On February 22nd of this year, it will mark 11 years since the tragic death of Jake Robel, my
cousin and childhood friend. Although so much time has passed, and I was so young at the time, I can still
remember everything about that heartbreaking time. It was indeed an event that not only has shaken my
family up forever, but it has had an effect on the entire nation as they watched all the major news stations
and talk shows, including Oprah, share this gut-tearing story.
I was but 7 years old at the time. However, I remember a lot more than most 7 year olds should
attain from something so mind-blowing. It was the morning of February 23, 2000. I was in the 2nd grade,
and I remember waking up for school, as my mom walked in the room. She told me and my two siblings
to come into the living room. I was so young and tired that I recall not fully comprehending everything
she was saying. However, with a year of therapy, I now fully understand the situation. My cousin and
companion, Jake Robel, was murdered at the tender age of 6 years old.
It was mid afternoon in Independence, MO when my cousin, Christy, drove with her 6 year old
son to a sandwich shop. She went in to grab something and left him in the back seat, with the keys in the
car, which, back in the day, was common for a lot of people to do. As she was waiting in line, someone
inside who knew her started screaming, telling her that her car was being stolen. She ran out to see a man
getting in her car, while her son was still buckled up in the back seat. He started reversing the car, as it
took him a minute to get out of the parking spot; she ran to the car and tried to get her son out. However,
as she tried to pull him out of the car she realized he was still buckled in. Before she could undo it, the
man began to speed off, leaving my cousin entangled in his seat belt, being dragged by the car. Although
everyone within a viewing distance was screaming at the man to stop the car and let the child go, he did
not listen. For 5 miles at 80 mph, the man did not listen.
I won’t talk about the other gruesome details of the occurrence, as you can easily Google this
story and find them all yourselves.
The man, whom I refer to, is named Kim Davis. I will never forget his face, just as I will never
forget the pain I saw in my family’s eyes for the two years it took for justice. Davis, a previously
convicted criminal had just gotten released from jail the day of the murder. He stated that he decided to
steal the car because he was waiting for his sister to pick him up from the sandwich shop and that she was
taking too long. My cousin’s death happened because a man simply did not feel like “waiting”. Well a
year and a half after the incident, Davis forever “waits” as he was convicted of 1st degree murder with a
sentence of life in prison without eligibility of probation or parole.
No one really knows why things as horrible as this have to happen. We could spend an entire
lifetime wondering, asking, and pleading for an answer. All I can come up with is that sometimes, bad
stuff just happens. Bad things happen to good people for no reason, and at anytime. That’s why this event
has changed my life in such an outstanding manner. I take from this story a reason to love the ones you
have for as long as you have them. Appreciate each day of life, for each day is, in fact, a gift.