Steven Thompson, Part 2, How I Got Involved

Some Murderers I Have Known

Steven Thompson, Part 2 - How I Got Involved

So, one might reasonably ask, how did I get involved with such an infamous murderer? Or, indeed, with any murderer at all?

I blame my sister. 

Back in the ‘90s, my family attended Whitesburg Baptist Church here in Huntsville, AL. One day, a lady named Inez Thompson gave a testimony in church that moved me deeply. She and her family were living under the shadow cast by her brother’s crime and his sentence of death. I was so moved that I looked up her address in the church phone book and wrote her a note. 

Lo and behold, she worked with my sister Cathy. (Those of you who are familiar with my inability to remember names will not be surprised to learn that I was supposed to have known that already.) Cathy and I talked about it, then Inez and I talked about it. Inez said that he had converted to Christianity in jail, and had turned around his attitudes toward life and the Lord, so I wrote Steven a few letters to encourage him in prison.

He actually wrote me back, which he later told me was very unusual. There are apparently a lot of curiosity-seekers who try to create relationships with death row inmates, and he’d have thrown my letters away if I hadn’t known his sister. As it was, he answered them. 

After a few letters back and forth, we decided I would visit him in prison. His mother was due for a visit, and needed a ride to Bessemer where the prison was. So I agreed to take her down for a visit. 

I’ll get to the visit next time. This time, I’ll just reproduce his first letter to me, dated 16 September 1997. He was executed May 8, 1998, so this was about 8 months before the execution.

I was going to reflect on the letter a bit, but I’ll just let Steve speak for himself. 

“Jack, 

I received your letter last week and like yourself I’m a procrastinator but normally only when it comes to writing which I deplore. You’d think that after 14 years of incarceration with mail as my main source of communication that I’d have a better relationship with pen and paper but I don’t writing is still not my forte. 

I enjoyed reading your letter and I appreciate your taking the time to write a total stranger for the most part. I didn’t know that Inez was talking about me out there but I hope what you’ve heard is only good. Ha Ha! There’s certainly been a lot of bad things said about me in H’ville and rightly so I guess for the one who put himself in here to begin with but the way I see it now is that that child is now dead and now the born again man is suffering the penalty for his actions. In any case I and the Lord know who I am today and that’s all that matters. The world can say what it wants. 

I’ll be honest and tell you that I’m envious of you brother. Here you are at 35 and have a stable job and a wife and family which is what I truly long for and here I am 34 and in prison. Certainly God blesses me daily but in my heart you have what I’d like to have. A little word of wisdom, never take what you have for granted. I’m sure you don’t but there are a lot of guys out there our age who don’t know just how lucky they are. May God keep you and yours safe and well always. 

You mentioned that you work for a defense contractor as an engineer. Are you prior military? I was in the Navy up until my arrest in ’84 and had planned to go back to work for Raytheon upon my discharge. Dad worked forUncle Sam out on the Arsenal in ordinance until he retired so I’m very familiar with contractors and DoD. Even with the cutbacks in defense spending, it’s a good way to make a living. Do you work on the Arsenal?

I don’t know what Inez has told you about me so forgive me if I tell you something you already know. I really don’t know what to say to be honest. I don’t want to sit here and bore you with the goings on of prison life. It’s not something that I would wish on my worst enemy that’s for sure. I thank God that I’m not in a position where I could be facing the rest of my life in here. After much prayer I decided long ago that if I can’t ever be physically free (I’m already mentally and spiritually free) that I’d rather die and go to be with the Lord. I have too many hopes and dreams to spend the rest of my days knowing that they’ll never come to pass. It looks as if I may be going to be with the Lord in the coming year as my appeals run out but I have a peace from God that gives me comfort and so I have no fear of death. Still I’m not giving up. Only God knows my future and I’m confident that God’s perfect will will be done no matter what. I do have concern about my family though and how my death will affect them. I’m thankful for your prayers but I would be very appreciative if you would pray with me for them and their peace and comfort, and strength to face whatever the future may hold. Thank you brother. Thank you for caring about Inez to. As you know from meeting her she is one very special person who has the heart of love for everyone and I pray for her daily that God will not only use her to do His work but that He also brings happiness to her life and fulfill her hearts desires according to His will. I’m thankful that she has friends like you who care about her so much. May God bless you and yours always. 

Well I didn’t mean to get off into a sermon of sorts but you and I both know that we are nothing apart from Christ. Without Him I don’t know how I’d have made it this far and I know that He will be with me forever. 

I’ll close for now then. As I said I’m not much of a writer but I do try to answer all of my mail sooner or later if you want to write again I’d be happy to hear from you and I’ll do my best to reply. Til then take care and I will do the same. 

Your brother in Christ,

Steve”