True Crime All The Time - The Parents of Lauren Landavazzo Speak Out

Episode Date: January 26, 2017

I was fortunate to be able to sit down with Vern and Bianka Landavazzo. Listeners will remember that Lauren Landavazzo was killed in the senseless tragedy we covered in the listener hometown episode we released last week. In this special episode interview, Vern and Bianka talk about Lauren and shed more light on this tragic case. You do not want the miss this powerful conversation. We discuss how the laws of Texas (and most other states) are woefully inadequate in what types of punishments are allowed in these cases where children are murdered. I was outraged and you will be too.         An Emash Digital Production See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hello everyone and welcome to an episode of true crime all the time. This is a special episode that we put together very quickly. It's a follow-up episode to our listener hometown that came out last week. And so I was able to connect on Facebook with Bianca Landovazo, which is the mother of Lauren Landovasso and as you'll remember that's the the 13 year old girl that we featured last week that was allegedly murdered by Cody Lott and I hate that I have to say the word allegedly. It drives me crazy but to be fair he's not been convicted even though he has confessed to the crimes and so I'm going to say that just to make sure we're all

we're all safe but um so today Mike Gibson my normal co-host is not with me because like I said we put this together very quickly but I do have via Skype uh Bianca and Vern Landovazo and Vern is Lauren's father so welcome thank you for joining us thank you for having us yes thank you so you know we we put that episode together with the help of one of our listeners Jordan who did live in the Wichita Falls area and she had reached out to me and said you know you've got to cover this case it's senseless it's crazy it's you know it and when I first started researching it you know I've got two girls one that's a couple years younger than Lauren one that's a couple years younger than Lauren one that's a couple years older than Lauren. And so this case, you know, hit me. Like I think it hit a lot of our listeners

because we've gotten so much feedback about this senseless act. And what I was hoping and what I was so, it was so great that you were willing to come on the show was that you could share a little bit more about Lauren with the listeners. Because that, that's something that we didn't have We tried to do a little bit of that, but we didn't have a lot of information. And obviously, nobody has the type of information and the memories and can speak about, Lauren, the way that you can. All right. Well, thank you. And one of the things we wanted to do, we did listen to the podcast, not live the other day, but when we found out about it, we listened to it.

And again, when we sat down, we were a little bit hesitant, not really sure what to expect, how it would be approached. But when we did listen to it, we were both very, very pleased with the way that you all handled it and the slant that you did take on it. It was, again, it kind of echoed and reflected a lot of stuff that we've been talking about. Well, yeah, let me say this. Bianca, when you reached out to me on Facebook, I was terrified. Because I didn't know how. I'd be mad. Well, I didn't know what the reaction.

would be because this is the first type of case that we've covered that was recent. Most of our podcasts have been older crimes and they've all been crimes that have been, have gone through the judicial system completely done over many of them 20, 30 years old. And so this was, you know, a very new format for us. So I have to be honest, I was very nervous when you, you know, sent me the friend request and then I said, I've got to send her a message. I've got to see, you know, what this is all about. So, you know, like I said, we, and I know you haven't listened to probably a lot of our podcast, but one thing that we pride ourselves on is we always try to

make sure that we're handling the victims of the crime with the utmost respect. And you did. Thank you. And we definitely, we try not, we definitely don't glorify the perpetrators of these acts at all. It's, it's more of us trying to tell the story. But, you know, I've seen the pictures. And now since I've been able to see your Facebook page, I've seen even more pictures of Lauren. And so I have to ask one question before you start. And all the pictures that I've seen, Her eyes are this brilliant color.

I mean, were they really, I mean, is that, that's real? That's her. It's just just an amazing color to her, to her eyes. And obviously, she was always smiling in everything that, that I saw. So, you know, just tell the audience a little bit about her. If you can, I know it's hard. Yeah. I mean, physically, yeah.

beautiful, beautiful girls. And you guys had talked a little bit on your podcast about how, you know, kids today look older. She was one of those 13-year-old. She was six weeks away from her 14th birthday. But she was right there on the verge of, you could see the woman that she was going to be. You can see the young woman that she had become just, but physically beautiful. But really what made her beautiful was that something in her eyes. Yeah, the color that she got that from her mother, they were that kind of sky blue.

