From: Samuel Peck, 23

It’s hard been hard for me to fathom the atrocious deed committed by Ricky Rodriguez. I can’t grasp his way of thinking; I can’t imagine how a human being could be motivated to do such a thing. My response to the news of his murder of Angela Smith and subsequent suicide has been very much the same as my response to the news that two students at Columbine High School in Colorado murdered their classmates in cold blood—utter and complete shock. Grief has its stages, the psychologists have told us, I’m still in the first stage—shock.

My brother died almost 3 years ago at the age of 16; it was a very difficult time from which my family and I are still recovering. When someone close to you dies it leaves a wound which takes time to heal. After John died I would be walking through the house, and something would remind me of him and I would start to cry. I cried because I knew I would never share another moment with him, and that another chance to share with him the love and companionship of a brother would never come again, and I cried for my parents. For years my parents had tried to no avail to come up with a solution to his complex medical condition, and now his life was over. Unexpectedly his life had been ripped from our hands. What could we do now? Could we have prevented his death? I knew they felt guilty, I knew they blamed themselves. I tried to comfort them as best I could, reassuring them they had done all they could to keep John with us. We all cried together.

Last week I cried for the families of Ricky Rodriguez and Angela Smith, having known the pain I couldn’t help but cry. Please know that my prayers and sympathies are with you.

Recently my sorrow has turned to horror as I watched and read the media reports regarding the situation. I can’t help but contemplate the horrible pain the coverage I have seen thus far must be causing in the hearts of those who loved the murder victim—Angela Smith. What would have happened to my family if my parents had been blamed for my brother’s death, if their names had been smeared in the media as they were trying to cope with the loss of their very special son? Would the wounds have ever healed? If the guilt they were already feeling had been compounded over and over again through sensationalistic journalism, I can only imagine what would have happened. I pray for the family of Angela Smith, for them to be given superhuman grace and strength of spirit, it’s the least I can do as a moral human being.

The media coverage I have seen thus far has infuriated me. Where are the grieving relatives of the murder victim? Who are you getting your information from about this young man’s childhood, and the childhood of children within the Family International?

I happen to be an authority on growing up in the Family International; you see, I was born and raised within the fellowship. My name is Samuel Peck. I am 23 years old and I was never physically, sexually, or psychologically abused, and I never knew anybody that was. To the contrary my life within the Family International has given me a zest for life and a desire to help my fellow man. I have personally met hundreds of the young people within the Family International in the course of my adult life, each with a unique desire and volition to make the world a better place. Several of my friends within the Family International are helping with the Tsunami Relief in Thailand and the surrounding areas.

Where is the rampant sexual abuse, routine psychological badgering, and widespread emotional deprivation the Family International is being accused of? I’ll tell you where it is– NOWHERE!

I make up my own mind about situations and events and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I generally assume that people are telling me the truth unless I have reason to believe otherwise. Call me naïve and gullible, but I really don’t like to judge people before I know all the facts. I had heard some allegations of sexual or physical abuse albeit rare, within our organization, and I felt sorry for those who had been abused within our fellowship. However, a line has now been crossed; I can no longer feel true sympathy for a man who brutally murdered a helpless woman, or his so called friends who are now blaming the murder on me! There was a time when Ricky Rodriguez and his bitter friends had a few shreds of credibility in my eyes, but now all that credibility is gone. I can no longer assume they are telling the truth. Now that they are lying about me and my way of life, I can’t believe anything they have to say.

I would like to make an appeal to all news media producers and newspaper editors: please set aside for one moment your desire for terrific ratings, increased viewers, and sensational headlines, and pick up your human decency. Tell our side of the story, the side of the story that has been almost untold in the past weeks. Give us a chance on your program to give a clear picture of what the Family International really is—a wonderful organization of caring individuals passionate about changing the world for the better. The damage has already been done by some, there are news programs that aired or papers that were printed which cannot be retracted. However tomorrow, next week, and in the month to come you alone decide how you will treat the grieving family of the victim. Please for the pity’s sake; listen to the majority of young people who have been in the Family International for decades, rather than the minority of several disgruntled and hateful apostates.

Sam Peck is a second-generation member of The Family International