Justice & mercy

Crime | When a repentant man goes free for another man’s murder, how do survivors cope? | Lynn Vincent

Sunday, March 26: Another brilliant day in Newport Beach, Calif. Edward Stephenson, 77, rose from bed, shuffled outside, stooped in the driveway to retrieve the morning paper. He carried the paper back inside, fed his toy poodle, poured a bowl of cereal, scanned the headlines.

All the while, Mr. Stephenson also did what he's done every day for more than 20 years: He tried not to think about James Tramel.

Four hundred miles north, Rev. James Tramel snapped on his clerical collar, donned his vestments, and prepared for a milestone morning. Ordained as an Episcopal priest in 2005, on March 26 he presided for the first time over a worship service at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Berkeley. As he does every day, Mr. Tramel also prayed for Edward Stephenson. Mr. Stephenson's son, Michael, has been dead for over 20 years. And Mr. Tramel helped to kill him.

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April 08, 2006, Vol. 21, No. 14

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