Vicky Coward's Lesson

VICKY COWARD'S LESSON

Vicky Coward wanted to tell lawmakers about her son’s murder as they weighed the fate of Connecticut’s death penalty. They were more interested in hearing from a white guy from Cheshire instead.

A guy named William Petit.

Coward and Petit both lost family members to murders in 2007, their lives forever changed by tragedy.

They both traveled to the state Capitol this spring to add their voices to a debate over whether to repeal Connecticut’s ultimate sanction. The legislature had voted to do so two years ago, only to have its measure vetoed by a Republican governor. With a new anti-death penalty governor in office ready to sign an abolition bill, the stage was set for repeal.

Until Petit, who survived the horrific attack on his family, spoke face to face with legislators. They listened to him. He convinced two lawmakers to change their minds and keep the death penalty in place. The abolition bill died. He inspired Edith Prague, the key senator to change her position, to offer this reasoning: ““They should bypass the trial and take that second animal and hang him by his penis from a tree out in the middle of Main Street.”

Along with other parents of murder victims, Coward went up to the Capitol at 9 a.m. on March 7. She waited until 1 a.m. for a turn to address the Judiciary Committee, which was considering the abolition bill.

She returned last week for a last-ditch lobbying effort by the group. She spent hours stopping by legislators’ offices. Despite their efforts, the abolition bill died in committee for this session.

Coward did get to see one state representative, who told her she had a “powerful” story but remained noncommittal. Staffers for all the other legislators, including Prague, told Coward their bosses were too busy.  (Prague didn’t return a call seeking comment for this story.)