Jim Held looked across the courtroom at Rodney Sanders, the man who had just pleaded guilty to murdering his sister. In his hands was a photograph of Sister Margaret Held.
“I wanted him (Sanders) to see this was a woman at her best, not the woman he was killing,” he said. “I was a little upset with God that he ended their lives this way.”
Family gathered outside the courthouse following the hearing Thursday, headed to the Sisters’ former home to celebrate their lives as the legal process holding Sanders accountable came to a close. Some, who had yet to visit a memorial to the Sisters, planned to go there to pay their respects as well.
Sue Zuern, who spoke for the family in court, said avoiding a trial and the death penalty was what the family had hoped for.
“A death so horrific, no one could ever imagine,” she said, describing what she knew of her sister’s last moments. The family had hoped to avoid hearing the details in open court.
“Our prayers for no trial have been answered,” she said, “but we struggle to do God’s will and forgive.”
Jim remains troubled by questions about the death of his sister and her friend, especially the motive behind the murders.
“We would like to know why, but I don’t think we ever will,” he said.
Youngest sibling Annette Held wonders how the man she saw in court could have done it.
“How is it he came to be this person? How can an act this evil be visited upon them?” she wondered aloud. “He (Sanders) might be thinking this is the end of his life, but this could be the beginning. He could choose to make something good out of this.”
Despite their loss, the Held family feel deep sympathy for Rodney Sanders’ wife and family.
“We felt so bad when we met her. She did nothing and we’re sorry people have been so mean to her and her family,” said other sibling eldest Beth Bacik. “She’s such a beautiful woman. She was the best thing that ever happened to him (Sanders).”
Annette Held agreed.
“It would be nice if people could show her the mercy shown here today,” she said.
Slowly refocusing their attention onto their sister’s life, the siblings started telling stories about Sister Margaret, the third-born of their family.
“She always made you feel like a million bucks,” said Annette, with Beth adding that “We all thought we were her favorite sister.”
Each of them also said that they feel the loss of Sister Paula Merrill as well, as she had over the years become another member of the family.
“Paula was kind of like the extra sister,” said Beth. “We adopted her years ago.”
RELATED STORY: Mercy
https://starherald.net/news-kosciusko-attala-county-front-page-slideshow...
RELATED VIDEO:
Annette Held talks about her sister's work with the poor
