Remember:
First, let’s not forget the other victims in the crime… Johnny Couch (I never met), Charles (Lamar) Hemphill (whom i did meet at the old Club V in what was “The Mall” in Huntsville on Bryan’s 21st birthday), Michael Beaudette (I never met)… plus Ashley Rutherford (who I had just sold my Camaro to just a few months prior to the crime) and Michaelle Hayden [Mills] (whom, I probably met… since she and Ashley were going out at the time).
Around the time of the crime:
On the day of the crime, Bryan called me at work wanting to know what I was doing that night. He was going over to Ashley’s for a while. I had gone there several times but I wasn’t really friends with him (I did sell him my car…), but I had a test the next night which I hadn’t studied for…. So, I declined. What would have happened if I had met Bryan that night? Would we have gone to Ashley’s? Would he still be alive? Or would I have been another victim? I can sit here and say we would have gone elsewhere, but … one never knows.
On the night of the crime at about the time it happened… I was at home on the internet (yes, I was on the internet in 96.). Little did I know what was going on just about 10 miles from my house.
On the day after, I remember seeing my Mom come into Office Depot where I worked. I thought it was odd since she never came in there. Apparently, she heard about the crime on the radio on the way to dentist… she went to Bryan’s house to find a few weeping girls and Bryan’s Mom who told her that she would rather me here the news from my Mom than from the radio. So, my Mom came in to tell me what happened. As you can imagine, I couldn’t work… and my manager let me go home.
After going home, I started watching for the news. Just because I didn’t believe it. Then, they showed Ashley’s house and I saw Bryan’s car and Ashley’s car (my former car) in the driveway. Then, it hit me and I knew it was true. I was hoping it was all a hoax. A very bad hoax but better than knowing that my best friend was dead.
I had been in that room where it happened many times. I know how small it was and how there was only one real way out. The room was built in the garage. Meaning we could get into his room without even going through the house. In all the times I was there, I never actually saw the inside of the house. Just his room in the garage. I have visions of what it might have been like in my head. From the accounts I read in the paper and from what I have been told of it.
The Trials
I went over to his parents house almost every night to find out what happened during the trial that day. I wanted to go but his Mom told me that it’s better if I didn’t. It’s very hard to hear the testimony. I know it had to be extremely hard for all of the families to not only go through one trial but to go through 3… To hear what happened 3 times… I just can’t imagine.
Here are some fun things I remember about Bryan:
I remember going to Ashley’s house and pissing outside his garage (after a night of drinking) with Bryan and laughing as we left.
I remember Bryan having a million girlfriends and I didn’t have one. What? No sharing? Thanks, Bryan!
I remember his 21st birthday and somebody buying him a shot of 151 and he went to the bathroom… yeah, it came back up. But the trooper he was, he kept on drinking.
I remember going to the Vapors with him many times. He, like me, drank underage in legitimate bars. We were very friendly with the wait staff.
I remember Bryan calling me at work to tell me he won tickets to the WCW Monday Nitro event from WTAK… “Do I wanna go? Hell yeah!” That’s the only time I have ever been to a live wrestling match…
I remember that in the final years after the Vapors closed down, that we spent almost every Saturday night at the Sports Page drinking and shooting pool. I remember the server that I had a crush on. Bryan encouraged to give her a poem that expressed myself to her. She posted it on her fridge (from what I understand). I never got to know what might have happened because I barely went back after Bryan’s passing.
I remember going to Monarch Lanes with him. Bowling and beer. What could be better? Maybe Pool and beer.
I remember him stiffing me on a Rush ticket. I bought three. One for me, one for Brad Freeman, and one for Bryan. Then, he went with some other friends (probably a girl knowing Bryan) and never paid me for the ticket. Argh! I forgive ya know, bud!
I remember going to many concerts with him where he didn’t stiff me. Yeah we had fun. Most notable was the Metallica concert on the Black Album tour. An Evening With Metallica. Synchronized head-banging with like 6 or 7 of us. The chick in front of me in the combat boots who just freaked out for no reason and stomped on my toes… OUCH!
— Peace and Love to all who read this —
