Ken Watson was a bright, intelligent boy who made a bad choice when he accepted a ride from someone he barely knew. As a result, he was killed on October 16, 1981—just days after his 14th birthday.
The young man who was driving the car Ken got into that night had been drinking, even though he was underage. He was speeding and ran a stop sign. The car crested a hill and went airborne for 76 feet, and when it landed, it burst into flames. The driver escaped, but Ken was trapped in the car and was burned alive. He was burned over 99 percent of his body. He suffered no other injuries other than the burns.
At MADD’s National Conference this year, Andie Rehkamp, Ken’s mother and now a MADD Victim Advocate, shared her experience with the criminal justice system in support of the Victims Rights’ Constitutional Amendment. She described how she and her husband were instructed to not speak, or they could be held in contempt of court. The driver’s family was allowed to speak at length about what “a great guy” her son’s killer was and how devastating a strict sentence would be to them, but Ken’s name was not mentioned at all. They were not allowed to give a victim impact statement.
Andie said, “I have assisted thousands of victims and their families in the last 31 years and although there have been many changes and improvements, today there are still victims that do not receive notifications of court proceedings, are not consulted before a plea bargain is offered or given the opportunity to give an oral victim impact statement at sentencing. Now is the time to enact the Victim Rights’ Constitutional Amendment.”
Watch the video of Andie’s emotional speech from conference to hear her tragic story in her own words:
Click here to contact your legislator in support of the Victim Rights’ Constitutional Amendment, that would allow victims, like Andie, to be notified and attend court proceedings, to give an oral victim impact statement at sentencing and to seek restitution.
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