Redemption
On November 10, 2006, Frank Bingham and his wife, Becca decided to take the light rail downtown for a little outing with their children, Macie, 4 and Garrison, 2. They got some hot chocolate, then started across the street at the intersection of Arapahoe and 15Th Street. Lawrence Trujillo and his passenger, Eric Snell, had spent the past few hours hitting bars and strip clubs. Trujillo, who was so intoxicated that he later said he couldn't remember even driving the pickup truck he was in, blew through the red light at the intersection and hit the Bingham family, killing Becca and the two children and injuring Frank. Witnesses said the brake lights came on briefly after the impact, then the truck sped away. The front license plate, which later would be used to identify Trujillo as the killer, was torn loose by the force of the crash and was left at the scene. A security camera at the intersection also caught the accident on tape.
Yesterday, Mr. Trujillo appeared in court in what was supposed to be a status hearing preliminary to his trial next week. Instead, Mr. Trujillo pleaded guilty to all 13 counts against him There was no plea bargain or any other deal; he just decided that he would take his punishment and not make Frank Bingham relive the horror of that night, especially the video of his wife and children being shredded by the truck. By doing this, Trujillo virtually guarantees himself a true life sentence. He could be sentenced to a total of 174 years in prison. He is now 36 years old.
I think that this is one of the most remorseful defendants I have ever seen. I certainly don't condone what he did. There was absolutely no excuse for it and he deserves to be severely punished. Judging from his demeanor and attitude, I would not be surprised if he spent the remainder of his life on his knees, praying for the souls of the people he killed and asking forgiveness. I hope that, by putting an end to the legal part of this situation, Frank Bingham can find some peace and move forward with his life. I'm sure that he will never forget but, maybe someday, he can forgive.
On November 10, 2006, Frank Bingham and his wife, Becca decided to take the light rail downtown for a little outing with their children, Macie, 4 and Garrison, 2. They got some hot chocolate, then started across the street at the intersection of Arapahoe and 15Th Street. Lawrence Trujillo and his passenger, Eric Snell, had spent the past few hours hitting bars and strip clubs. Trujillo, who was so intoxicated that he later said he couldn't remember even driving the pickup truck he was in, blew through the red light at the intersection and hit the Bingham family, killing Becca and the two children and injuring Frank. Witnesses said the brake lights came on briefly after the impact, then the truck sped away. The front license plate, which later would be used to identify Trujillo as the killer, was torn loose by the force of the crash and was left at the scene. A security camera at the intersection also caught the accident on tape.
Yesterday, Mr. Trujillo appeared in court in what was supposed to be a status hearing preliminary to his trial next week. Instead, Mr. Trujillo pleaded guilty to all 13 counts against him There was no plea bargain or any other deal; he just decided that he would take his punishment and not make Frank Bingham relive the horror of that night, especially the video of his wife and children being shredded by the truck. By doing this, Trujillo virtually guarantees himself a true life sentence. He could be sentenced to a total of 174 years in prison. He is now 36 years old.
I think that this is one of the most remorseful defendants I have ever seen. I certainly don't condone what he did. There was absolutely no excuse for it and he deserves to be severely punished. Judging from his demeanor and attitude, I would not be surprised if he spent the remainder of his life on his knees, praying for the souls of the people he killed and asking forgiveness. I hope that, by putting an end to the legal part of this situation, Frank Bingham can find some peace and move forward with his life. I'm sure that he will never forget but, maybe someday, he can forgive.
