Eric Smallridge, from Tallahassee, FL killed two young women. Eric drove drunk and crashed into their car, killing the two 20-year-olds instantly. One of those women was Meagan Napier, the 20-year-old daughter of Renee Napier.
Renee believed justice was served when Eric was sentenced to 22 years in prison."I felt like our system had served us well and justice had been served. I definitely felt that," Renee says.
A few years later, Renee did something unbelievable: She spoke to the judge and requested that Eric's sentence be cut in half. The judge agreed.
Renee isn't the first mother to choose forgiveness; Mary Johnson also forgave the man who murdered her son in cold blood, she even regards him as her own surrogate child.
"I could hate him forever and the world would tell me that I have a right to do that," Renee told CBS. "It's not going to do me any good, and it's not going to do him any good. I would grow old and bitter and angry and hateful. … In my opinion, forgiveness is the only way to heal."
However, she had one special request for Eric. See the rest of this story below.
In 2003, Eric Smallridge was found guilty of two counts of DUI manslaughter. On the night he murdered Meagan Napier and Lisa Dickson, he was drinking twice the legal alcohol limit.
The car was completely totaled. Both of the young women died instantly.
At the trial Eric was defensive and lacked remorse. When he was convicted of 22 years in prison, Meagan's mom, Renee, believed justice was served.
However Renee was intent on doing what was right, not what was easy. She wanted to make sure that Meagan's death was not in vain. Her solution: forgiveness.
First Renee wrote Eric a letter saying she would try to forgive him, although at the time, deep inside, she did not. Then she spoke with the judge. She told him that Eric was "truly sorry" for what he did and that his sentence should be cut in half.
The judge obliged. This is a photo of Renee hugging the man who killed her daughter and her daughter's friend. Incredible.
"It was like a burden," Eric said. "It was a weight off my chest. I no longer had to hide behind this facade."
Eric apologized profusely.
"There's going to be healing, and there's going to be good things from here on out," says Renee.
However, she did have one request. Renee asked Eric if he would visit schools around the country, while he was still in prison, to make sure no one ever drives drunk again.
"I'm going to go to wherever we need to go to spread this message, because I don't believe it's about us anymore," Eric agreed.
See more of Eric and Renee's story and how students respond when they meet a grieving mom and the man who killed her daughter in the video below.
Do you think Renee was right to forgive Eric? Would you have eventually been able to do the same?
Please SHARE if you believe forgiveness is the first step to healing.
