Jedidiah’s Murphy’s life as a child is all too familiar with those who follow the death penalty. Poverty, violence, physical and sexual abuse, starvation, abandonment, and the resulting mental illnesses are the life experiences so many incarcerated people grow up with, particularly those sentenced to death.

While Jedidiah Murphy admitted his guilt in his case, he expressed remorse almost daily. His mental health issues were treated while he was living on death row, and he eventually regained a sense of self-worth. He was a mentor and a friend to many.

(If only people ever forgave me when I expressed remorse for my mistakes…)