Yeah, we shoul I'll tell you what we were talking
about here. The killer is Jeffrey West. He is the
convicted killer, and he is as we speak, scheduled to
be executed in Alabama this week by nitrogen gas. This
is supposed to happen on Thursday evening, so the clock
is now ticking. He was convicted of a nineteen ninety
seven murder of Margaret Parish Barry. She was a woman
(02:50):
who was working in a gas station, had two sons.
She worked at a support obviously her family. She was
shot and killed. She cooperated, according to authorities, gave the money.
It netted Jeffrey West and his girlfriend at the time
two hundred and fifty bucks. And this woman was shot
and killed as she laid on the floor behind the counter.
She was executed, according to police, because they did not
(03:11):
want to leave witnesses. That's the horror of the crime.
Will Barry Robes was eleven years old at the time.
That then eleven year old, now an adult male is
saying that the man who did that to my mother
and robbed me at eleven years old, I want to spare.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
His life right. And Jeffrey West, the man convicted of
this crime, who admits the crime was twenty one at
the time Will Barry was eleven. Think about that, they're
just ten years apart. You know, they're almost in terms
of just at this point in age, he's forty and
Jeffrey West is fifty and he wants to have a
relationship with this man, which is remarkable to me. But
(03:52):
it is one of the worst crimes, being shot execution style,
This poor woman, knowing she's got two young sons at home.
I can't even imagine the grief and the horror and
the And that's not a crime that is one and done.
That is something that you live with for the rest
of your life, that has affected your life from the
moment your mom was taken away from you at such
(04:14):
a young age. So for him to be able to
be at this place and space in his life is
nothing short of a miracle.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
See I thought, even so, how this kind of all
got going here? In a lot of ways, spokes is
that Barry and West, yes, the convicted killer and the
son of the woman he's convicted of killing, have been
exchanging letters, and from all descriptions at least I've read robes,
they're like almost pleasantries. I don't want to go that far.
(04:43):
But I'm saying these are notes in which they have
found some kind of peace with each within each other.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I mean, it's it's a beautiful thing because obviously, well
I don't say obviously, because not all convicted murderers feel
this way. But Jeffrey West has expressed true remorse, and
we can get into some of his specific quotes because
they are powerful. And then you have Will Barry expressing
this incredible desire to forgive and to have those two
(05:09):
things come together in this moment and to have them
share that back and forth where Will Barry is willing
to give him grace. That is just a something you
don't see every day.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
And well, he's requested that's one Forgiveness is one thing.
Letting go its one thing. I mean people have forgiven
and still not try to stop at execution. This is
a different situation in which West and Barry have actually
requested no. I should correct that Barry was the one
who requested he wanted to meet with the killer. He
(05:42):
wanted to meet the man who killed his mother. He
put that request in through West's attorneys and through his team,
and they okayed it. But they're not being allowed to
see each other and Rome's I guess it kind of
makes sense to have these rules in place.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
They say it's about security, that you can't have a
victim of the crime meet the criminal because there are
security concerns. They're concerned about what people's.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Intent might be.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
You say, you want to go there to have a
pleasant conversation or to perhaps have some closure for something,
and then violence could ensue. So they just for they
just put out a general rule for everybody. Sorry, we
can't make exceptions, but this is a matter of security.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Which makes perfect I guess that I don't know if
exceptions or any safety exceptions could ever be made, but
this is how far he's going. I just find it
remarkable Robes that this man is not just he's not
just pleading for the sake of pleading and just saying
I don't want that on my conscious kind of a thing.
He's saying, there is something valuable in this man being
(06:46):
alive to his life that has been now denied so
much because he didn't have his mom to hear that
I need this man for something in my life. Please
don't kill him. That doesn't go far in the court
of the law, but in a heart in your heart,
like God, whatever.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
I know.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
We've seen this happen before, where you have victims' family members.
The surviving family members literally beg authorities not to put
the murderer of the person who took away their loved
one to death because they don't want that on their conscience.
And I believe Barry said something to the effect of,
(07:27):
I know it's being done on my behalf in the
sense that I am the person who suffered the most.
I am the victim of the crime because I'm the
one who lost my mother, and I'm the one saying, please, please,
don't murder this man on my behalf. It's almost as
if he feels like it weighs on his conscience that
somehow he's responsible for now what will be almost certainly
(07:51):
the death of Jeffrey West.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Haven't I heard a time?
