My sister, Debbie, was a graduate student and employee at California State University, Fullerton. On the morning of July 12, 1976, an angry employee at the university shot and killed seven employees — including my sister — while wounding two others. He had personal grudges against all of his victims. Debbie was 26 years old.
After the mass slaying, the killer drove to a local hotel and called the police, admitted to what he had just done, and was taken into custody. After several years of court proceedings and hung juries as to his mental state, he was found to be “not guilty by reason of insanity.” He has been confined to various state mental institutions, but his lawyers still make attempts to get him released as an “outpatient.” This involves more court proceedings, during which the surviving family members have to relive that awful day over and over again. The two worst days of my life were: 1) identifying the blood soaked body of my sister, and 2) having to inform my parents that their only daughter had been murdered.