Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), William & Pansy Evans
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000024
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00:01 On October 24th, 2007
00:03 at 1:00 a. m. 00:05 William and Pansy Evans 00:06 received a call that no parents ever want to receive... 00:09 Stay tuned to hear about their journey... 00:12 My name is Yvonne Lewis and you're watching 00:14 Urban Report... 00:36 Hello and welcome to Urban Report... 00:39 Today you're going to meet William and Pansy Evans... 00:42 their story is gripping and touching... 00:45 let's get into it right away... 00:47 Hello, Brother Bill and Sister Pansy... 00:50 welcome to Urban Report... Thank you... 00:53 Hello, Dr. Lewis... 00:55 Thank you so much for being with us today 00:58 and for being willing to share your story with us... 01:00 So, tell us, if you would, what was that call 01:05 on October 24th, 2007... 01:09 walk us through this whole journey... 01:10 Well, actually the event started back on October the 23rd 2007... 01:19 we had just spoken to our oldest son, Christopher Evans, 01:22 who was 20 years old... 01:24 we were unaware that this would our last conversation... 01:28 we were making plans for Thanksgiving Holiday 01:31 and we were 01:33 just planning for the holiday 01:35 we were looking forward to that event... 01:37 and he said, "It's 10:30... you have to go... 01:39 I'll call you later... I love you... " 01:41 we said, "I love you too... I'll call you tomorrow... " 01:44 about three hours later... at 1 o'clock in the morning, 01:47 we received another call... actually, we were asleep 01:50 and the call we got was from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania... 01:53 Pansy said, "Pittsburgh?" and I said, 01:56 "Why is Chris calling me... calling us at 1 o'clock in the 01:58 morning... " to our surprise... 02:01 when I looked at the phone, I noticed... 02:03 that I didn't recognize the number, 02:05 when I picked up the phone, here's what he answered... 02:09 "Can I speak to William Evans... 02:10 this is Detective Hitches from the Coroner's Office... 02:13 now, you know when you hear the word... "Coroner's Office" 02:16 it's usually not good news... Yes... 02:18 "Do you have a son named Christopher Evans?" 02:20 I said, "Yes... " He said, "Well, he died tonight" 02:22 I said, "What happened?" He said, "He was shot... " 02:26 Oh my! so what was your immediate response to that... 02:30 and tell us... kind of walk us through 02:33 how you were feeling at that point... 02:35 At this point... it's almost like you experience... 02:42 a temporary state of insanity... 02:45 you're not sure if you're hearing what they said correctly 02:49 and your mind has just been taken away from you... 02:53 Yes... you know... that's... that's... again 02:57 it's a call that no parent ever wants to get, 03:00 and your son was living in another city... 03:04 you guys are in Dallas... 03:05 and he was in Pittsburgh... what happened to Chris... 03:09 tell us how he died... 03:10 Well, what happened was that as soon as he hung up the phone, 03:17 there were five teenagers 03:18 that were robbing people... 03:20 robbing people at the bus... where they're getting money 03:23 to buy marijuana... a last shooter approached Chris 03:30 and Chris decided to... I guess... run... 03:34 and I guess the individual, the last shooter, 03:37 decided to shoot him in the back and he ran about 300 yards 03:41 and he collapsed and died... 03:43 Oh my! I happened to have known Chris 03:48 and he was the most delightful young man... 03:52 very talented... tell us about his personality. 03:57 Chris was a 20-year-old Christian young man... 04:02 he was like any other normal 20-year-old... 04:06 he had his goals and his dreams and was pursuing them... 04:10 he's not our only child, however, we have another child 04:15 which is almost 10 years younger... 04:17 but he took his lead as the first child in 04:21 wanting to pursue an education 04:23 and that's why he was there in Pittsburgh... 04:25 he is also 04:29 very comical... 04:31 most people might not see that side of him... 04:33 but we do... living with him... 04:35 Yes, he was very funny and very verbal... 04:38 he loved to talk... he was a talker... 04:42 and he and my son, Jason, were very good friends as well 04:44 when you mentioned 04:47 that he had dreams 04:50 you know, this is Dare to Dream Network 04:52 and we encourage our young people to have dreams... 