MVFR's members are the families of those of who have lost a loved one to execution or murder. Friends of MVFR are whose have not been directly involved in these tragedies and who support the organization's work.

For every murder and every execution there is the story of a family. MVFR collects these stories and shares them on our web page and in printed materials.

If you would like to share your story, send an email to
info@mvfr.org

Or send a letter to:
MVFR
2100 M St NW, Suite 170-296
Washington, DC 20037

Some of the stories of our members are here.

Eddie E Hicks Sr.
Galloway Township, NJ
Eddie served the New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission that recently reccomended the state abolish the capital punishment.
Eddie lost his daughter to murder in High Point, North Carolina.
In his own words this is why Eddie opposes the death penalty.

Long before I knew very much about the death penalty I was opposed to it. I just felt that it was wrong for the government to be in the business of killing people. To me killing was wrong regardless if it was by an individual or the State. I was appalled that the taxes I paid could be used to kill someone thereby making me an unwilling participant in the death of another human being. Often people who knew I was against the death penalty would tell me I wouldn’t be against it if I lost a loved one to murder. I would respond to them by saying I could not say how I would feel in that situation. But I did not believe it was a situation I would ever be faced with.

On May 29th 2000 I received a telephone call that would forever change my life. I was informed by my youngest daughter that her older sister was just shot dead in High Point, North Carolina. My oldest daughter was murdered senselessly by a 19 year-old who was recently released from jail. My daughter was 26 at the time of her death and the mother of 2 young children. The pain of losing a child regardless of age has got to be the worst feeling possible. My family was never so devastated. Years later we continue to be affected by that tragic day.

People have asked me what my opinion of the death penalty is since my daughter’s murder. I tell them in the days following my daughter’s murder I was in so much pain and turmoil I was not sure how I felt. But after the initial shock wore off and I was able to think clearly again, I realized that the many reasons I was opposed to the death penalty had not changed. Since my daughter’s death I have learned much more about the death penalty and oppose it for even more reasons. When someone says that they support capital punishment for the families they are not speaking for my family.