But her eyes changed a lot, almost on a daily basis, sometimes gray, and sometimes the more blue-green was the kind of predominant color. But, yeah, they changed a lot, almost like that. And that's her eyes. She didn't get contact lenses or anything like that. That's her eyes. But that beauty that she had, that's that smile. And that's the thing that people see that didn't know her. And they only have gotten to know her through the pictures and the stories.

But they all say that same thing of how there's. there's something there that comes through. Very special. She's had a heart of goal. And she's always been that way. She's always been an uplifter and always trying to help people and her friends. And she did that on a daily basis, come to find out. We didn't know the extent of it until this happened.

We've gotten many letters from kids that she's helped. And that's amazing that you find some of these things out. Yeah. you know after the fact but you know like I said I've I've gone through your many posts on Facebook going back and and just in the last couple of days since we first contacted each other and really just amazed by the support that I saw from you know what appeared to be not just the community and your friends but it seemed to be pouring in I assume from everywhere all over

from military families so we have friends spread out all over yeah so I've even get messages from Japan really yeah well I can tell you our podcast is downloaded in probably 50 or 60 different countries so I don't I don't know you know if you'll get something off of that but you know and I have to ask this question

and again you don't have to answer obviously anything you don't want to. But, you know, as we were going through the episode, trying to make sense of something that, and I think I said it in the podcast, you can't make sense of, right? There's no way. But were we correct in, I guess our assumption, Lauren did not know this person at all. No. Had never met, had never, there was just no connection. No conversation. Both girls had no idea who this guy was. And apparently he must have been watching her, you know, in the distance. And no one knew. No one knew. Right. So and, and like, you listened to the podcast, but, you know, as we went through it and with the help of Jordan,

kind of helping us, because she was, you know, in the area. But, you know, it seemed like he had, was looking through either his apartment window or something. He was looking through a window and his, you know, parents lived there. Everyone knows that, but from their apartment. So that's where he would. Right, which is directly across from that middle school where, again, I don't, I don't know exactly which apartment, but at some point on her walk home through there, he would have been able to see her.

And then, yeah, that's when that, that, that, apartment complex about the alley that she was walking through and there's also housing houses on that side but it's just it's not like a between buildings alley it's just wooden fences people's backyards kind of an alley right i want to add to that Lauren used to walk through the parking lot of those apartment now Lauren was very aware we always had conversations with her you always walk in a group and change your routine this is why Lauren went down the alley. To change it.

Her routine to be safe. I mean, Lauren was very aware of her surroundings and of monsters out there. We never shielded her from that. She watched the news. She knew what was going on in the world. I mean, she knew.

We've never hidden that from her. We wanted her to know. There's monsters in the world. We're very protective. And there are. And what you're saying, that advice that you just gave, that's what you hear from all experts, right?

Don't have the same routine every day. Try to change up your routine, you know, especially as a woman. You know, there are people out there. Yeah, it just makes it more heartbreaking because she did everything she was told to do. And she was trying to do. Yeah. And I think that's, that's one of the things we tried to impress in that episode was, you know, there's other stories where you hear about people that ultimately become victims and they put

themselves in a compromising position. This is not what happened here. I mean, this is a little girl that's walking home from school doing what she's supposed to be doing. And I think that's what almost, you know, that's part of what makes it so, so heartbreaking. she's not guilty of anything other than being yes incredibly beautiful person and yes in love she was in love with with her boyfriend donovan that that was her only crime and again such a like you said upfront senseless there is no sense you can't assign sense to it we can look at reasons why it things like that but we never make sense of it no no never and also want to add that on your

previous show that what was I going to say? Oh, that she never walked to school in the morning. You guys have said that she walked to school every morning? Never happened. Oh, okay. She was drove every single day to school.

I got you. That week, you had mentioned a lady named Kenya. That's our neighbor, one of my best friends. Her son had just started going to McNeil. And it's, I guess, one school, yeah, Lauren wasn't afraid. So it's his first year going there.

And so we would carpool. She'd have a week and I'd have a week. And it was actually her week. So she took Lauren to school that Friday morning. Yeah. Well, that's good information. I think I, and I probably got that wrong, but I took it from, I thought I took it from a quote of Michaela's brother maybe. Yeah.

So that was not accurate either because Michaela actually, that was her first time walking home. Oh, really? Yeah. Because the quote made... Yeah, the quote... But she was there that day, unfortunately, you know, for the first time. Yeah, the quote made it sound like they walked home every day, so together every day. From what we understood and were told that was Michaela's first time.

