Monday, March 06, 2000
Rape victim heals with forgiveness
'Dead Man Walking' was her attacker
BY SUSAN VELA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT THOMAS — The Florence woman who helped seal the fate of the man who inspired the movie Dead Man Walkingknows the ravaging power of anger. That's why Debbie Morris, a 36-year-old Louisiana native, is also thankful to know the healing grace of forgiveness.
“Anger doesn't stay locked away in a neat little spot,” said Mrs. Morris, speaking Sunday night at St. Catherine of Siena Church. “The anger was destroying my life. I needed forgiveness in my life.”
The mother of two and author of Forgiving the Dead Man Walking, is married to Brad Morris, a DHL pilot. They moved to Northern Kentucky four years ago. She began sharing her tale of forgiveness across the nation soon after.
“I have found new life through forgiveness, and I want to share that message,” she told an audience of 200 at St. Catherine.
At the start of her presentation, Mrs. Morris said she knew some in the crowd also had experienced violence and sexual assault.
She urged them to forgive, noting that holding onto anger keeps them from moving on and can wreak havoc on every aspect of their lives.
She offered some advice:
• It's OK for forgiveness to be a selfish thing.
• Forgiveness is a process and can take a long time.
• Forgiveness has different outcomes. She noted that she could stand being in the same room as Robert Willie, whose struggle to escape the death penalty inspired the 1995 film Dead Man Walking, but she would never desire his friendship.
Forgiveness, she said, seemed unimaginable 20 years ago, when she was raped and tortured by Mr. Willie and Joseph Vaccaro.
In 1980, Mrs. Morris — then Debbie Cuevas — was 16 and living in Madisonville, La., when two men abducted her and her boyfriend, Mark Brewster, at gunpoint. They had been drinking milkshakes in Mark's car along the town's riverfront.
In the next 36 hours, Mr. Willie and Mr. Vaccaro shot and left Mr. Brewster for dead. He survived.
They raped Mrs. Morris three times and terrorized her with death threats before letting her go.
She later testified against Mr. Willie in a capital murder case. He was sentenced to death. Mr. Vaccaro was sentenced to several life terms.
The notion of forgiving Mr. Willie first presented itself before he was executed Dec. 28, 1984, at Louisiana State Penitentiary. Mrs. Morris already had turned to alcohol and dropped out of high school.
The process of forgiving Mr. Willie continued as her religious faith became stronger, she said.
Death casts its first shadow
Consider investing in schools
McCain pleads for Ohio win to keep his campaign alive
State House races are hotly contested
Democrats love Evanston, andvice versa
Love Sunday weather? It gets better today
Reluctant hero saves friend
County rethinking parking at stadiums
Queen City's moments to shine reflected in book
Rape victim heals with forgiveness
162 pounds lost, one life gained
Balanced diet ensures body gets nutrients
Exercise other half of lifestyle change
O'Keeffe's 'Autumn' here for spring
Cammys to praise Pure Prairie League
GET TO IT
Gross breathes 'Fresh Air' into radio
Hersch brought celebration of music home
'Mozart Affect' effective
New 'Scarlet Letter' deserves an ovation
'Wait Until Dark' thrills by the book
Effort to stem farmland development taking root
Mardi Gras crowd swells to 50,000
Medical waste plan goes to public
Mega-mall project ignites opposition
TRISTATE DIGEST
Waste plan may reduce overflows