04:56 what were some of Chris' dreams, what did he want to do? 04:58 Well, he was a Christian young man 05:01 and he wanted to make a difference in his Community... 05:03 well, first of all... 05:05 he wanted to work for the United States Government 05:08 in the field of satellite imagery... 05:11 but he also... he had a desire to make 05:14 the urban community a better place for people of minority... 05:18 he loved people... and he loved people a great deal 05:22 he just wanted to help people to see 05:25 that there's more to life than what's involved in drugs... 05:27 and crime... And he also loved to travel... 05:31 Yes... Ah... all right so... 05:35 he hangs up the phone from you, and he leaves that area 05:41 and he's walking... or somebody approaches him... 05:45 and is trying to rob him... so that they could get money 05:49 for marijuana... that's what you're telling us? 05:52 Right, right, right... These were all teenagers... 05:54 They were all teenagers... 05:55 Okay... and so... he ran... what happened 06:00 after they shot him... what was the process of finding 06:03 the shooters and all that... how did that happen? 06:07 Well, we're glad you asked that question, 06:10 when Chris was robbed... 06:12 actually there were two individuals 06:14 from the School that at he attended... 06:16 another individual who basically lived in that neighborhood... 06:19 he was robbed first... 06:21 Chris actually saw the robbery, he decided to run... 06:24 after they took a few possessions 06:27 from this other young man... 06:28 and then they decided to chase Chris when he was shot... 06:31 now too many things happened... of course, you know when the 06:34 shooter murders somebody... 06:35 the shooter always runs and hides okay... 06:37 so there were three individuals... 06:39 the first was running for his life, 06:41 the individual that witnessed Chris actually died... 06:44 and he ran home and contacted his mother... 06:46 now in the process of contacting his mother... 06:49 they contacted the police... now the individuals 06:51 that were involved in the robbery... 06:52 stole about five dollars from the other individual... 06:55 isn't it amazing that a life is worth only five dollars... 06:58 all right... and then... here's what happened... 07:02 they stole the other individual's cell phone... 07:07 the police traced the cell phone 07:09 and that's how they arrested four of the individuals 07:12 when they arrested the four individuals... 07:13 they identified the shooter... 07:14 I see... I see... so... 07:18 for five dollars... 07:21 for five dollars... someone's life was lost... 07:24 this is what you're telling me, you're son's life was lost, 07:27 these guys got five dollars from someone else... 07:30 Right... but from there... they are 07:32 robbing people and they got five dollars... 07:35 and they are... the thing that's so tragic 07:38 there are so many different tragedies in this... 07:41 the first one, of course, that you lost your precious son 07:44 the second one... that these boys' lives 07:47 have been changed forever as a result of stupid choices... 07:52 I'm sorry... but it's stupid... dumb choices that they're making 07:56 that get them into this lifestyle 08:00 that their whole lives are... they're shut out now... 08:04 they're part of the System now, 08:05 what happened to the shooter... where is he now? 08:09 Well, the shooter is serving time in prison... 08:13 he was acquitted for the murder... 08:15 He was acquitted? 08:17 Yes, Ma'am, he was acquitted for the murder 08:19 and the reason why he was acquitted for the murder 08:22 was because the initial DA really, in my opinion, 08:25 didn't do a thorough investigation 08:26 because I believe they wanted to come with a quick solution... 08:28 and what happened was... he decertified 08:31 four other individuals involved in the robbery 08:34 in exchange for the testimony... 08:35 and basically they all went into Juvenile Detention... 08:40 when these individuals were let out of Juvenile Detention, 08:45 they committed other crime... so, during the trial, 08:48 basically all of them came in in handcuffs... 08:51 And they couldn't be held as credible evidence... 08:53 So, the evidence was not credible... 08:56 all right... now he was found guilty 08:59 for possession of a weapon, right? 09:02 robbery and conspiracy... where he's serving 12 years 09:05 in prison right now... now, unfortunately, 09:09 we got word that two of the individuals... 09:13 or one of the individuals... was involved in crime... 09:16 like carjacking, burglary... assault... 