Man whose wife and two daughters were killed in tennessee wildfire says he forgives the two teens accused of starting the huge blaze
Man whose wife and two daughters were killed in tennessee wildfire says he forgives the two teens accused of starting the huge blaze
17 Deceember 2016
published by http://www.dailymail.co.uk
USA A Tennessee man has found it in his heart to forgive the two teens who allegedly started a blaze that killed his family.
Michael Reed, who wrote an open letter to the two teens, lost his wife, Constance Reed and his two daughters, Lily and Chloe Reed.
‘We will pray for you. Every day. We will pray for your parents and your family members. Every day. We will pray for your peace. We will show you grace. Why? Because that’s what Jesus would do,’ he wrote on his Facebook page.
Reed said that he wrote the letter because he wanted to get his feelings off of his chest, USA Today reported.
‘Forgiveness isn’t for you. It is for me. It is for my son. It is for Constance, Chloe and Lily. It is for this community who all lost so much in this tragedy.’
The two teens are accused of starting the wildfires that left 14 dead, injured 175 and destroyed 2,400 homes and businesses.
They are currently sitting in a Sevier County detention center but if they are convicted of aggravated arson, they could each be facing prison terms of 60 years.
If the duo are slapped with more serious charges, including first-degree murder and are convicted, they could be jailed for life.
Reed says the boys are too young to ‘know God’s design’ and ‘haven’t lived enough of life to know the consequences of their actions’.
The deadly wildfires caused more than $500 million in damage as they tore through a tourism community in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
‘If in fact they did set the fire, and they did it on purpose, I cannot think of a punishment severe enough for them,’ Kent Emmons, whose home was destroyed, told CNN.
‘Everything is on the table,’ is how local prosecutor James Dunn presents the case against the juveniles, who remain anonymous because they are under the age of 18.
It’s not yet known whether prosecutors will charge them as adults.
Reed wrote that as ‘humans it is sometimes hard to show grace’.
‘We hold grudges. We stay angry. We point the finger and feel we have to lay the blame somewhere. It’s human nature and completely understandable.
‘But I did not raise my children to live with hate. I did not teach my girls or my son to point the finger at others.’
Reed told the newspaper that he believes his wife would want him to forgive as a testament to God’s devotion in their life.
A bond hearing was supposed to have taken place within three days of their December 7 arrest but so far nothing has been scheduled.
Also, despite charges being levied, authorities have not yet determined if the youths had intentions to do harm to people and property.
The next charge after first-degree murder would be reckless homicide, which is punishable by up to 12 years in prison, or criminally negligent homicide, which is up to six years.
