Page 50 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2020- Lubbock Online Magazine

Exceptional

SENIORS
It was in April 2009 that I ran
into an old friend. Cindy
Free church with us years ago in
and her family had gone to
Shallowater. “How’s Rusty?”
I asked. Rusty is her brother
at
who had been in my Sunday

Junior High. “He’s in prison,”
Last School class when he was in
she said. “Really, when
will he get out?” “Never!”
She explained that he had
committed two offenses over
the course of a year, and
by Don Enger both judges decided to throw
the book at him. Though
the offenses were serious, In a few months Rusty
they weren’t murder, and surprised me with the news
murderers get out many times that he was up for parole. “I
in 7 to 10 years. Rusty had been won’t get it,” he said, “but it
in 22 years. He was saddled is coming up in March.” At
with Life plus 99 years. His that point, I googled the Texas
family could not afford a high- Board of Pardons and Parole.
priced attorney. There were seven members
scattered over the state, and
Several sleepless nights Cindy and I and other family
followed as the unjust sentence members began writing letters.
echoed in my mind. Rusty had Parole was denied.
been in a deep south Texas
prison, and his family had only Three years later, he came up
seen him a few times. I called again, and this time I visited
our state representative and James LaFavers in Amarillo. I
asked if he could get Rusty figured he might give me five
transferred closer to home. minutes. I stayed 1 ½ hours.
He said he could, and within He was a Christian, and I
two weeks, Rusty was moved knew I had favor with him.
to the Smith Unit at Lamesa. Then I called David Gutierrez,
I anxiously went to see him. whom I knew when he was the
“Rusty, I’m sure you accepted sheriff in Lubbock. David was
the Lord when you were in Gatesville at the time. They
young, but don’t you think took another vote. We lost
it’s time you renewed that again, but we got votes from
commitment?” “Absolutely,” both of them.
he replied, and we prayed. The Three more years went by, and
Lord started a change in Rusty Rusty was up again. This time
that day that has increased we got the required four votes,
dramatically. I got him a study and WE WON!
Bible, and he begins every
morning with hours of study On August 7, 2019, Ruth and
and prayer. I, Cindy and her husband
Dennis, Carroll Lockett, a

50 Lubbock Senior Link