Now, a group of them, yes. And we didn't let Lauren start walking home from school until she met Donovan last year. That's when she was able to start walking home with him and his group of friends. but she was never allowed up to that point. We always picked her up. Yeah, she never walked along. So, you know, I think this is a good time to talk about, and I don't want to cut you off.

So obviously we can come back and or we can intertwine. But you told me something yesterday that infuriated me, Bianca. And yeah, not at you, obviously. at the system. And I want you to explain what you found out because, well, let me set the scene, right? At the time that we released this episode,

there really had been no court activity in the Cody lot case. And it was really a day or two afterwards, I think, that he made a court appearance. But you've got to tell the listeners what you found out because I think they're going to be as upset as I was about the current state of the law in Texas. Yeah, the law states that children have to be under 10 for this murder, what happened, for him to get capital punishment.

So a lot of feedback on Facebook that I'm getting. Everyone's like, oh, death penalty, you know, he's going to go away forever. and I keep telling people no he's not. And you also mentioned something about the fact that it was only one person. Yes. Was that a part of? Two people. Yeah.

Thank God he didn't. Well, we're glad he did. More than one. Yeah, it has to be more than one person. Let's say the stipulation of the children is, you know, a child has to be under 10 if it's one child. And, you know, of course, she's 13. So kill a police officer, automatic capital, a firefighter. Or if he goes to prison and kills somebody else.

Well, kill somebody else. And technically that somebody else could be another inmate. Then he's eligible for capital punishment. Those kind of stipulations that just don't make sense when you see him. Is that because then he would have met the requirement of two people? Yeah. Well, right. This little stipulation that they put in, but that doesn't have to be.

there. There are actually, I think what everybody needs to look at for a role model law to have is Oklahoma, because we looked at surrounding states when we were starting to look at this, and what some precedent was. And Oklahoma was the only one that, yes, they have capital punishment, and yes, they have the same basic definitions of what that is. They just don't have any stipulations. They just say, hey, you killed another human being. You are a capital offender, and you're eligible for the ultimate punishment. states, including ours, including yours, aren't written that way for, I'm not even sure whatever reason.

It's this in addition. In addition to the murder, it has to meet those guidelines. To be capital. Right. And, you know, to be fair, you, we were talking a little bit before I hit the record button, and you filled me in that Ohio has something very similar. Yours is 13, under the age of 13. Right.

The child would have to be 12 or under for the killer to be eligible for capital punishment. Which I'm just trying to think, you know, somebody obviously sat down and wrote that, right, at some point in time. And what was the logic? Because we're not talking about, you know, we're going to have people that say they're against capital punishment. That's fine if, you know, for people to have that stance. And we're not talking about, we're just talking about eligibility, right, for, a jury or for that charge that to be on the table. Right. And people think automatically capital punishment that you're talking about the death penalty.

That's not just that. In this state, at least, in Texas, he's not even eligible for life without parole because that's considered capital punishment in this state. So the most that he can get if they give him a maximum sentence is 30 years with a possibility, or I mean, a life sentence with a possibility of parole after 30 years. That's the current law. So theoretically, if he's convicted, he could be out walking the street at 50 years old. Yeah, my age. She could be our age. Yes. And basically live a good portion of a life.

Yeah. However long he were to live. And our daughter will never have him. He would get second chance at life and all the first chances in life that he took away from our daughter on September 2nd in such a brutal. hateful way for no reason, no reason at all. And then to think that somebody like that would be able to get a second chance in life when she's not even going to get so many first things. She was just barely in love, had just gotten her braces on a few weeks prior,

so many things that she's not going to get to do. That's just how anybody could not be outraged when they find that out. And again, that's a nationwide problem. Not everybody has their laws right. So people need to look. And it's very easy Google search. online state or your capital murder laws in your state and you'll find them well i and and and you know we've seen we've covered cases and we've seen good things come out of horrible tragic situations yeah

and usually unfortunately that's what it takes to get real change right it does it does we we actually um we just covered a case about stalking that prompted a bunch of anti-stalking law Why weren't they on the books before? Because nothing happened to bring it to light. And something good has to come out of this. And I think I mentioned this to you before we started. You know, we have a pretty big audience for this podcast. And I'm asking everybody to do what, you know,

Vern was just talking about, which is, you know, Google your state's, your state's law and I don't know how we do this but we've got to come up with something and it should be called Lauren's law in my opinion well thank you and it's actually a very easy process and again my knowledge of politics is not very deep we don't we're not you know very burst on that stuff the things that we found out the things we've been able to do have just been since this happened and the very first thing we were giving very good advice was reach out to your local representatives. And we were given the names of our senator

and our state representative. And also Google who. Right. And you can Google that very easily, too, if you don't know. And then reach out to those people, and we did that. And we were able to sit down with our representative and talk to him. And again, he was not aware of that either, even that, you know, that they had that stipulation. So when they look into that, they've already gone down and started work on that.

