The death penalty is a controversial issue in America. More states are beginning to abolish the death penalty, and executions are “on hold” while the Supreme Court is ruling whether lethal injection is cruel and unusual. When we think about the death sentence, we not only think of the victims, but also about their families, and the great loss of a loved one. But there is another group of people that are often forgotten, the family of the death row inmate. These people are also victims. The death sentence creates more victims.
This is my interview with a young women named Jennifer Garza. She is the wife of Texas death row inmate Robert Garza, and the mother of two small children. She speaks about what it’s like to be married to a man who has been sentenced to die.
Jennifer, could you give us a bio of yourself?
My name is Jennifer M. Garza and I’m 26 years old. I currently live in Raymondville Texas, its located in South Texas. I finished school and now attending college for office Adm. My family, I have a mother name Angelita and one older brother name Martin. Most of my life I lived in Donna for about 16 yrs until we moved to Raymondville.
Your husband Robert is a Texas death row inmate, when and how did you first meet him?
I meet Robert at a night club on Sept. 14 2002, we were both younger then and just out with some friends.
How long have you been married, and do you have children together?
We got married while is was in jail, we been married since June 4.2002 so that makes it 5 yrs, 6mth. We have one son named Robert Gene Garza II, 4 yrs old and a daughter named Rylie Jene Garza ,2 yrs old.
Where you in the courtroom when your husband was sentenced to die, and what were your emotions and thoughts?
Yes, I was and it was a very hard time for me, I started to cry and scream when they said he was guilty, me as a young mother of a 4 month old son at the time, I felt like my world was going to end and I had nothing else to live for. When the sentences phase came along, I was a bit more stronger since the first time they kick me out of the court room I just covered my face and cried, that’s all I could do. When he was leaving the court room he looked at me into my eyes and said “I will always love you Jennifer.”
Do you get to visit with him, and do you bring the children to see their father? What are the visits like?
My son has been to Livingston tons of times. He wasn’t a year old when we started visiting Robert. My daughter was only a week old when I first took her to visit him, it was very hard at first, sitting there and for a good 10 minuets, crying and feeling the worse. I live about 9 hours away so I would go every month twice a month if I could, or get a special visit that would be even better. The last time we went to visit him on death row was in Sept. me and my daughter went I will be making a trip every soon to visit him again.
Do your children ask questions about their dad, what kind of questions and how do you answer them?
At first my son really didn’t know why or where his dad was so I would tell him he was working and we would go see him. Now at the age of 4 he knows where he is and gets very sad because he wants him home with his family. I tell him daddy is on vacations and soon he will be home with us. All we have to do is pray and ask God to help us. He feels much better when we talk bout it.
How do you feel your children will be effected in the long run from being separated from their dad like this?
I don’t know. I keep pictures up and show them who he is, my son is the one that I am most worried about cause he needs his daddy in his life more than my daughter. But by taking them to see him and writing letters I think they will have a strong relationship. My friends will ask me “gosh Jennifer the kids love their daddy so much and yet he can’t even spend any time with them cause of where he is.” I said yes I know, they have so much more love for Robert I think than a kid here in the free world would have for their father.
How long has your husband been on death row, and how is he doing physically and emotionally?
He has been there since December 18.2003, physically is he doing good, thanks to God, Emotionally its hard sometimes when your family lives so far away and you get a visit every once a month or every two weeks. He is a very strong minded person and reading his bible has made him a very positive man that I love more and more each day.
Do you feel he has changed much since his incarceration?
Yes, but he has always been a great man to me and that will never change. I am glad he turned to God to guide him when he feels the world still falling on him. Receiving letters from his love ones is the best feeling for him he is a very strong man.
What would you say is the hardest thing about your situation?
Being a single mother right now is very hard. I thank God that I got my Mom, who was also a single mother rasing two children on her own. Living so far away, even though I know some women come from all over to visit them. Just being apart, but I can honestly say now that I know my love for him has grown strong within the years and he has taught me so much more. He loves his family, their his number one thing to look forward to, and that alone makes it a lot easy to deal with day by day.
Do you have help from family and friends?
Yes, my mother helps me a lot with the kids and I lived with her ever since Robert got arrested back in 2003. His Mom Sylvia has helped a lot and we have made several trips together to visit him.
Do you feel Robert will ever be removed from death row, or ever released from prison altogether?
I strongly think he will be home one day, I believe that everyone should get a second chance to live again and I just hope and pray everyday for that.
What are your goals and aspirations for yourself and your family?
I will finish school in about a year with God’s help. I just want to be there for Robert in any which way I can be there for him. Our love is so strong and it will and can over come anything, I just know it. I want to get a job so that I make more trips often to see him and so they kids can see their daddy more. I have to better my self in order to give my children and Robert the best that I can.
What advise would you give to other young couples who are faced with the situation you are in?
Don’t give up, its never too late, if you really love him or her nothing should stand in your way, never be ashamed, everyone makes mistakes and no one in this world is prefect. Just stand tall and strong show the world that you can face anything together. If your love is true and strong no one can ever break that bond.
At this time, if there is anything you would like to add to this interview please do so.
I Just want to thank everyone that is taking their time in reading this, it’s very hard to sit here and think of everything that has happened this past 5 yrs, but if I can change the way one person feels about the death penally its worth it.
Jennifer has created a Myspace and it can be viewed here.