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Please?
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Maybe you can think of one off the top of
your head. I've heard some families not want a person
to be executed because no, we want to stay in
prison and suffer.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Right, So yes, I have to that. It's more punishment.
It's an easy way out is death. The hard way
out is to actually have to live with the crime
and wake up every morning behind bars.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I would be totally okay. I don't know how this
could work ever legally, but I think the victims family
should decide if they say no, we do not want
this person executed, then they shouldn't be executed. I don't
think they should be able to say yes, but if
the family says we don't wish.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
This, I would be so fine. If that were written
into the laws. They should have a veto basically, a
veto power basically where they could say, Okay, I understand
that the state has sentenced him to death. I understand
that a jury of his peers has sentenced him to death.
But I get a veto, and if the victims agree,
(08:55):
then I would be fully for that. That makes perfect sense.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
We know we're not probably going to see that no.
That would also another thing I just thought about because
so many, how many victims feel as if there's no
one advocating for them, there's nobody on their side, victims, families,
even in this case of a Barry talking about he
didn't get any kind of heads up that there was
an execution date. He had to find out about it
on Facebook or something like that. Those types of things,
(09:23):
like they don't feel like they have any power or
say and oftentimes of what happens, and nobody's advocating for them,
So this would be some level of involvement or control,
if you will.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Yeah, I mean, it's funny. As soon as you said that,
I thought immediately of the Epstein victims. But this is
just another example, and this is unfortunately the way our
legal system work. We don't give enough credit to or
at least we don't. We don't give them the bare minimum,
the victims and the people left behind, to not be notified,
to not be included in the process, to not be
(09:54):
listened to, regarded, or even have what you want to
happen be considered. That is that's tough, and I don't
think that's We don't treat victims and victims' families correctly
in our legal system period.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
We hear it all the time, right, getting victimized over
and over again. Yeah, he's getting victimized, victimized. Well, folks,
this one. Some of these details have been kind of chilling,
and they kind of stir you, they kind of inspire
you to a certain degree as well. But I assure
you you ain't heard nothing yet. Stay here with us
when we come back. We are going to read some
(10:27):
of the most powerful words from the victim's son, words
in which he is making a very public plea, do
not kill the man that killed my mom.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Welcome back to this edition of Amy and TJ, where
we are talking about a scheduled education execution that is
said to happen on Thursday. A man who murdered a
mother of two execution style during a robbery. He is
set to die by nitrogen gas in the state of Alabama.
(11:10):
His name is Jeffrey West. He was twenty one at
the time at the crime. He's fifty now. But the
remarkable thing about this story is the son of the
woman who he murdered is now making an impassioned plea
to have that execution. State He would like to see
Jeffrey West live out the rest of his life behind bars,
(11:31):
but he would like the opportunity to meet with him,
connect with him, pray with him. And he thinks there
is value in letting this man live. And it is
a powerful, powerful letter that he wrote to authorities trying
to see if he can have any impact or any
influence over this execution again that is scheduled on Thursday.
(11:52):
And just to note, Jeffrey West. We have some quotes
from him about his level of remorse, not that that
makes it okay, not that it makes him any less guilty.
He says, there is not a day that goes by
that I don't regret it and wish that I could
take that back. Of course, he's referring to the murder.
I wish I had the opportunity just to swap places
(12:13):
and let it be me and not her.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Can you, I mean, it's hard to It is difficult,
but people can change see things differently. He's had almost
thirty years to think about this, and it's difficult to
have remorse or feel bad for someone who did such
a horrific crime. But can we be open to the
possibility that what he did then is who he was
and what he said now is who he is now.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I think that's absolutely possibly hard to do. He was
twenty one. Look, I'm not excusing anything that he did
at all. It's disgusting, horrific, and he should be behind
bars for the rest of his life. But he was
twenty one, and it was interesting for me to think
about the fact that this young kid, this son, now
who is standing up for this man who murdered his
mother was eleven at the time. They're ten years apart, so.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
There could be brothers.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
They yes, right that ten years doesn't mean anything now
at this point in terms of a difference in how
they probably view the world. But certainly they've had very
different experiences, and certainly Barry has suffered greatly because of
what this man did.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
And Will Berry, we want to let you hear it
in his words. He wrote an extended op ed a
little bit back that was put in a local paper there.
