Your Honor, my name is Deborah Chevalier and I am ... - Star Tribune

work. Some would be quick to point out that it is my choice to do so but, as her mother, it is myresponsibility.Quite a while back victim services informed me that if WMD was found guilty I would be ableto file a claim for restitution. I was shocked. Actually I was completely outraged. My anger didnot stem from the fact that it would be impossible to remember all the costs involved. It camesimply from the fact that being ordered to pay financial costs was being referred to by the courtsas ‘restitution’. Restitution means to return something to its original state. Even if we couldaccurately determine all the financial costs involved and even if Melchert-Dinkel was to pay allof those costs, that would still not be restitution. We can never regain what he has taken fromus. There can never be restitution.For nine months Nadia grew within me. At that incredible moment when she took her firstbreath, she was a stranger to everyone in this world except me. We already knew and loved eachother intimately.There is nothing in life so intense or more powerful than a mother’s love; that love is an entity onits own - one with its very own soul. That child came from them, it grew within them, and thatchild will always be a part of them. For a mother, birth itself is not seen as a separation of thetwo. I can tell you this – but it is only words, and I suspect that only a mother can trulyappreciate the enormity of the truth contained within those words. When Nadia died the bestparts of me died with her, and most days what was left behind seems of little consequence.I can no longer look into my child’s eyes every day and be struck by the awe and wonder of myown miracle. Instead I look at photos and am reminded of what was taken from me. I no longerhave a child. I will never know the joy of a grandchild. When I leave this earth there will beonly a few memories of Nadia and I left behind. Even they will one day fade.What Melchert-Dinkel did was vile, offensive and most importantly, illegal. He knowinglychose to mastermind the deaths of some and destroy the lives of many. In doing so he alsocompletely shattered a trust that society has bestowed upon those in his profession. Mostprofound, he would have us believe that it is his right to do so. He would have us believe thatsome members of society are disposable, but Nadia was not disposable. None of our children aredisposable.When one takes into account his total disregard for human life, the pleasure he derives frombeing an instrument to death, and his belief that it is his right to do so, can it be possible to reachany conclusion other then that he is a danger to society that must be locked away for theprotection of others?Add to this the fact that through years of practice he has become quite proficient at manipulatingthe minds of others, then it should become clear why I further believe that all communications hehas with others, be it through internet, phone, in person, or otherwise, be supervised andmonitored.