Ramona H. Stafford
It has been fourteen years since my husband, Stephen W. Stafford, was shot to death at our store in Forsyth County. A jury sentenced the shooter, Robbie Lyons, to death in 1994. After nine years of appeals, he was executed in December, 2003. The judge sentenced the codefendant to life in prison as arranged in a plea bargain. I have been voicing my opposition to his release with the Parole Commission since 2003. Copies of my letters fill several folders that I have written to justices, judges, legislators, attorney generals, governors, AOC and others for justice for survivors of murder and against the injustices I have experienced since 1993. Phone calls and emails are countless.
I have actively pursued legislation to secure the right of victim's families to witness executions, expedite the post conviction process, and pursue crime victims' rights, and have been an active participant in Victims' Rights Week by speaking of my experiences as a victim in April of 2002 at the Capitol. In 2005, I was guest speaker for the Randolph County Remembrance Program.
Speaking at the meeting of the Forsyth Republican Women, I shared my experience as a homicide survivor and wrote articles for their publication. In addition, I spoke to the Davidson County support group on a couple of occasions and have been a regular writer to the editor of the Winston Salem Journal. I also filed a grievance with the NC State Bar against a defense attorney who allowed his client, Robbie Lyons, to commit fraud upon the court with regard to the aliases used by him in prior crimes to avoid prosecution.
On several occasions I have spoken to the House Select Committee on issues of capital punishment, felony murder rule, and most recently in February 2007, on bills that would adversely affect justice for heinous crimes.
I have been a member of the North Carolina Victim Assistance Network for a number of years and previously on the NCVAN board from 2003-2009. In September 2006, I was appointed to serve as an alternate victim advocate on the NC Innocence Inquiry Commission. It is with honor that I serve on each to assist with justice for victims.
