Editor,

This letter is concerning the parole hearing of Derrick Thompson. He was convicted of 1st degree premeditated murder of Clarence Evans, my brother. A parole hearing is scheduled for November 29, 2010.

First thing I want to do is thank the public for your concern in this matter. Everywhere I go, people always seem to stop me, letting me know that they too think this killer needs to stay where he is. I have been so surprised how much the public is concerned at keeping this killer off their streets. I appreciate it that you too think that this killer should never have been granted mercy. But had Mark Hobbs not asked for mercy in his closing statement to the jury he wouldn’t have been granted it and we wouldn’t be reliving this horrendous crime over and over like this. This killer would have been locked up forever.

Our family was appalled at such a hideous action could of been done. He stated he was asking due to his age. Well he was old enough to know what he was doing. Where was the mercy he showed my brother? I really would have expected a prosecutor to ask for the death sentence in a case of this nature! That’s what this killer should have had the death sentence.

Being handed a mercy decision was a disgrace to the victim whom he had just killed. See the facts are this killer this chose to go on to Evans' backporch, start a fight on Evans’ backporch and got himself kicked into the yard by Evans. Then Evans lets him up, sends him on his way and when Thompson get a distance away he yells back at Evans and tells him he will be back to kill him. Thompson goes home to Verdunville, works on a dirt bike, had a friend trying to talk him out of what he was planning to do, gets a 12 gauge shotgun and sits on it with no shirt goes on his way to Linley Camp. This killer hides in the dark and waits on Evans to comes out. Evans comes out ... not knowing what was waiting on him, approaches the tracks, this killer comes out of the dark and ask Evans "do you want some of me now"? At which time Thompson pulls the 12 gauge, shooting my brother in the face.

These were the actions of a coward! My brother was 40 and Thompson was 18 years old. When the State Police arrived, Thompson tells them "he kicked my ass and I didn’t have to take it". And you want to tell me this killer should have had mercy, my God! Who will be his next victim if he is ever released? This is a killer I feel is instituted by now. He has had various violations in prison showing disregard for authority, as I see it. What would he do out on our streets with no boss over him?

Life is so valuable. Only God has the right to decide when you die, not man. This killer took a brother and a son from us. I don’t think mom ever got over losing Clarence. She would sit and cry looking to where Clarence was buried. She wasn’t able to climb the hill anymore to go see him. Thompson will never know and probably really don’t care what his actions have put us through. Clarence was somebody whom we loved dearly. When Thompson chose to kill my brother, he ended all chances for my brother to have a wife, children or just getting to grow old with his family.

I honestly feel, if this killer is ever let go, it’s not a question of "if he will kill," it’s "when" this killer will kill again.

This killer has learned how to work the system while in there. He has worked hard at achieving his goal getting paroled. But he still lies about what really happened that night. He will sit and lie about how long it took him to go to Verdunville that night. He stated it took him about 20 minutes. The court records show two and a half hours to go and come back. He still blames Clarence for it at times. He hasn’t changed at all. He is still that same cocky, overbearing, arrogant killer he was when he went to prison. From what I see, he hasn’t changed at all; only gotten smarter at maneuvering himself through the system.

His biological mother is still calling my house from a phone in the Man area. How safe would the Evans family be with this killer loose? We have been given brochures telling us if he ever got out we could change our phones numbers, travel different routes when traveling just to name a few things. Change our door locks was another one. God forbid that never happens though. This killer needs to never get out! Why should we have to live in those circumstances? That is no life for nobody to have to live. Keep him where he belongs — in prison!

Please, we are asking the parole board to say “No” to Thompson's parole. Keep our society safe from killers like him.

The sister of Clarence Evans,

Patty Lowe

Harts



Editor,

I'm writing this letter in regards to the approaching parole board hearing that will take place November 29, 2010, concerning the cold-blooded murderer Derrick Thompson. I'm asking that Thompson's parole be denied because our society doesn't want or need a convicted killer like Thompson walking the streets again.

I'm Brenda Evans Stanley, the sister of the victim, Clarence Evans. I feel the way and the reason Thompson killed my brother is unexcusable to our society. My brother Clarence doesn't get a second chance to come back from the grave that Thompson choose to put Clarence in. So, therefore, I feel Thompson shouldn't have a second chance to live a life when he so carelessly took a precious life — Clarence's.

Thompson hasn't changed. He never will. Thompson tries to put on a good act and hopes it will free him from that prison so he can get out and do it again to someone else.

I definitely feel in my heart that Thompson is and will always continue to be a dangerous, cocky, over-bearing person! I'll explain why I feel so deeply. After killing my brother Clarence in "cold blood," Thompson was released on bond until his murder trial. While out on bond, Thompson "chose" to continue his careless and reckless acts of violence which devasted yet another family's life. Mind you, these two acts were committed within a month and a half apart and while "on bond." Since Thompson was up for murder, the devasting damages Thompson committed to the other family fell by the way side. "Dropped" because the murder took preference, but it doesn't change the fact that Thompson did definitely victimize two different families that he didn't even know — all within a month and a half. So, in my eyes and heart, Thompson is already a "repeat offender." You'd think killing a man he didn't even know for no reason, would have stopped him ... but it didn't and if Thompson ever walks free, he will continue to repeat his old way of life!

Thompson's sentence was "Life." He needs to stop begging for mercy since Thompson showed no mercy to two different families. I ask once again that this parole be denied so our society remains safer with him where he should continue to stay — in prison!

I'd like to thank each of you for your time and, at this point, I can only continue to hope that you, the West Virginia Parole Board, will continue to see through Derrick Thompson's many faces of evil and deny him the chance of repeating his old ways.

Thank you,

Brenda Stanley

McConnell