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| Donald Edward Worrell 1943-2019 2015 photo |
Sometime on September 23, 2019, Donald Edward Worrell, age 76, hanged himself in his cell at the Buckingham Correctional Center. According to a friend of his, Mr. Worrell, was a "tall, gentle, humble, soft spoken man" who had been denied parole for the 21st time for a crime he committed forty years ago.
"I've never seen Donny raise his voice at anyone or do anything violent towards anyone all the years that I have known him," a fellow prisoner testified, "He was just a humble, easy going guy."
"I've never seen Donny raise his voice at anyone or do anything violent towards anyone all the years that I have known him," a fellow prisoner testified, "He was just a humble, easy going guy."
According to inside reports, Mr. Worrell had begun attending Sunday night church services several months ago, but failed to show up on Sunday, September 22.
Suicides are an all too familiar tragedy in Virginia prisons, where even model prisoners are denied release time after time on the basis of "the seriousness of the crime," no matter how transformed they have become since their crime or crimes have been committed.
Adrianne Bennett, chair of the Virginia Parole Board, is known to have said that the remaining prisoners legally eligible for parole under the "old law" (incarcerated before parole was abolished in 1995) are the "worst of the worst" in terms of the crimes for which they have been sentenced.
But what if, due to an offender's personal penitence and thorough change of life, he or she may have joined the ranks of the "best of the best," having demonstrated the ability to be infraction free in the worst environment imaginable, a state prison?
People of faith believe in a God who is capable of bringing about that very kind of transformation in anyone who sincerely seeks it.
And after all, isn't the DOC all about "corrections'?
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Here's what another fellow inmate wrote in honor of Mr. Worrell:
"I'm Done"
No more time to waste, I'm near the end of the line...
I've given it my all - and now I've run out of time...
In my heart - remains the fond memories of close family and friends...
And yet, here, I dissolve away - my spirit driven into finality.
"I'm Done" - I say - for they have no more to hold over top my head.
Maybe they'll regret me being gone, when I'm gone to the dead.
I pray one or two - or even a few, will remember my joyful ways.
And they could find strength in it - to live much brighter days.
Yes, "I'm Done" - I say, for only to God do I cling.
No more wasted time, I'm leaving it behind - "This I must Do."
Please remind those who struggle - my fight was until the end.
Live in peace and be wise, this is my final message to you I send.
"I'm Done," and it's okay - I'm going to live in the spiritual realm.
Because I'm on the high seas with God, and He's the only One at the helm.
Written by R. L. White (9/24/2019)
"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wing I take refuge until the storm passes by." Psalms 57:1
16 comments:
This is heartbreaking. Let's all of us work harder, push harder for change. How much punishment is enough...
How could we become so inhumane that we think Donald is so much more evil than any of us that we have lost our compassion, grace, and hope in healing and transformation because we falsely think somehow that we are better and more humane than Donald. Shame on us!
Donald Worrell was my friend and he will be sorely missed, but fondly remembered. Rest In Peace, my friend. Your sorrow has finally ended.
Donald Hoffman, aka #116264 & #1122918
My husband and i knew donnie hr was a good manthough hi crime was bad 40 years ago time changes a person and the parole process needs a major overhaul there are many others like donnie facing the same situation who can be productive members of society. Let he who is without sin throw the stones in reality only one person has that right and he didnt
When these felons were convicted prior to 1995, the judges sentenced them according to the time that they would be eligible for parole, calculating their time as if they were infraction free and doing what was required by their counselors. To change the laws of sentencing for persons after a date is one thing, but to sentence a person under one set of sentencing guidelines and then change the laws and hold these persons according to a law they were never convicted under is a travesty of the gravest order. That is not justice, it is a miscarriage of justice. Parole ended AFTER 1995 not before. All of those convicted prior to 1995 are still eligible for parole and should be given parole under the standards by which they were convicted. The parole board knows that these men and women are their bread and butter. If they let them all go, they will be out of a job. To not consider this aspect of corruption is to overlook the fact that a government without checks and balances is as criminal as any of those currently incarcerated.
We knew Donny when he was young and happy and fun to talk to . He cared about his friends and family. So sad to think he ended his life and didn't enjoy them one more time. Rest in God's arms! We love you. Carol
Donald Worrell started a bad life from birth.If you are never loved,held or cuddled as a child you are not able to comprehend how to love or respect your life or anyone elses.He was my cousin by marriage.His mother left him in a rural town with his grandfather and 2 uncles that were drunks and from infancy on treated him brutally.She didn't go back to get him until he was 9 years old after she married my uncle.By then the damage was done.He would give you the shirt off his back or even kill for you if he liked you.He was a gentle giant but killing meant nothing to him.May he rest in peace!
