Kimberly's Court Statement

— -- Kimberly wrote the following witness impact statement and read it in front of Judge Nancy Edmunds on April 17, 2007, in federal court before sentences were imposed on Deric Willoughby, Brandy Shope, Jennifer Husky and Richard Gordon.

I would like the court to know somewhat of what happened to me and my cousin while we were kidnapped. We had to wake up at all hours of the night, hurry up and get dressed and go have sex with men I've never even met before. Every time the men would do stuff with me, I would feel lower than dirt. I didn't like it. It didn't matter whether I lived or died to them.

I will never forget the look in their eyes -- all I wanted to do was crawl up in a ball and fall asleep forever. One of the girls took me in the basement and told me what my cousin and I had to do, I was so shocked. I didn't even know what to think or do. At like five in the morning when I got to see my cousin again, I was so relieved to know she was OK. She looked at me, and I laid next to her in the bed and I held her in my arms and told her everything was going to be OK. I didn't cry until she started to cry, but I didn't want to let her know I was crying because I wanted to be strong for her and protect her.

One of the worst memories I have from this is when my cousin and I tried to escape and Deric was asleep on the couch. One of the girls was upstairs and one of them was downstairs. I grabbed the door handle, ready to grab my cousin and run for my life. Deric grabbed us by the hair and threw me into the glass dining room table and dragged my cousin up the stairs by her hair and threw her down the stairs. I ran to stop him, but the girls stopped me, and I still hear my cousin's screams in my head. He threw her down the stairs twice -- she got her lip split open -- I lost myself there and I haven't been able to find myself again.

I want to be by myself all the time -- I don't trust people anymore. This took away my childhood. I got home -- I was scared for my family's lives. I started acting up, getting in trouble. I really didn't care what happened to me after that. I am now going to counseling and I am trying to overcome this, but it is very hard.

I just wanted to write my opinion out to what should happen to the people who wrecked my life. I hope that they get the most time in jail, like I was in jail from them. They hurt me and my cousin physically, mentally and emotionally. They don't need the chance to do this to any other girl. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Kimberly