But it's a very easy ball to get rolling. because you're not asking for a lot. This is not a gun issue. We're not asked for that. It's not even a death benefit. It's to revive the number on the age. About covering our protecting all of our children. If we consider them minors up to the age when they turn 18 and all other aspects of the law, why is there a stipulation for that? We also found out that it used to be six in Texas and another family, I'm sure a nine-year-old, had to go through a tragedy and change it and lobby for change and then why they didn't change it all the way at that point. I don't know. And they did that in 2011.

It was changed from 6 to 10. Yeah. So, you know, in my opinion, 6, 9, 10, 13, 15. I don't see the difference. It's our children. They don't walk around with weapons. You know, our daughters could not protect herself that day. Right.

I mean, it's just crazy. I guess I just don't see how they're drawing that line in the sand. There should never be a line. fine, you know? I mean, murder is murder. That's why we have trials to find out they're guilty or not. I don't understand why there even is in age. That's why I give a shout out to Oklahoma.

They got it right. Yeah, murder is murder. I mean. And so obviously every, every state has sets their own. Yes. So, you know, I want our listeners in Texas, which we have a huge listenership in Texas, you know, to get on that right away. but also across the country because I don't want this to happen in another state and have to talk to parents like you and explain,

not me explain, but have them be in that same situation when to me this seems like common sense. And if people can, if we can get to the right people and they're thinking from a common sense point of view, they would see that this doesn't make any sense. 10, 11, 12, 13. That's the feedback we're getting even from Austin here is that, yes, that's kind of the same feeling. This is kind of a no-brainer.

We were kind of pre-hand, you know, that don't get your hopes up. There's a very slow process. Things like this rarely pass the first time. But again, they've just started. But there was a lot of support for something like this because it, is so common sense. And it does impact so many people because there are so many of us who are parents. And if your children are not your priority in your whole existence, then, you know, we're not approaching it the right way. Yeah. So, I mean, obviously what, what it will take is

a number of people. So that's why I'm wanting, you know, everybody that's listening, especially in Texas, you know, and you can't just call once, right? That's not how it works. You have to email. And then you have to bombard and you have to make multiple calls sometimes. Right. And unfortunately, it takes something like our tragedy and coming from the parents of something like this. And there are so many different tragedies that need be addressed. But it really has the most impact coming from the families that are affected. And then everybody can look and go, wow, they're right.

That could be my family. It could easily be my family. Unfortunately, it has to come from us. We wouldn't be talking right now if it was not our daughter that day. I mean, we would, yeah, we would be thinking, what can we do, but we probably wouldn't, I know we wouldn't be doing what we're doing now. That's all we have left now. We have to, any change we make is not for our daughter.

She's gone, but in her honor and to help others, that's what our daughter was all about. And this affects so many people. She will never get the justice that she deserves. Never. It's not going to happen. That's just a slap in the face for us, too, left behind. And to the society, too. Yeah, that she's not going to get that.

Well, and, you know, you talked about what capital punishment, what most people think of capital punishment being put to death. But taking off the table life without parole, I mean, that just is even a bigger slap. I mean, really. And it may not be that way everywhere. That's the thing. Every, every state is different. I only know. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. That's our situation. I mean, that's not giving a child any value. of their life. It's just, it's just horrible. The person who took their life

gets another chance. Not only aren't we're going to punish them fully, but they're going to get another chance to do things. You don't never get to do that. That's wrong on any way you look at it. Any level. Yeah. And what it does is it takes away the ability for judge and jury

to meet out that punishment because they, they can't. They're going to sit there and go through this trial, and they're going to want to do that. Right. And that ability for them is not, it's not going to be there because of the way the current law is written. And that's just wrong. Right. And that's where, that's where the solution is is for people to get what their lawmakers and let them know that that's unacceptable. We have to, we have to change that. So we, yeah, that was one of the things that really, I definitely wanted to cover. Now, I know you, both of you, I think, were in, in, attended the court proceeding the other day. Yes. Yes. First time. Can you give an update of what happened, if anything? All that was, was the media mostly for them, their first chance to see him since he was arrested.