09:19 and that we found out on February 11 that... 09:21 that individual was gunned down in the streets... 09:23 So, one of the perpetrators... of this crime against Chris... 09:29 has been murdered himself... 09:32 Yeah, and you know, Dr. Lewis, I think my wife said 09:37 the most amazing thing... about this trial... 09:40 and she said, we looked at the kid 09:43 that allegedly shot our son 09:45 he was only 15-years-old at the time, by the way, 09:47 my wife said... his action affected two mothers, 09:50 Yes, yes, yes... 09:53 what were you feeling 09:56 looking at this guy because I know 09:58 that you went up to Pittsburgh for the trial... 10:01 what were you feeling as you actually laid your eyes 10:06 on the person that murdered your son? 10:08 I couldn't believe... he looked like such a 10:11 fine young man... looked like someone that 10:15 had a bright future... I just believe that he got 10:20 caught up with the others... seeing him for the first time 10:26 really caused a feeling of 10:29 anger... and I'm just being honest with you 10:32 Of course... Seeing that, you know, 10:35 he took an innocent child's life... 10:37 Yes... But... I must admit... 10:40 that dissipated... over time... 10:43 My! so... you sat there in that Court Room 10:47 hearing the details about what happened to Chris 10:51 and seeing the actual perpetrators... 10:55 and feeling those... I would imagine... 10:58 that you kind of ran the gamut of emotions 11:01 from anger and sadness... because you're hearing 11:04 all of the details that you might not have... 11:06 you want to know but you don't want to know... 11:11 so, he was 15... when he did this crime... 11:15 and he is away now for 12 years but he got acquitted 11:19 I'm still not sure how I understand... 11:22 how he got acquitted of the murder of Chris... 11:26 Because, you see, Dr. Lewis, working in the field of 11:29 Criminal Justice... I understand one dynamic... 11:31 it has to be beyond a reasonable doubt... 11:33 Plus, they did not find the weapon... 11:35 Plus they did not find the weapon... 11:37 Oh... okay... The individual that prosecuted 11:40 the case said, even with this she had to prowl... 11:42 there were two individuals that chased Chris 11:45 with the gun... one was 14... the other was 15 11:47 by-the-way the 14-year-old individual has about a 68 IQ 11:52 and has 3 or 4 kids... A 68 IQ? 11:56 And he has about 3 or 4 kids, okay...children, I'm sorry. 11:58 Oh... But the thing about it... 12:02 both of these individuals chased Chris 12:04 and what the DA... 12:07 the Prosecutor for the case said... 12:08 that if he had had the case first... 12:09 he would have charged both of them with the murder 12:12 and then... we probably would have got a 12:15 fair trial... but the sad thing about it is 12:18 about a week later... 12:19 our DA called us and said that ten of the twelve jurors 12:23 read Chris' story and they said that 12:24 they rendered the wrong verdict... 12:26 But it was too late... But it was too late... 12:30 My... my... my... so after you heard that verdict 12:34 what was your reaction to that? 12:36 Numbness... Yeah there was numbness... 12:39 but for some reason... we were not really upset... 12:43 because you have to realize... the trial happened 18 months 12:47 after the murder... and I must say this... 12:50 I made up my mind 12:51 I wasn't going to be like a Fred Goldman... 12:53 who allowed this OJ Simpson case 12:55 to consume him... and maybe because we are 12:58 Christians... we understand that 13:00 God is in control of everything 13:02 we don't like what happened, 13:03 but we do have to understand that a better day is coming 13:06 and by faith we will see our son again... 13:09 Yes... doesn't that make a difference though? 13:11 I mean... it makes a difference... 13:13 Sister Pansy... what were you going to say? 13:16 On the morning of the trial, I had my brother, 13:20 who pastors in New York, he was there with us 13:23 all three weeks as we went back and forth 13:26 and I remember him saying one thing... 13:28 he said, "I don't know what the outcome is going to be today... 13:33 but I just want you to remember that God is in the business 13:37 of saving souls... and I am not sure... 13:41 if he might have allowed Chris' life to be taken 13:44 to save this young man's life... " 13:47 and that stuck with me throughout the trial... 