Agnes Vadas

Truth Be Told: Life Lessons from Death Row Agnes Vadas

Nobody knows how long it will be before Rich is executed - if he is executed. For this, too, is a bewilderment. How he went from being assured by his attorney of manslaughter charges to being on death row is a story that comes to light in the letters, as do the details of a justice system that, once unjustly underway, cannot easily be restored. In November, 2004, when Agi and I sat in the office of Rich's public defender, he told us, "Rich does not belong on death row. And I have very little hope that he will not be executed." He said that publishing the letters might help Rich's cause. As this book goes to press, Agi and Rich have six years of letters between them and no idea of how much time is left. By sharing their letters, they share their hope, most of all, for a future in which the death penalty will no longer exist.