The Redemption of Charles Griffith

[VeuveClicquotNJ]

In 1984 in Miami, a beautiful little 2 year old girl named Joy suffered brain damage when in a freak accident, her neck became wedged in the footrest of a reclining chair at her grandfather's house. Left permanently and irreparably brain-damaged, she lay in coma in Miami Childrens' Hospital. Her father Charles, separated from Joy's mother, visited the little girl almost daily - sometimes for hours.

In June of 1985, after one such visit, Charles Griffith, who by every account I've ever read had almost literally lost his mind when Joy was injured, shot Joy twice in the chest - killing her. He discarded the gun and quietly surrendered to a security guard.

http://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/30/us...imself-in.html

Charged with first degree murder, he was convicted of the same and sentenced to life in prison. In a deal worked out by a Dade County circuit judge, Griffith's attorney and the prosecutor, he plead guilty to 2nd degree murder and with time served and good behavior, was released on 6 years probation in 1995.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/199...leroy-griffith


His and Joy's story was featured in the great book "The Corpse Had A Familiar Face" by famed Pulitzer Prize-winning Miami Herald crime writer Edna Buchanan. She covered both Joy's accident and her death extensively and wrote sympathetically about Charles Griffith. I highly recommend the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Corpse-Had-Fam...+familiar+face


I have often wondered what became of Charles Griffith and tonight, an idle Google search gave me the answer.

He went through some predictably rough times once he was out of jail. He had begun drinking after Joy was injured and took it back up after his release.

http://www.livinghealthy360.com/inde...ourself-35659/



He's been sober a while now, and this is what he has done to honor Joy:

http://www.itsallinthejourney.com/index.html

http://www.joyshouse.info/home.html

The sober house is in some difficulty now - here's a link to the Miami Herald article, but it appears to require registration to read it easily (you can get the meat of the story by literally reading between the lines):

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loca...le1977310.html

From Charles's magazine - It's All In The Journey:


This magazine came about to fulfill a promise I made
to my daughter last Father’s Day.

I promised her that I would live a life that would make
her proud of me. It was the first visit I’d had with her
clean & sober in 21 years.


It was at her graveside.

Joy got entangled in the footrest of her grandfather’s
recliner chair, and the weight of her body closed it
around her neck, strangling her.

She spent nine months in a vegetative state before I
took it upon myself to decide that she would be better
off dead, than to exist like she was for the next 30-40
years. That was in June 1985. My first day without a
drink or a drug after that was in May 2006.


After Joy’s accident I did not believe in God, and
hated Him if He was real.

When I finally gave up? When I finally got a sponsor
and worked the steps?

I met God.
Nice guy.

He has put people in my path that have made this
magazine possible and for it to grow!

He is helping me keep my promise to Joy.


VCNJ~