This is # 6 of 7. I’d explain but I’m too distracted. Just know that this is 6… next week is 7. And there is no 8 in this theme so I’ll be done with my controlled thematic ramblings and back to my usual uncontrolled miscellaneous ramblings. Make sense? You bet!

For # 6 I have a doozie for you. Here goes…

I think it was the first time I shook hands with a killer and traded one-liners.

I’ve covered murder trials in the past. Interviewed accused murderers and then watched them get convicted of their crimes and sent to prison. I’ve had the normal police station run-ins with handcuffed killers that all news reporters have. (You’re wondering what this has to do with my show, aren’t you? I told you this was a doozie.)

But this was my first time meeting someone long after the fact, after the trial, after the sentencing, after years in prison. In fact, this was the first woman convicted of killing I have ever met. And she freely admitted she did kill her husband. And tears filled her eyes as she said it. And there’s the rub.

Teresa Culpepper shot and killed her husband. It was in another part of the state and we didn’t cover the story. I wasn’t at the trial. I never met the shocked children or the grieving in-laws. I have only Teresa, sitting in prison. I know her sentence is life without parole. But I don’t know anything else about the case. I wasn’t standing next to her at the maximum security North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women for that purpose. I didn’t have the time or the reason to get into the details with her or anyone else.

Her sentence, life without parole, tells me the jury and judge didn’t find evidence of the typical domestic violence and self defense pattern.

And all I have is Teresa, a confessed murderer. She said what she did was wrong and she would take it back if she could. Can a murderer feel sorrow? Can a killer repent? And if they can --and do-- can they be forgiven? If she killed a loved one of mine could I forgive her?

Back to that rub thing… Teresa has no emotional connection to me or I to her. I have no feelings about who she is one way or the other. I’m impartial. So standing there with her I have a choice: treat her as a forgiven person or treat her like a criminal. I decided it was my job to extend her human dignity and to NOT judge her. I accepted her words at face value and trusted that her life sentence was the best this world can do in the eye-for-an-eye department… so if she’s paying her debt to society who am I to add to the collective pain?

I instead joked around with her. Tried to take her mind back to a place not surrounded by razor wire. And you know what? Teresa was hilarious and witty and sweet and polite. And that’s the kind of people we feature on Carolina Traveler! (Wow! That was a long way around the barn to tell you we have a story from prison in Saturday night’s show.)

The story features three women in prison. (I’m not making this up.) Teresa, Terry Dixon and Donna Blankenship. Terry and Donna were also funny and kind. You can feel the remorse when they talk about their crimes. Terry and Donna will be released before 2020. Their crimes were far less severe. Terry was convicted of embezzlement and Donna wouldn’t tell me what she did and I didn’t push the issue. Remember I wasn’t there to stick my fingers in wounds. I was hoping to lighten their loads, even for just a couple hours.

You’ll get to meet all three women Saturday night at 7:30.

What? I’m being vague? I’m not telling you why I was in the prison interviewing women? I’m not telling you what the story is about? Yes. I know.

Suffice to say you’ll love the story and tell every person you know what you saw. Seriously. It’s that good. Who says prison can’t be fun? Sure! When the Carolina Traveler goes to prison, I bring the (big) house down! And so did Teresa, Terry and Donna.

Okay, I have to hit the showers. Hope I don’t drop the soap.

Don’t forget to stop and smell the people… where ever they are,

Mike Redding