LOMPOC, Calif. - Although California Proposition 34 was rejected, it wasn't by a large margin; 47 percent wanted to repeal the death penalty. But you wouldn't think that one of those people was a mother whose loved one was murdered by two men, with one who is now on death row.
Suzy Silva lives in Lompoc. Inside her house, she points to a picture of a 30-year old man with his son at a San Diego Chargers football game.
"They went to a football game together. That's his oldest son when he was younger."
The man in the photo is Elias Silva, one of Suzy's two sons. Elias was stabbed to death in San Diego back in 2004 by two men. The case went to court and Suzy's initial reaction was one any mother would have.
"I wanted them to get the death penalty. It's just such a vicious crime I didn't see why they should live after that."
Elias had 3 children. Suzy remember how difficult it was for the youngest to understand at the time.
"A few days after Elias was killed, we asked the youngest one to come to dinner. He said 'I'm not coming to dinner until my dad comes home'. What are we supposed to tell him?"
One of the convicted murderers is on death row and the other is in prison for life. Over the 8 years since her son's death, Suzy has a different attitude towards the two that committed the crime. And when Prop 34 was introduced, Suzy took the stance to banish the death penalty.
"After I think about it, do we really have the right to do that? I'm already hurting, so do his parents need to hurt too? I'm sure they're hurting because he's going to be in prison the rest of his life."
Despite Prop 34 being rejected, Suzy wants the discussion to end the death penalty in the state to stay open.
"I hope in the future it goes on the ballot and we can vote again."
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