Most of us have seen it...on tv or in a movie. A young kid on the verge of puberty riding along on his bike when suddenly the clouds part and a ray of sunshine falls upon the form of a girl emerging from her new home. The boy, who has never noticed such things before, is suddenly awestruck by her beauty and stares - utterly transfixed...right up until he plows into a tree in her front yard and goes flying head over ass into the ground. The thing is, it wasn't a movie or a tv show. Not for me. I have the dubious honor of having actually ridden into a tree the day I first noticed man's bane - the girl.
It was 1983, and I was 11 years old. Her name was Charla Wheat and she had just moved into the house two doors down from me. The house had been recently vacated by the family of my friend Tina, and I was still somewhat upset about the move. I think that's why I looked over in the first place...just chasing some old ghosts. But whatever made me look over, my life would never be the same again.
I wasn't popular (or attractive) as a kid, so I think that slowed my social development. Before Charla I had never really had the need to meet new people. But as I lay there in the grass, bleeding from various points of sudden flora impact, the only thing I could ponder was how I was going to get up the nerve to talk to this girl. Charla took care of that for me and suddenly I was looking up into the face of angel, asking me if I was ok. I'll save you the suspense, she was never interested in me that way; but we did become very good friends. Six years later Charla moved away so her father could take over a new ministry in Texas. You know, I never have forgiven that house for sending away all the women in my life.
In 1991, just a year and-a-half after moving, Charla was stabbed to death. There was a knock on the door of her apartment...she opened it and found Billy Ray Nelson, a neighbor. Nelson gained entrance to Wheat's apartment by asking if he could use her phone. Once inside, he cut the telephone cord to prevent her from calling for help and then proceeded to stab her. He then found Wheat's roommate, Carol Maynard, who was five months pregnant at the time, and forced her to get out of bed and enter the living room, where Wheat was on her knees bleeding from her stab wounds. Nelson told the women to remove their clothing and threatened to kill them if they refused. He then forced the women to perform sexual acts on him and each other. Thereafter, he stabbed Maynard in the neck and proceeded to strike Wheat. Nelson left briefly but Wheat began screaming and he returned. While Maynard pretended to be dead, Nelson struck and stabbed Wheat until she died. He then left the women's apartment.
That was the day my compassion for criminals died too.
I found out about it after the man had been arrested. That's quite probably the only reason he's still alive. He has no idea how lucky he is, because I would make absolutely certain that he was a very long time in dying. What pisses me off about it most is that his appeals case has become central to the capital punishment debate, especially with regards to Texas law. So instead of remembering Charla when his name is brought up, people will remember him and how he is to praise and thank for his part in getting people 'justice'. Last I checked his death sentence had been commuted by a ruling of the court. I don't know...maybe some day some slick lawyer will find a way to get him released on a bleeding heart technicality... hahahahhaha, bleeding heart...the irony. Well, should that day come I will rejoice. On that day Billy Ray Nelson will begin the long journey into death.
I still have the picture Charla gave me in my wallet. It's right on top of her obituary from our local paper. I miss you Charla.
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