Officer Rich May Jury - Thank You

To the jury for the Officer Richard May Murder trial – Thank you for your public service. Thank you for looking at the facts and thinking about the witness testimony. Thank you for not focusing on the unbelievable story presented by the Alberto Alvarez Defense team. I write this note following your Thanksgiving four day holiday. I expect that you had a good time with your family as our family did. We had a full house three of the four past days. Family, friends, and visitors. I expect the same for each of you. When you return on December 7th, you will start the penalty phase of the trial. When you get together again to determine whether Alberto Alvarez is given the Death Penalty or Life Without the Possibility of Parole – remember that there are police officers everywhere who look to you for the protection and support that the Death Penalty for a Cop Killer provides them.

While we wait for the next phase of the trial, we need to thank all the support people and entities in San Mateo County. The Sheriff’s Department, the Redwood City Police Department, the individual personnel of each department, and specifically, my two new families – Jeri’s extended family and Vickie’s family. We’ve added many great new friends to our growing family.

When the trial ended, the daily input of emails increased. The emails have been very supportive and from all walks of life – mothers, wives, and friends of officers. There are emails from people who only met Rich one time briefly and those who describe Rich as their “Best Friend”. There are many emails from residents of East Palo Alto who met Rich during official police work – and state how blessed that are for the meeting. There is one email from a potential juror that was not selected offering support. While it is not easy to know the address from most who offer their support and statements of relief for the jury decision, emails came to this blog from across the country. To all of you, thanks. To those whom I should not identify in this blog because of your involvement, thank you. I am discontinuing this blog at the penalty phase – and ask all of you to support your local police officers with the type of support offered here.

Thanks to all those in Rich’s home town for their support. For close to four years in San Luis Obispo, the notes and personal comments were condolences. Following the Jury’s strong statement last Wednesday, the handshakes, the friends, and those whom we may not really know – all offer congratulations – which must be directed to the legal system.

The reason for such a fast return from the jury – Mr. Stephen M. Wagstaffe, Chief Deputy District Attorney, San Mateo County District Attorney’s office. To the people of San Mateo County - Steve is an incredible public employee, a professor, an expert attorney, a skilled court room manager, a friend to all – and the reason the jury came back with a Guilty on All Counts in record time. Residents of San Mateo County – do not let this man get away from you!

Finally, now that the Murderer of a police officer, execution style, is off the street forever – we need to move forward. We need to support Rich’s work of helping the trouble youth of our communities. Rich’s job allowed him the unique position of seeing into troubled families and then having the ability to reach back into the family to help the young. From Rich’s services at the HP Pavilion, one statement remains for all of us to remember: “Find one young person who needs help. Spend your time with that youth. Help that person become a good and productive adult. And do it with a smile.” We can do this by donating our time and/or money to the Mentoring organization which reaches direct into the families as Rich did. Friends for Youth provide the support and relationships to the youths in the community. Take a minute and go to this web site www.FriendsforYouth.org Select Donate Here. Make a donation, and note that the donation is in Rich’s name. Regardless of the size of your donation, you are helping match good volunteer adults with troubled youth in the community.



An added note – we have great sorrow for the families and fellow officers at the Lakewood, Washington Police Department. I was given a statue of St. Michael by a relative a couple years ago. I keep this statue with me all the time in my briefcase. The statue comes out when I am in hotels, and getting through airport security. So, to officers everywhere, the story of St. Michael:

St. Michael protected God from the rebellious and disloyal angel, Lucifer. He wasn't asked but on his own he attacked Luther. He became a strong Leader and Warrior sending Satan and his Evil Followers straight to Hell. He obeyed His only God, he was loyal and trustworthy, he fought the criminal, and he saved God and Heaven from an evildoer. He polices Heaven and earth even today. So we ask him to protect our police who are protecting the good citizens from the evil one!