Mark, Emily and I read the script of the recent Channel 5 Dallas NBC interview with Leslie (McWhorter) Michaels.  The interview and the ensuing letters alluding to "all" of the families "forgiving" Ricky Carter is not completely accurate.  We have always respected Leslie's and anyone else's right to say they have "forgiven" Ricky Carter. We love them all dearly.  We, on the other hand, would like to think that our right NOT to "forgive" him is respected as well.   

When Ricky Carter chose to drive drunk, he chose the possibility to kill.  It was not an “accident”.  We do not believe that God either expects or wants us to assume the responsibility of forgiving this man who killed our daughter, Lacey.   We believe God knows the devastation and destruction Ricky Carter delivered to our family and the families of the Mandi, Staci and Whitney. We believe God knows that we each have a part of our heart that is permanently broken. We believe only God has the power to "Forgive" sins.  And we believe that Ricky Carter's chance for Forgiveness lies in God's hands, not ours. 

We also believe that God wants us to have Faith, stand firm and act on what we know is right and just, and find a way to keep our loss of Lacey and our grief from destroying what remains of the gift of life He gave us.  We are doing our very best to do each of these things.  Our hearts will never “heal”, but we are working hard learning to “live” with our terrible loss.  Ten years have passed, and we know fully that we will be “learning” for the rest of our lives…until the day we see Lacey again.  Until that time, we will “live” with purpose and conviction.

Our unending quest to see that Ricky Carter serves every day of his 20 year sentence is certainly an unwanted and uninvited part of our daily lives.  We believe that making him serve the sentence in its entirety is what is just and what is right.  Anything less would be yet another crime.  Revenge has nothing to do with it.  Forgiveness from us or anyone else is not a factor either. 

We send our sincere love and gratitude to everyone who is speaking out for our daughter, the girls and the future safety of others through their letters to the parole board.  We know how difficult it is to relive this tragedy over and over again.

With deepest regards,

Mark, Liz and Emily Osina                                        

Father, Mother and Sister of Lacey Elizabeth Osina