To the jury:
You are charged with the death of Kim Cook.
It was with great pain that we all knew Kim was taken away from us. We witnessed the sadness of her mother reaching into the sky as if to fly her daughter’s ashes into space. It was heartbreaking to know that the heartache of Kim’s father will never know his daughter.
To her mom:
Kim and I were very close. I know that I would care for you and try to support you, but we could never fully be the friends that Kim and I would’ve loved to have.
In this trial, I am certain that God will speak through Kim’s story to those who are in power. I believe those people will begin to understand the differences between right and wrong and who has the right to control.
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Throughout this trial, no one gets to define Kim for Kim. Her parents and the Police Department have defined her and the state and Daunte have defined her. We have really limited our vision of Kim.
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The officer, the courtroom and the courthouse all become extensions of Kim. No one is able to dictate to her who Kim was, how Kim felt or what Kim’s family thinks of Kim’s killer. There are still flaws in Kim, but there are flaws in every victim, and all have a light in their eye that shines no matter where it shines.
You have the right to a trial, and you also have the right to a trial of your own. Kim’s trial is our trial. The eyes of the world are on us as we face our own trial. This trial is that of those who love us the most.