So there was interest that way. But really all it was it was about was the district attorney turning over what they had for their case to the defense. And then the next hearing is scheduled for April 7th where they'll start with the motions and things. So it was really a very informal thing. But for us, it was a very very, very powerful chance for us to go and, first of all, see him for the first time, but also to have him see us and to have him know that we are not destroyed. He did not destroy us. He took the thing that means the most in the world to us, but, you know, in her honor, and we're going to carry on and make changes and make sure that no other parent has to be in our shoes because of someone like him. We're going to do everything we can to stop people like him from ever putting somebody else in our shoes. And that's, it's empowering for us to be able to walk in as free people and walk out of there as free people while he sits there shackled.

And knowing that he is going to pay, then he will get justice. And we're going to be there every step of the way. We will be there. Staring him down. I can't let him know that he's going to have justice. Well, it's so powerful to hear, to, I mean, obviously I can hear the emotion. and everybody's going to be able to hear that and sympathize with that.

I can't imagine what the feeling was to be in that courtroom and see this person for the first time. I was shaking. My adrenaline was up for sure. But I didn't cry because I don't ever want him to see me shed a tear. Right.

I'm not going to give him that. You know, I was sitting there. A lot of things going through my mind, but yeah, you just want to get up and go do something. You want to say something. You want to scream out something. You can't. Your hands are tied. Right.

You have to be calm, restrain yourself. Yeah, and we have to say, too, that, I mean, I understand the way the judicial system set up. It is to protect us. It is the framework of that is to protect it. So that we're, if we're, you know, we're not falsely accused of something in a railroad. I understand that. I mean, we understand this is a long and painful process ahead. This was just a first thing, but really the true value of that was for us to be able to be empowered to walk in there and show them that he didn't destroy us.

And we're not going anywhere. And we will fight in our daughter's name of do the things that she would have done if she would have a chance at life. That's what she would want us to do. Yeah. Yeah, well, I have to say it's amazing the strength. that that you're showing and the strength that it must take to um you know to do that but you know I think you're right I think all you can do at this point and I'm sure you're going to attend everything you can um absolutely but and I hope everybody listening really gets the picture of

what we talked about as far as this law because you know there has to be something good that there has to be something good that comes out of this tragedy you're right we need positive we've got so much negative you know yonka said it from early on she can't have died in vain we can't let that happen can't yeah yeah i i absolutely agree and and knowing our listeners and how passionate they are um i think they're going to rally behind this now i don't know what they can do but we've seen it before where you know you get a group of people and they get passionate about something they can people can make a change and and obviously the the biggest proponent is going to be the two of you and the most powerful because it's it's your story but it's it would

definitely help the more people that are calling and and writing in to the representatives and and senators and congressmen saying, you know, hey, we just heard about this. This is not right. We don't want another family to have to go through this, whether it's 11, 12, I mean, I have a 16 year old daughter and, you know, Vern, the way you explained it, and I'm going to look it up as soon as we get off this call, I would be in the same position in Ohio. Right. And then whatever their alternative to that is may be different than ours, but you're right. They wouldn't face true what I consider to be true final justice. But that's like that's not debating that. But the fact that you'll never get out of where you are. Yeah. That should be. They never get out. I mean. Well, and I keep going back to, I mean, like you said, we have this system of justice and it's built with. these safeguards and all these things to protect people from being wrongfully accused.

But now we're not giving the judge and or I assume it'll be the jury the option to give out the justice that they feel, I have to believe they're going to feel this is that he should either be put to death or at the very least sent away for life. and you're just taking that. Yeah, taking that out of their hands, that's the part that I don't understand. Now, if they came to a different conclusion, that would be the justice system. And, you know, unfortunately, you'd have to live with whatever decision they made. But they don't get the chance to even weigh that and consider.

They don't have all the tools available to them that they should. And again, the most common sense one about protecting our children. We thought we were all on the same page with that. But apparently not. that's, and again, it's from a perspective of trying to change things in politics, it's actually so far what we've encountered, a pretty easy process because it is so basic and so common sense. And it doesn't make sense to put an age limit on there. For kids, we're talking about kids. We are. We are. And you don't have to charge every murderer of children with that. It's just a

tool available to the prosecutors. It's a tool available to the judges and the juries. For our situation. And for the system to truly work. the way it should, they should have that tool available to them. Yeah, I mean, there are obviously there are a lot of different cases. And I think we talked about on the podcast, anytime there's a case like this that involves a child, people get even more upset than some other type of case. Because we mentioned this. We have kids and people listening are saying that could have been my child.