13:50 even when I heard the verdict that day... 13:53 I was pretty numb... but what kept going through 13:58 my mind was the fact that God is in the business 14:02 of saving souls... Yes... 14:05 Another thing Dr. Lewis... after the trial was over, 14:08 and I know you have other questions, 14:10 the mother approached me and she shook my hand 14:12 and she said, "Sir, I'm sorry about your loss" 14:14 and I looked back and said, 14:15 "Well, the Lord has given your son another chance... 14:17 hope that he will take advantage of it... " 14:20 My! you know... the fact that you're Christians 14:24 tell us how that really has been helpful 14:31 to you through this journey... because... I can't... 14:35 I think every parent puts themselves... 14:37 as they hear this story... they put themselves 14:40 in your place... and think... "What if that were my son... 14:45 how would I respond... what would I do... 14:48 how would I feel?" 14:49 No one wants to go through this, how has this experience 14:54 changed your life? 14:55 I have to be honest with you, even though we were Christians 14:58 we were still angry... Okay... 15:00 Let's talk about that a little bit... 15:02 We still wanted it to end... we really did... 15:05 okay... we went through the... you know those stages 15:07 of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance... 15:10 Yes... there are exceptions... 15:13 You know the thing about those stages... they are fine... 15:16 and you can go over that process again... 15:18 even though it's been nearly five years since our son passed 15:21 and sometimes I still cannot believe 15:22 that he's no longer with us... even though the evidences 15:24 are there that he's not here... but therefore 15:28 you are angry... 15:29 Were you ever angry with the Lord? 15:32 No, we were never angry with the Lord... 15:34 we were angry with the individuals that took his life. 15:37 Okay... And, because... 15:41 if you think about it... those feelings were there... 15:45 okay... even though... we are Christians 15:47 we still have those feelings... some people said, 15:49 "Well why do you keep crying, you know there's a better day?" 15:52 Because we're human... 15:53 Of course... they asked you why... wait, wait, wait, wait, 15:57 some people asked you 15:59 why were you crying 16:00 because you knew there was a better day? 16:02 Of course... 16:04 Oh my! talk about being out of touch... really... 16:08 I mean... that's out of touch... 16:12 I'm sorry I couldn't hear you say it again... 16:14 There were terrible accusations too, okay... 16:16 you know... like they said that I cried, 16:18 but my wife didn't shed a tear... 16:20 you know... and I must have felt bad because 16:24 I couldn't control my child, so... 16:26 you've heard those accusations 16:27 but you knew that they were not true so... 16:29 you try not to let those things faze you... 16:30 because here's the thing... that was only the exception... 16:33 it wasn't the norm... we had a lot of good support 16:37 but the answer to your question, what helped us is... 16:40 before Chris died... we always had worship everyday 16:44 and that gave us our strength... the Sabbath School Lesson 16:47 during the time of his death was "The Crucible" 16:49 remember that lesson? Ah... okay... 16:52 It was the crucible... and when Chris died... 16:54 the lesson was... "Extreme Heat" 16:56 and it was talking about Job's experience... 16:59 and it gave us strength... by-the-way... 17:03 when I hear pastors talking about Job's wife... 17:05 I say, "Listen, Job lost all ten of his children at one time... 17:09 so, let's not be so hard on Mrs. Job... " 17:14 Yes... yes... But, it was basically because 17:19 we had a relationship with God prior to his death 17:22 and all that... and that continued... 17:26 And also, when we look back at his life... 17:29 and the way he lived it... it gives you an assurance... 17:34 Yes... yes... that's very true, it's unusual 17:39 and it's unfortunate but there are not a lot of 17:43 young guys that are really into the Lord... 17:48 they kind of get detoured and get into the worldly things 17:51 and Chris... loved the Lord... 17:53 and he was involved in his Church 17:55 tell us a little bit about his spiritual journey, if you would, 17:59 Oh my goodness... you want to take that? 18:01 You know, I look back... even when they had the ceremony 18:07 in the Pittsburgh Church where he attended... and they said, 18:11 "You know, when we saw this young man come to Church... 18:16 we wondered so much about him 18:17 because no one knew anything about him... 18:20 except... that he was the first to arrive, 18:23 on Sabbaths... on Friday evening Vespers... 18:27 they had Vespers at their Church... 18:30 and on Wednesday night Prayer Meeting... 