Emotional Michelle Wilkins- ‘I have forgiven’ Dynel Lane, ‘but I’m angry’
An emotional Michelle Wilkins, the pregnant woman who was attacked and left for dead then had her baby cut out of her womb, said Tuesday she forgave her attacker Dynel Lane but said she was angry at her.
With her parents by her side, Wilkins delivered a statement and took a couple of questions from media members outside the Boulder County Justice Center after Lane was found guilty of six felony counts, including attempted first-degree murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy by a 12-person jury.
Wilkins thanked those who helped her after the March 18, 2015 attack, including first responders, the 911 dispatcher who took her call and the prosecution team led by Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett.
"It had just never entered my worldview that someone could be so cruel and value life so little," Wilkins said. "Many have asked me how I feel about Dynel Lane. Early on I had said I had forgiven her. It's part of who I am as a human being.
"And Martin Luther King said it brilliantly. We must develop and develop the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. ...
"So, no, I do not hate Dynel. But I am angry for all of the pain she has caused. The deceit and for her selfishness. And this element is hardly fathomable to me.
"She has answered to the state of Colorado for the heinous crime she has committed. And I do hope she finds the time to reflect on what she did and why. And then find the opportunity to seek inner peace and then find a way to pay the spiritual debt that she has humiliated."
Lane had pleaded not guilty for the March 18, 2015 attack that left Wilkins' unborn daughter Aurora dead. Wilkins went to Lane’s home after responding to a Craigslist ad for baby clothes in a ghastly case that shocked many in Colorado and across the country.
Wilkins recounted the attack in testimony on Wednesday. On Thursday, the jury heard from doctors and police as physical and forensic evidence was presented.
She held her father’s hand as the guilty verdicts were read.
Garnett thanked Wilkins for bringing Lane to justice.
"She's not only an incredibly brave and tenacious woman, but she's really a delightful person," Garnett said. "She did a great job of sticking with the case, testifying in court. And we want to thank her very much for making sure that justice was made in what is a really, really horrific and unspeakably sad crime for the whole community, especially for Michelle, (her partner) Dan and her family."
With her parents by her side, Wilkins delivered a statement and took a couple of questions from media members outside the Boulder County Justice Center after Lane was found guilty of six felony counts, including attempted first-degree murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy by a 12-person jury.
Wilkins thanked those who helped her after the March 18, 2015 attack, including first responders, the 911 dispatcher who took her call and the prosecution team led by Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett.
"It had just never entered my worldview that someone could be so cruel and value life so little," Wilkins said. "Many have asked me how I feel about Dynel Lane. Early on I had said I had forgiven her. It's part of who I am as a human being.
"And Martin Luther King said it brilliantly. We must develop and develop the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. ...
"So, no, I do not hate Dynel. But I am angry for all of the pain she has caused. The deceit and for her selfishness. And this element is hardly fathomable to me.
"She has answered to the state of Colorado for the heinous crime she has committed. And I do hope she finds the time to reflect on what she did and why. And then find the opportunity to seek inner peace and then find a way to pay the spiritual debt that she has humiliated."
Lane had pleaded not guilty for the March 18, 2015 attack that left Wilkins' unborn daughter Aurora dead. Wilkins went to Lane’s home after responding to a Craigslist ad for baby clothes in a ghastly case that shocked many in Colorado and across the country.
Wilkins recounted the attack in testimony on Wednesday. On Thursday, the jury heard from doctors and police as physical and forensic evidence was presented.
She held her father’s hand as the guilty verdicts were read.
Garnett thanked Wilkins for bringing Lane to justice.
"She's not only an incredibly brave and tenacious woman, but she's really a delightful person," Garnett said. "She did a great job of sticking with the case, testifying in court. And we want to thank her very much for making sure that justice was made in what is a really, really horrific and unspeakably sad crime for the whole community, especially for Michelle, (her partner) Dan and her family."