Yeah. You know, Lauren was doing exactly. what she should have been doing. And it gets people really, really mad. I don't know how else to say it. Yeah. And scared. Scared that it could be them.

Yes. And scared too. So again, I don't want to keep harping on it, but something, my hope and I know your hope is that something good can come out of this tragedy. And that good has to be a change at the very least. in the laws in Texas. Right. And maybe even, I don't know how it works either, but I know they've had national laws with

people's names on them. I don't know if it works that way with the sentencing that might have to be state by state. But even a Texas law called Lauren's law, I think is what we should be aiming for. Yeah. And again, it's in her honor, but it really is to protect our children here in Texas. And we don't want that to stop at the Texas border. We want that to be everywhere. We want that worldwide, but we'll focus at home first.

But let's fix it here before we start trying to spread it everywhere else. Let's fix it here. I agree. Well, I mean, is there anything else? Was there any numbers? Was there anything else that we can give out? Not yet. Right now.

Right now, I'm waiting on a call from Austin. for an update on what's going on with the law change. When I get to go ahead, if I get to go ahead, I was going to start an online petition for Texas. And I know we already have an army behind us, and I'm not worried about getting signatures whatsoever, but we need this to be a bill first. So once it becomes a bill, and it's looking promising,

last time I spoke to this gentleman, once it becomes a bill, we have the code and the law, I can attach that with that petition. So that's where I'm waiting on. And once I get to go ahead, that'll launch. Yeah. I can't imagine you wouldn't be able to get the signatures needed in a day. Right.

I know. For something like that. I agree. What about is there any pages? Is there any way for people to contribute on behalf of Lauren yet? This is different than a lot of cases, like I said, because it is, you know, these events occurred in September. Normally, we're talking about things that happened much longer ago.

But if there's anything that our listeners can, you know, any pages they can go out to, any places that they can contribute on Lauren's behalf that have been set up. And if they haven't, that's okay. Just let me know. And I'll put it out later. As far as contributions, what we wrote, it was amazing outpouring support that we got from this community in the first place. So a lot of that money we're giving back and trying to help others with.

But what we really want people to do because everybody can do it locally where they're at is just reach out and try to help others, try to do meals on wheels, try to help out the Humane Society, things, Lauren loved animals, things like that. But try to help out in your own community, helping others. And if you want to do that in Lauren's honor, that's great. But as far as Bianca spends a lot of time, and I'll let her address it here in a second, about Lauren's legacy on Facebook.

That's where you can find a lot of good links, a lot of good information, a lot about who Lauren was and the people that she's impacted in their lives and things like that. That's a good thing. One of the very positive things that has come out of this

that we're getting ready to do tomorrow with the schools here is address bullying. There's a National Foundation, the Bowies Reality Foundation, that reached out to us after this happened. and has been what they do is they go around and address kids around the schools around the country and try to address the problem of bullying and trying to eradicate that problem because so often that's leading to teen suicides. And again, families that are just devastated by the loss of their children. We have to stop that.

We have to try to change people's hearts and minds about the way we treat each other. That's the kind of organization they are. And so those are things that since this tragedy, unfortunately, but we've met so many wonderful people. We're doing good things, including what you guys do to help other people. That's not all. It's not about yourselves. You're trying to help other people. That's what we need more of.

That's what our daughter was about. That's the message we're trying to spread. But Bianca's doing a really good job of that through that legacy page. And that's on Facebook, right? Correct? Yeah, Lauren's legacy. people can friend request me I don't care yeah more friends better that's what I've been looking that's what I've been looking through to see all the pictures and I wish I'd had I wish I'd

had had known about that before we did the episode that we did last week but unfortunately I didn't I am looking through it now and and it is you know it's a it's a wonderful job of what you're putting together so you know I just can't thank both of you enough for being on your strength is amazing the message that you're that you were able to to send to so many people that are listening right now is amazing um and again i think the the bottom line has to be a change in that law that that that is that's our first thing yeah that that's that has to be the thing that people are striving for to what's the word i want to to, I don't want to say bring something good, but there's got to be meaning or there's got to be

a great, a good result that comes from this tragedy. So, if it doesn't happen, this first go around, we'll keep fighting. It'll happen. It'll get done, but I know it's going to happen. It'll happen eventually. And we'd have to wait two years to do this again because they only meet up every two years. So we're hoping to get it done the first time. If that's, be almost a miracle if we do. Yeah. But that's our hope and say, we're going to keep fighting it until it gets changed.