But he explains better than we can where his head is.
I will start with his first excerp. He says, quote,
mister West was sentenced to death for killing my mother.
His execution data set for September twenty fifth, But I
(13:41):
do not want the state of Alabama to kill him.
That won't bring back my mother. It will only add
to the pain I have lived with since the night
she was shot. I believe there is a better way.
Like hearing that line, how can you deny his request?
You haven't even heard that, like, oh, some of the
heaviest stuff. But that's just it's sincere, and I know
(14:04):
the law is the law. He wrote to the governor.
The governor wrote back, said she has to do what
the law requires her to do. I get it, but
she does have the options.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
She said that she has stayed one execution, but that
was because there was some doubt into whether or not
that person had actually committed the crime, and that is
the only time she's done it. It doesn't sound like
she is willing to consider that in this case.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Should we do we remind me? Please? Don't prosecutors talk
to families ahead of time, say hey about a plea deal?
They often talked to them about. Do they also give
them and say, hey, would you like us to go
for the death penalty? Would you not do they?
Speaker 3 (14:43):
I don't know. I think they should. But the problem
was will Berry was eleven years old at the time,
so they would never take the word or the thoughts
or sentiments of an eleven year old. They wouldn't put
that on him. So I think he was just too
young to weigh in. And I don't know what the
other family members generally speak.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
I'm trying to think of cases. I'm thinking more so
law and order or something maybe right now I'm what
I'm trying to think of cases. Do prosecutors often consult
with the family and take into account their wishes.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Wouldn't it be at the discretion of the prosecutor. I
don't know that there's some hard fast rule. It probably
is case my case.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
If they some maybe do it, some maybe don't. But yeah,
that was that's this guy. Your heart hurts for this guy.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
We want to read some more of what he wrote
in this op ed because this will move you. My
mother was the person I loved most in the world.
Her absence and the senseless way she died has cast
a long shadow over my life. Even so, the weeks
since I learned that Governor Ivy set an execution date
for mister West have been some of the most unsettling
(15:44):
I can recall. My dearest wish is to meet with
mister West. Yet with only weeks left until his execution date,
it's not clear who has the power to make that happen,
or how to ask them directly?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Is life from eleven years old to now? That chunk
of his life he needs some resolve too, and he's
got the clock is ticking. Any answer he needs or anything,
any piece he wants. The clock is ticking for this guy.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
That is It's yeah, it's a matter of days. And
here's here's a really really significant part of what he wrote.
Because we were just talking about how victims are not
empowered in our legal system, and so he writes, I
was a child when mister West took my mother's life,
old enough to understand what had happened, but too young
to process it. I had no say at the trial.
(16:34):
I've had no say since then. No one from the
Alabama Attorney General's office called me in April to say
they had requested an execution date. No one from the
governor's office called in July when Governor Ivy said it.
If my wife hadn't stumbled across an article on Facebook,
I'm not sure when I would have learned.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Obviously that's horrible. Okay, obviously that's awful. Obviously that's terrible.
And I think too many, so many victims have that story,
don't they.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Yes, this is a common theme that we need to correct,
that we can correct in this country.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
So he feels like a victim again, and now the
thing that can give him peace, He says, the clock
is ticking for him. I don't have you seen anywhere
in researching this story. I don't think he has any
options left. I guess the Supreme Court maybe would be
the only one with the governor.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
The governor it's the end, you know, they've got the
phone sitting there, but she's already said, she's already said
she's not going to So it doesn't look like there's
much he can do. But just to hear this, this
man's plea, that this is causing him even more pain,
is just.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I don't know, how is there a a who are
you harming by not executing the guy? Right? So I
guess the state of Alabama can say, no, he's a
horrible person. We've decided, and we have laws, and we
want him dead. But the person impacted most by his
action who gets whose word should count in this matter?
(18:00):
And this next excerpt here Robes is the one where
he really gets into and you give some insight into
how his faith is informing his belief and his decision
and his push and his plea to save this man's life.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Now, I believe in the teachings of Jesus and in
his words on the Mount, For if you forgive other
people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others
their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. My
faith teaches that every trial we endure brings us closer
to salvation. It teaches submission to God's will.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
This next line here, he said that he believes that
in seeking his execution, the state of Alabama is playing God.
