(LEXINGTON) A court case in connection to the April 19, 2015
murder of Salahuddin Jitmoud, who was stabbed to death and robbed while
delivering a pizza in Lexington, Kentucky had everybody in tears when the
father openily forgave Trey Relford the
man who murdered his son.
Dr. Abdul-Munim Sombat Jitmoud remembered his son as a gentle, generous, and shy young man. He said that his son had just 'one more delivery' to make the night he was murdered, making his death all the more tragic. At the end of his speech, he shocked the court when he turned to his son's killer and said he doesn't blame him for what happened.
'I'm angry at the devil who misguided you to do such a crime,'
His speech went so far as to move the judge, who wiped away
a tear before calling a recess. When
court resumed, Relford's mother took the stand and described how her son had a
great childhood but descended into drug abuse as a teen. 'I take total, full responsibility for the
loss of your beautiful son,' Relford's mother told Dr. Jitmoud. 'I am deeply
sorry for your loss. I am shocked at your forgiveness.' Eventually, Relford
himself apologized for what happened. 'I'm
sorry about what happened that day,' Relford said. 'I do applaud you because it
takes a powerful man to know that someone has hurt them and to get up there and
say what you just said. I can't imagine the hurt, the pain. There's nothing I
can do ... I thank you for your forgiveness.'
Unfortunately for Relford, the judge wasn’t as forgiving as
the father and sent him down for 31 years, meaning he will be 55 when he
finally becomes a free man.