You know, we have other things we're going to most likely go after in the future. Yeah, this is a first step. This is our first step. There's a lot of things, you know, we're angry about. The system is broke. There's no doubt. It's a broken system.

I mean, the cops will tell you that, you know. Judges. Judges, our DA. I mean, they will tell you it's a broken system. I go back to the issue of common. sense. I really think that a lot of the problems that we're facing, and I don't want to get into, you know, a huge debate, but specifically about this law and different things, it's just like we're not using common sense anymore in dealing with, with problems or making laws. But now,

you know, we're connected on Facebook, you know, utilize us if something comes up and there's something that you need our help with, I will definitely, you know, put it out there to all the listeners and through our Facebook page and our Twitter handle and all of that. We're happy to help. Thank you so much. Yeah. Also, I wanted to address that you all talked about gun control. Y'all were talking, asking Jordan about guns or if anything could come up about the gun issue.

Yeah. We're not going after guns. It's not a gun control issue for us. Now, we said that early on, very early on. I think I talked about the very first time I spoke to the public at her candlelight vigil two nights after this happened, that this was not about that. It was about somebody with hatred in their heart and a twisted mind that did this, that it's not about guns. He could have killed her any way that he wanted it. Somebody with that much hatred, it's not so much how they did it.

It's the fact that they did it so many ways you can do it. So it was never a gun issue for us. And again, this is not even a death penalty issue for us. This is just a, like you said, common sense solution to what you would think was already there, but a lot of cases not there. And I think you mentioned this, Vern. I have a feeling most people are going to listen to this and think that's a, that there's no way that what you're saying is true.

Right. It's true. Yeah. I hope people do. I hope people go out and verify that. Don't just take our word for it. Yeah. because it just, it seems ludicrous that somebody made, made a line in the sand and said,

in this state, this is the age, but one, one number higher, or you reach the birth, you know, one day after your birth, I don't know how they even calculate that. I don't either. Our children should be priority. I mean, they're on the bottom of that potapult for sure, you know. So, you know, like I said, if there's, and there's going to be a lot of, you know, of things that come up and you all are going to be through a lot as as the trial progresses. If there's anything that we can do, if there's a message that you need us to get out,

you know, be happy to do it. This is a special episode that we're just going to put out like on a Wednesday completely separate from any other thing that we do. And I think people will will feel the power coming from the two of you. And hopefully it will spur them to actually. It will spur them to action to do the things that we were talking about. At the very least, Google the information. And if that doesn't upset you enough to then start to contact people, just think about your own children because that's what I did when I started research in this case. And it's one of the reasons why it touched the nerve that it did.

Because obviously, Bianca and Vern, I don't know you. I didn't know Lauren. You guys are great people. But before we talk today, you know, I didn't know you, but it touched me because everything I read was this was, you know, a wonderful girl, age 13. And immediately in my mind, I'm thinking, you know, my girls are wonderful. And my girls sometimes, you know, walk home from school. and I have a feeling that that's what other people listening, you know, it touched a nerve because we've seen a lot of comments and things on Facebook and Twitter.

Yeah. People need to remember too when they're dealing with this stuff and trying to get these laws changed. They need to remember where the power is supposed to be in that equation. They work for us. It's not the other way around. We don't need their permission to change things. if enough of us get together and say, look, this is how we want it, that they're supposed to

work for us. So let's get the stuff changed. We the people. Yeah, I've always said that. We the people. I agree. We need to come together. And I go back.

Yeah, I completely agree. And I go back to what you said. I just think people don't know. And I didn't know. We didn't know. We didn't either. And I did research for this case. And it, you know, nothing like that came up.

And so, no, I. I think that is the most important thing. And remembering Lauren, obviously, some of the great things that you said about her. But let's make something good come out of this, you know, heinous act. Right. For all of us. All of us. Yeah.

Yeah. But, you know, so thank you so much for being on. And like I said, let's stay connected. If there's anything we can do for you, we will do it at any time. Thank you so much. Thank you. Right. Thank you.

appreciate it. All right. I'll talk to you soon. That's what y'all are doing. Thank you. Bye-bye. Bye.