What do we do with that?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (18:44):
This is now a a what it's become now a
death penalty debate to a certain degree, and a lot
of people have an issue with that. I don't want
anyone to exactly revenge in my name, he says, nor
in my mother. I believe life without the possibility of
parole is just punishment. There is an ending to this
story where mister West and I find comfort in each
(19:07):
other and in the healing power of forgiveness. What the
actual wow.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
That brings tears to my eyes? Because then he goes
further and says, I want to tell mister West that
I forgive him, and I want to ask questions both
about what happened that night and about who he is
as a man. In some ways, I suppose I just
want to be in a room with him. Through his
legal team, mister West has agreed to my request, even
(19:35):
in what may be the last weeks of his life.
He is willing to spend time with me and reckon
with the harm he has caused. I believe that speaks
well of him. Despite the deadly mistake he made the
night he killed my mother. I know that she forgives
him and that she would want me to sit down
with him. Oh that makes me like cry, how are
you going.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
To deny that guy's request. I know it's a legal process,
but my good, sweet lord, the part there he sounded
like a guy that if you were in front of him,
it sounds like almost he said, I don't know, just please,
I just want to get in a room with him,
Like he doesn't have it all figured out.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
I just need this just it's closure for him, and
it's a connection to his mother. He was the last
person to see his mother alive, but he was.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Also the one who caused her to have that last
moment of life. Whoo, this one is man.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Wow. And then he goes on to say, and this
is what we've been speaking to. The criminal justice system
is not built with victims needs, wishes and well being
in mind. I know that as well as anybody, because
what is being done in my name is not what
I need or want. I know the clemency is a
lot to ask for, but having spoken with a restorative
(20:46):
justice specialist who is also in communication with mister West,
I feel hopeful there could be a future where he
and I might sit down together, where we might pray together.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Who is this guy?
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Is an amazing human being?
Speaker 2 (21:06):
You take the last one here, I'm crying out for
the moment.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
This, this last one is is a powerful way to
close this and to give us all something to think about.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Someone we may need to forgive in our lives, even
if it's ourselves. But this is just beautiful. He says
time is working against us. Time is working against all
of us.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
So I know that was the first point I was making. Yes,
he his first line there applies to everybody.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Time is working against us. Whether or not she can
see her way to granting clemency, at the very least,
I hope Governor Ivy will grant a reprieve, which she
has the authority to do. That time would allow mister West,
his family, and mine to engage in vital healing conversations.
(21:58):
I need time to heal all.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I have never ever, ever, ever gotten involved politically and
advocating for somebody to get the death pill on me
or not. But he is not even asking to spare
his life moving forward. Just give me a beat, she is.
He's actually saying a reprieve. Just give me a reprieve
so we can have some time to do what I
(22:23):
need to do. How can you deny that? And not
a human level, bro, not a legal level, not a
state of alabima. Is on a human level.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
It's heartbreaking because because he wants he's not allowed to
meet this man. He's not allowed to talk to this man.
And that's all he's asking for is time to do so.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
You can put them behind glass. We can guarantee safety.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
We can do that, absolutely, they can.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
We can do that.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
I just that part.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Just I need a minute, give me a reprieve, just
delay to let this happen. We don't know what's going
to happen. We're not obviously laws, government, governor. These are
all tough decisions and we get it. But this, if
ever an exception to be made, I don't know. If
there's some I don't know what the damage is ropes
(23:10):
in setting a precedent or something, I don't know, But
what is the damage in giving an eleven year old kid,
which is what he is, which is what he's stuck
at as far as his relationship with his mom, giving
that kid a moment he's not had.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Unfortunately, we know how these things typically turn out. We will,
of course stay on top of it. But yes, right now,
Jeffrey West's execution is set for this Thursday. We will
keep you updated, but we hope at the very least
this moves some of you. All of you, I know
(23:47):
it has certainly us to have that forgiving spirit in
our hearts because you are set free from that anger
and that resentment. And this is just a beautiful example
in a world where we don't have many moments like these.
But also, yes, very reminiscent of Erica Kirk this past week.
(24:08):
So with that, everyone, thank you for listening to us.
I'm Ami Roebach alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you
really soon.
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