Status Update: January 18, 2010

Hello Everyone,
We haven't posted for a while because we are still waiting for a decision on Brandon's appeal which is in the hands of the Judges from the 9th District Court. Sometimes it's hard to write an update when there is no new news. Even so, we understand that it is a kindness to you who have been so supportive to confirm, "Nothing new from the court." We will try to do better about that. Since this is Brandon's last appeal, we are full of equal parts fear and hope. More than fourteen years is a long time to crawl through the justice system.

Brandon has had his ups and downs. Prison is not a happy place to be but he tries to make it bearable. He's working hard to focus on his artwork and drawing portraits from photographs. He is also designing tee-shirt art for a former cellmate who is on the outside now and has started a clothing company called Recover Me. Pretty cool stuff.

It's hard to believe that the year is 2010. We started this sad journey with Brandon in 1995. It began with a tragic loss of life and then tragedy compounded tragedy as boys were put in prison and over time became men. Brandon will be 33 years old in February. We have a photo on our bulletin board that is a sign of hope and time. It was put up in 2007 and each year we reluctantly overwrite it to match the calendar. Will this be the year?

No matter how many days, and weeks, and months and years go by, our love for Brandon and his love for all of us is steadfast. We will never give up our fight to win his release. Watch for updates to this website soon. We may have some new ways that you can help. As always, thank you for the kindness of your open hearts.

Warmest Regards,
Gene and Janice Hein