Eleanor Doney, an 83-year-old retired kindergarten teacher, was stabbed to death by a 14-year-old outside her home in May last year.
The random attack shocked the nation and upended the lives of everyone involved, especially Doney’s husband Bruce. Bruce and Eleanor had been married for 63 years. Although he said he has forgiven the teen, he told the court earlier that his life has been a nightmare.
Here’s what the husband said in his victim impact statement:
“Unbelievable grief. Although I am receiving good care at the long term care home that I have moved into, I am living a constant nightmare. It has been unspeakable how I miss my wife, Ellie, and look forward to seeing her in heaven which will not be a long wait I believe. With my many health problems which are age-related I am disabled and my wife was my supporter, my main caregiver.
“When Ellie was murdered it was a crisis for me as the event was unbelievable in its extent. That pain continues. What would happen now? I am almost 90 and there wasn’t much future for me. It was a miracle that appeared in less than 10 days, I was offered a room at the long-term-care home which was my wife’s first choice a year before because she knew she couldn’t be a caregiver with her own physical limitations. I had to leave my home. Everything has changed in my life. The atmosphere of a home with love from my wife. The atmosphere – during the day, the times I stop and meditate on good times and the fun we had and our faith together. I used to enjoy working in the garden with my wife with the flowers stretched over a couple of ponds and the songs of birds which returned to the birdhouse. Now it’s like a little bird has flown into a closed window and was killed. I can only put it now in a place where it rests, is buried and marked. I’ll never forget that little bird that I spent 63 years with.
“At night, at times Ellie would read to me as my eyes failed and I could no longer read as I lost the sight of one eye and half the sight of the other. First thing in the morning while I was still in bed, she would bring me a cup of coffee, discuss what we were going to do in the day, dreams we had, concerns we had and that’s gone and there is an empty space as a result.
“Since this has happened, I have needed to go to the hospital three times. One of which was for congestive heart failure which nearly killed me. This has added to my trauma. As a result of the congestive heart failure I’m on different medication. The medical care of the residence had to figure out how the other medications could be balanced. Since the trauma, I have had difficulty remembering people’s names and the ability to remember things.”
The teen has been charged with first-degree murder and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for July.
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