The following is the complete text of a letter written by the mother of murder victim Victor “Charlie” Gallegos-De La Rosa and read aloud in court during Thursday’s sentencing hearing for Chaz Stringer, the teen convicted of killing the 29-year-old restaurant worker during an attempted armed robbery. The letter, written in May 2007, came from Durango, Mexico, and was addressed to the Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney. It was translated by a court interpreter.

“I’m writing to greet and thank you for what you are doing on behalf of my deceased son, Victor Manuel Gallegos-De La Rosa, and for us.

You must know that never in all our lives would we have expected a tragedy like the one that took my son.

Well, I knew that ‘Charlie’ as he was known by all, was a hard worker and honest young man, and he never hurt anyone. We were not worried about him working in that country, being that he was a good guy. We never even imagined that something like that could happen.

The person who did this to my son cannot even imagine the hurt that he has caused us, because by killing him, he also killed all of our hopes, leaving in our hearts and in our home, sadness, unpleasantness and pain, but above all, bitterness with life.

You can’t comprehend how it is that after having caused us such great hurt by ending the dreams and life of a young man that was good and much loved by so many people the possibility might exist that he might be able to come out of jail by posting bond. Because we feel there is not enough money in the world that would be enough to pay for what he did to us and to a person who was exemplary and who was always caring for me, in helping me economically as well as morally. He was my sustenance.

Being that our family consisted of him and my older son, who is already living his own life, and myself, now my life has totally been changed. I am now left in absolute moral, economical and physical misery. As well as my oldest son, who now makes an effort to help me out while at the same time having to support his own family. Maybe the person who ended my son’s life will repent of what he did and will ask God for forgiveness. But we will never forgive what he did to us, and all we can do is pray to God that the honorable judge will be just, and apply the punishment he deserves.

Because when he killed him, we were killed also. Because no one can imagine the pain that we are feeling, and that is going to last for the rest of our lives.

So I ask to please help us so that justice may be done, and I ask that God will enlighten the honorable judge, so that he can accept the evidence that you have against my son’s murderer, so he can be punished the way he deserves.

I have confidence in God, and you, and the laws of that country. Being that I have been made aware that over there the laws are very strict, and I am hoping that it will be this way in this case as well. And that the crime committed against my son will not go unpunished. Please, I am asking you for your help so that justice may be done. In the same manner, I will always be grateful for you keeping me informed of the outcome of this case.

Sincerely,
Rosa Maria De La Rosa Martinez
Durango, Mexico”