Dear Family Members:

I have read your excellent websites and just want to state my sympathy for your organization and the families of the members who are dead in the Ricky/Angela Smith affair. It was a real tragedy for everybody both the family and friends of the murderer, Ricky and Angela Smith, his victim.

Due to the fact that murder is largely unknown to most of you, I can tell from your letters that most of you are shocked. Unfortunately as a worldly guy whose faith in God and Jesus was affected long ago due to what I’ve seen in organized religion and in the world, I am not shocked just saddened especially since I feel I may have met Angela Smith when I was a kid in VA.

The sad truth is what happened to Ricky and Angela Smith a year and a half ago is so commonplace in the world now in days that it just doesn’t shock me. Truthfully, the only thing that shocked me is that Ricky obviously came from a spiritual family background where he was surounded by family and friends. In many ways, he had it better than many of us in the world who are pretty much alone. Also, he was good friends with the victim who trusted him and that is really creepy but not really shocking as it too happens all to often, more often in large cities but also in rural areas in the world we live in today.

This leads me to the sad fact. The drama of what happened to Ricky and Angela Smith happens at least 20 times a year just in this country perpetuated by people who never had anything to do with The Family who are ostenstibly members or former members of mainstream, Christian Sects. Yet these Sects are never criticized for the actions of these members so why was The Family singled out so much during the media report of this tragedy?

A major difference between The Family and the other Sects though is that this murder is so shocking to The Family’s members and the public at large because it is the first time such a murder has happened between Family members while similar acts happen many more times between members of other mainstream Sects who are never mentioned in relation to their members’ actions! The second major difference; Ricky killed himself which showed some sense of guilt for his actions against Angela Smith whereas others who do similar crimes feel no guilt for their actions and seek to use their obviously warped mental condition to escape capital punishment and earn their freedom.

This is what sadly shocks a hardened man of the world like me; that Ricky, deep in his soul, had some sense of right and wrong and was not totally evil like some of the other malfactors of heinous crimes are that I have heard of and continue to hear about because that isn’t the norm for a murderer’s behavior.

Therefore, Ricky’s family can at least have some consolation that he definitely showed himself influenced by a better background of positive moral values than the vast majority of murderers that I hear about on a daily/weekly/monthly basis! It seems to me that a valid case can be made that had he stayed within the value system and society of The Family and not exposed himself to people who altered his immature perceptions and caused him to hate those he once loved, he most probably would have turned out ok as a person.

Thus, those who have an axe to grind against The Family are at least somewhat blameworthy for what he did. Since the media likes to dig up dirt, why aren’t they investigating the actions and lifestyles of some of The Family’s detractors? It is my belief that among The Family’s critics are those with some really evil inclinations who have proven The Family’s leadership to have positive values by NOT allowing them continued fellowship with them because they have evil tendencies! It is obvious Ricky had a problem caused by anger which seemed to me was triggered by those who have an axe to grind with your organization.

Best Wishes:
D. P.