Dear Mr. Yoder, as a little girl I knew this man very briefly. He was friends with my uncle and I remember him to be a nice man. Before the incident I remember my grandmother sending me to a little bar around the corner from her house in Richmond VA and Donald Worrell I believe was the owner of the bar/restaurant on Hull Street in Richmond VA. I went to get my grandmother a sandwich there and told him who I was and who my relatives were. This was probably around the early to mid 1970's. He spoke highly of my grandmother and uncle and was very courteous to me. I also briefly remember going to his house with my aunt and uncle in the early 1960's and I believe he had a son. While working at the Richmond Times Dispatch I read the article regarding the murder that he allegedly was involved in. My uncle, my grandmother, my mother and several other relatives found it hard to believe that Donald committed the crimes. I don't want the downplay the seriousness of the offense or the sadness it may have caused the families. Do you know the dates that his offense occurred. Next time I visit Virginia I was thinking about going to a library and searching the microfiche to read the story again. It seems he and another fellow resembled each other in height and stature and the other guy was also considered a possibility in the horrendous crime but in the end the other guy was let go and Donald was convicted. I am encouraged to know that he may have accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior but sad that he took his own life. if you happen to know of any information regarding his case I would be interested. I would like to review it because it has stayed with me my whole life wondering how such a nice person could have committed such a crime. My email address is rsineathm82@yahoo.com. Thanking you in advance for your consideration. Renee Mitchell
My name is Olympia, Donald Worrell was the love of my life, while you that threatened his family's life may think you are free of punishment are STILL going to stand in judgement for the killing that Donald gave his life for. I know who you are and GOD knows who you are. God will straighten your wicked ways out at the white throne judgment. Donald Dis the prime example of love minus suicide. He didn't want anything to happen to his son or grandchildren, The cowards that let him take your fall will burn forever in hell. Donald loved me with his whole heart, some may have thought you stole his heart but you didn't. You are Still Southside trash. I pray for your soul Donnie, and hope there is a purgatory so I can see you in heaven,
Your true love,
Olympia
Wow I was a good friend of Donnie at Powhatan back in the 80s we called him jed yes you know him very gentle easy guy but someone who was not to screwed with ....man I been out since 2008 and I just found this out he was one of the solidist dude to walk the yard in the va prison system almost everyone loved the guy
I was at Nottoway correctional center with Donald, I called him zz top.he was definitely a good person.
Donald and Luke Lucas took five innocent lives. You live by the sword you die by the sword.
This article states Worrell was denied parole "for a crime he committed 40 years ago" but conveniently and maliciously leave out that the crime was MURDER. Not just 1 MURDER but 6!!!!! Worrell was sentenced May 25th, 1979 to life plus one day for KILLING Mr. Johnnie Williams in 1976. When he bragged about the MURDER of Mr. Williams he referred to him as a jive a** n*****. Not only did Worrell MURDER Mr. Williams but he and Robert Lucas MURDERED Peggy Bunce, Edith Cooper, Robert Hall, James Bingham, and Robert Porter on April 2, 1977. That's right folks this man MURDERED 6 people who will never get to see, touch, or speak to their loved ones again and yet this irresponsible blog fails to mention any of these facts so you think he received a life sentence for theft of a candy bar or some other petty crime. This is irresponsible and the "writer" and I use that term loosely should be ashamed for the utter disrespect shown to the true victim's whose lives were snuffed out by these monsters.
Donald Worrell and Robert Lucas murdered my father, my uncle and others. They were both grown men and knew exactly what they were doing. They both deserved to die inside those prison walls. I testified at every parole hearing Mr. Worrell had requesting he not be released. People may change that doesn't mean they should be allowed to walk the same streets that my family walks. My name is Teresa and Robert Hall is my father. I grew up without him and I will never forget what these men took from not only my family but others. For those not famialiar, these animals killed at least 6 people. Dismembering one and throwing his body parts in the James River. I am still angry after all of these years, not all responsible were held accountable but judgement Day is coming.
He was only convicted of one murder.
I am so very sorry for what those two POS did to your Father and Uncle. My father was good friends with them. My mom and Peggy were best friends, and she was my babysitter. The way they were taken from us was sadistic and heartless
Lucas and Worrell should've been given the chair for those cold blooded murders. How people can say "he was such a great man" didn't have 6 family or friends slaughtered by them. May they rot in hell!
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