Bill Pelke Anchorage, Alaska President and Cofounder of Journey of Hope...From Violence to Healing Chairman of the Board of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Founding Board Member of Murder Victims Families for Human Rights Incorporator of Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation Vice President of Alaskans Against the Death Penalty Advisory Board: Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty Advisory Board: Lamp of Hope Project Author

Printer-Friendly Page Bill recently authored a book entitled Journey of Hope...From Violence to Healing, which details the May 14, 1985 murder of his grandmother Ruth Pelke, a Bible teacher, by four teenage girls. Paula Cooper who was deemed to be the ringleader was sentenced to die in the electric chair by the state of Indiana. She was fifteen-years-old at the time of the murder Pelke originally support the sentence of death for Cooper, but went through a spiritual transformation in 1986 after praying for love and compassion for Paula Cooper and her family. He became involved in an international crusade on Paula's behalf and in 1989 after over 2 million people from Italy signed petitions and Pope John Paul II’s request for mercy, Paula was taken off of death row and her sentence commuted to sixty years. Bill, a retired steelworker, has dedicated his life to working for abolition of the death penalty.  He shares his story of forgiveness and healing, and how he came to realize that he did not need to see someone else die in order to heal from his grandmother’s death. He also helps organize Journey tours nationally and abroad. Pelke has traveled to over forty states and ten countries with the Journey of Hope and has told his story over 5000 times. Links to Bill’s Journey: Crime Victims' Advocate Elected Chair of NCADP Board Murder Meets Mercy in Anchorage Man's Book: - ADN Transformative Justice - Rittenhouse The Freedom Of Forgiveness: - Associated Press -- David Briggs Victims' families: 'end the death penalty.- National Catholic Reporter Waiting for Roper v. Simmons - The Nation Some murder victims' kin reject capital punishment; others endorse the sanction - Richmond Times-Dispatch Alaskans seek Abolition of the Death Penalty - ADN Heroes Florida Death Row Advocacy Group In Memory of James V. Allridge III Stories of Violence and Responses to It: - Bishop Brunett Moving Towards Abolition - The Witness The Hard Road to Forgiveness - Yes Magazine - Mary Sue Penn Speaker Empahsizes Forgiveness: - The Digital Collegian --C.J. Engle Nationally Renowned Bill Pelke Speaks in Defiance - The Crescent News Bill Pelke Quotes: “The answer is love and compassion for all of humanity" " I am a Christian, and Jesus said, ‘Whosoever has no sin, cast the first stone.’ Under that criteria, none of us can cast the stone of death.” “The death penalty has absolutely nothing to do with healing.  [It] just continues the cycle of violence and creates more murder victims family members.  We become what we hate.  We become killers.” "Hate the sin, love the sinner" "Revenge is never, ever the answer" click on images to enlarge