18:32 and he was the last to leave... Wow! 18:35 And when he went to Pittsburgh, the first thing he did was 18:38 look for a Seventh-day Adventist Church... 18:40 because he valued his spirituality more than anything 18:44 he always... he identified God as "The Man Upstairs" 18:48 And he had a personal relationship... with the Lord... 18:53 Yes... yes... He sure did... 18:55 and he had a love for the Lord 18:57 and his fellow human beings... Yes, yes, yes... 19:00 how comforting has that been as you've been on 19:04 your journey... your healing journey... 19:06 how comforting has that been to you... 19:08 knowing that your son... had that relationship with Jesus? 19:12 Very comforting... Even though we are still lonely, 19:16 Yes... yes... but... very, very comforting... 19:19 Yes... And then... due to the fact 19:22 that he had a powerful impact in his Community... 19:25 you know, after he died... we got about 110 letters from 19:29 Pittsburghers who didn't even know him... 19:31 Wow! what did some of the letters say? 19:33 Oh, some of them just commented about what a lovely young man 19:39 he was... I remember the bus driver 19:41 that used to take him back and forth... 19:43 made the comments about him 19:47 being so polite... 19:49 once he stepped on that bus 19:51 he never did without greeting him... 19:53 so those are the things that... 19:54 you know keep you assured that he was living the life 19:58 that he should... A fifth year old kid 20:02 wrote a rap song in his honor Really? 20:05 Wow! The music... couldn't stand... 20:10 And you know that Sunday before he was murdered... 20:19 Hmmm... hmmm... there were two ladies 20:21 in the Church... and they asked him 20:23 to come with them... 20:24 well that Saturday 20:26 they asked him to come with them... 20:27 on that Sunday to help clean 20:29 a sickened shut-in's home... 20:32 and they just said, "Chris, come on with me tomorrow" 20:35 they weren't so sure if he was going to show up 20:39 because a young man of his age, to come on a Sunday morning... 20:43 early... to go clean someone's home... 20:45 but when they got to the Church that morning, 20:48 Chris was there before them... 20:50 My! and they said 20:52 he did a thorough job... cleaning that man's house 20:55 and when the gentleman heard on that Tuesday that he was 20:58 murdered... he was so devastated Oh! 21:01 In the meanwhile, Dr. Lewis, this happened... 21:04 and this thing had happened two days before he died... 21:07 My! you know... 21:09 it's amazing to me that 21:12 God has sent you these different words 21:16 of encouragement... to comfort you... 21:19 He's so merciful... He wants you to be comforted 21:23 through this journey... and he let you know... 21:26 the impact that Chris had in his Church... 21:30 in his Community... so that... 21:31 that also... can be a source of comfort to you... 21:34 tell us about... now... once you... 21:38 you went to Court you saw all that... 21:42 these five years now how have you been navigating 21:48 this journey toward wholeness again? 21:51 We have to continue to make adjustments... 21:55 and it's a process that I believe... 21:58 will continue until the Lord comes... 22:01 one thing that we have done recently is that 22:04 we have cleaned out his room, it is now a guest room 22:07 Ah... and initially... 22:10 that was a difficult process... but, you know, the sudden... 22:14 we wanted to do this interview from this room... 22:16 but it didn't work out that way 22:18 Oh, yes, yes... how long did it take before you could 22:21 clean out his room? 22:22 Just a couple of weeks ago... we just did it... 22:26 Wow! bless your hearts... 22:29 And one thing about our journey we have been truly blessed 22:33 because Chris had an impact even after he died 22:38 I remember... there's a statement that 22:40 even though you are physically gone... 22:42 your influence continues to live we didn't know this 22:46 until he died that he was an organ donor 22:48 we were surprised... that at such a young age 22:53 he made a decision to donate his organs 22:55 and how many individuals were helped? 22:57 Many, many of them... And what surprised me... 23:00 even though they recovered his organs in Pennsylvania 23:03 where he died... the first recipient 23:06 was a 20-year-old male... his age... from Texas 23:09 that received his cornea... 23:10 Oh, oh, so... part of him will live on... 23:15 and he had the foresight to do that 23:21 as a young man... it just kind of blows me away 23:24 that Chris was so... ahead of his years... 23:27 you know, he was just so ahead of his years... 