In November 2021, a jury found the individual who killed my nephew guilty of first degree murder. At the sentencing hearing, our family was permitted to deliver victim impact statements to the court. Below is my statement, with some enhancements added here:
Twenty three years ago, I lost my father after a long illness and under gut-wrenching circumstances. For two decades, that was easily the biggest loss I had ever experienced. That loss pales in comparison to losing my nephew, Carlos Alfonso, Jr., who was like a son to me. The many things we did together, from camping to riding bike or going on adventures, even if those adventures were just taking a walk around the neighborhood, are among the most cherished memories of my entire life. Those memories now live alone in my mind because the person I shared them with was violently ripped away from me. It's really difficult to find any solace in a loss like this.
But there is a glimmer. Although a sick individual, full of jealousy and rage, dragged our family into the depths of his hellishly dark psyche, we can still see a twinkle of light. As we move closer to the light and the light grows, we see the bright sun shining down on a wide open field. That scene is the last image that crossed my nephew's mind right before his life was prematurely snuffed out. We can imagine a smile spreading across his face as he thought about doing one of the things he loved the most: hunting. Carlos Alfonso, Jr.'s last thought was one of joy. And while Carlos's murderer, consumed by his own demonic forces, was able to take my nephew's life, he was never able to take my nephew's joy.
