This has been on my heart and mind now for the last couple of weeks, and so I think maybe if I write about it, it might help me move on. On the 4th of July, there was a sad and tragic thing that happened at my home church in Jeff City. Our old music leaders son went missing. Out of the blue a young, 19 year old boy named Jeff was all of a sudden gone. His parents were out of town that weekend and came home on Sunday night and couldn't find Jeff anywhere. They published a missing persons ad on the front page of the local paper asking anyone who knew anything to please go to the police. As the days went on, the worse case scenarios play in your head. But I don't think anyone would have thought that it could be this bad. A week later on Sunday the 13th, the front page of the paper read, that Jeff's body had been found and that 3 boys were in custody. One of the boys that they said was the main suspect also went to our church. News like that totally blows your mind. How can you wrap your mind around boys that you grew up with, went to church together and were raised in great, loving and caring homes, end up with such a sad ending? To this day its hard to wrap my head around this. The boy suspected of killing, who's name is Gabe, was a good kid, at least when I knew him. I went on a skiing trip with him, worked on the TV ministry at church with him and knew he was smart as a whip. As the story kept unfolding as the days went on, the other 2 boys that were with him that night, didn't know that Gabe was going to kill Jeff. They were in fear of their lives, once they saw what he did to Jeff. After shooting him 3 times, he set his body on fire. Gabe is awaiting trail.
What's so hard to think about is the families. Think about Jeff's family. Their son was murdered over what boiled down to be a $100. Jeff's parents, Tony and Pam are great Christan people. I have never seen them without big smiles on their faces. They love other people so much and are so willing to help anyone out whenever there is a need. Then there is Gabe's family. His parents were Sunday School teachers to my brother when he was younger. His dad is high ranking in the Highway Patrol. They too always have big smiles on their faces. They are very caring people, who I know, have raised their son to be better than that. My mind is baffled at the thought of all that has gone one. Can you imagine raising your kids the best way you know how, raise them in church, teach them right and wrong and then they grow up and make this stupid mistake that will affect so many people from here on out? Needless to say our town, church and families are all broken up about this. Both families have lost their sons. I will continue to pray for the Ward and the Word families. They are good people and I know God will carry them through this very hard time.