23:30 and a mature... yet a fun-loving kid... 23:33 Chris was a fun-loving kid... and the fact that he loved Jesus 23:37 so much... is such an inspiration... 23:39 What did they do in Pittsburgh to commemorate his life? 23:45 Oh, my goodness... you want to take it? 23:49 They planted a tree on the School Campus 23:53 in his honor... they renovated a Dorm... 23:57 and that Dorm is now the Honors' Dorm... 24:01 Wow... they named it after him, they named the Dorm after him? 24:06 Yes, it's called Evans Hall... and let me tell you 24:10 an amazing blessing... 24:11 last year we got a call from his Counselor 24:14 who was the last individual that saw Chris alive... 24:16 he says that it's a Dorm that's been renovated... 24:18 the Evans Hall... the GPA... 24:20 the average GPA has jumped 1.25 24:22 not a 1.25 overall GPA... it jumped 1.25 so the 24:28 average GPA is over 3.0 in that Dormitory... 24:30 because... when somebody enters the Evans Hall Dorm... 24:33 they explain what this Dorm represents... 24:35 so, I'm so thankful for that... Wow! 24:37 In addition, they established a scholarship in his name 24:40 where individuals have been attending schools... 24:44 so we're thankful for that... and to me 24:47 the biggest event is that we got a Decoration from the 24:50 State Senator of Pennsylvania declaring him a positive example 24:53 for his Community... so we're thankful for that... 24:55 Wow! you must be very proud... in the Lord.. 25:00 but proud of Chris' legacy... Very... 25:03 Yes, Ma'am... even though I would trade all that 25:05 just to have him back but we are thankful... 25:07 Yes... for sure... for sure... you know, the thing for us 25:11 to just keep in mind... is First Thessalonians 4 25:15 you know... where... we know that the Lord Himself 25:19 shall descend from heaven with a shout, 25:21 with the voice of the archangel, 25:22 and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ 25:24 shall rise first... I mean... we know 25:27 that we are going to be with our loved ones 25:30 one day... Yes, we will... 25:32 I know that for you... that is what keeps you 25:36 that's what keeps you going... 25:37 do you have any final thoughts 25:40 for any parents 25:41 that are going through what you went through... 25:44 what would you say to them? 25:45 My first advice to them would be 25:50 you know... it's devastating losing a child... 25:54 but the first thing to remember is... 25:58 you have a choice after that child is gone... 26:01 you could choose either to be bitter or better... 26:05 Ah... We focused on the second 26:07 to be better... in doing so, 26:10 there are some things that you really need to do... 26:13 first of all... you just really have to 26:15 strengthen your relationship with the Lord... 26:17 realizing that... He is in the midst of all of this 26:23 secondly, I might say... "lots of prayers" 26:27 pray continuously... what helped me... 26:32 was a lot of self-talk... positive self-talk... 26:36 and not avoiding to separate yourself from your friends 26:43 because so many of them bring you comfort... 26:46 in doing so... you might be tempted more towards 26:50 going into depression due to the situation... 26:53 Hmmm... hmmm... but continue to hold on 26:58 to the hope that you have... those were some of the things 27:01 that were helpful... for me... 27:03 And Dr. Lewis, even though we are Christians... 27:06 it doesn't hurt to seek professional help 27:09 Hmmm... good point... go to a Counselor... 27:12 we went to a Grief Counselor, and also... 27:15 you helped us as well... you helped us a great deal 27:19 when you gave us that little situation of confidence 27:21 and we want to thank you for that... 27:23 Well, praise the Lord... 27:24 But the main thing is... seek professional counseling... 27:28 if it is necessary... 27:30 a professional Christian Counselor 27:32 they provided us with... they helped us a great deal... 27:34 in addition, remember, even though we miss Chris 27:37 tremendously... we still have our daughter, Christina, 27:39 we have to continue... 27:41 we cannot let our son's life or death consume us 27:45 where we are not raising our daughter... 27:47 we are also trying to get to heaven... 27:49 Yes... so, those are some of the things 27:51 that we think are so important... 27:53 Well, thank you so much for being with us 27:55 we are so grateful to you... may God bless you 27:58 as you continue with Him... 27:59 Thank you so much for tuning in... 28:02 Tune in next time... 28:03 it just wouldn't be the same... without you... |
Revised 2015-07-07