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CNN Live Today
Victim's Sister Discusses Birmingham Bombing Trial
Aired May 22, 2002 - 11:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A Birmingham jury is considering a verdict today in the murder trial of Bobby Frank Cherry. The one-time Klansman is charged in the 1963 bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church. Four children died that late summer day as they prepared for a youth service at the church.
Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Wesley was among the victims. Cynthia's sister, Eunice Davis, is awaiting a verdict this morning. She joins us from Birmingham to give us her thoughts this morning.
Thank you for taking time to talk to us today.
I know today has got to be a pretty anxious day for you. As I understand it, Eunice, this case has been reopened five times over the years. What is your family going through right now as you sit here and wait for a verdict?
EUNICE DAVIS, VICTIM'S SISTER: Right now, as we wait for a verdict, the family -- to the family, it just seems like it was yesterday. And the verdict is just something that I can't really talk about right now. You know, it's been kind of hurtful and a lot of things are going through my mind.
HARRIS: Can you tell us what's going through your mind?
DAVIS: I don't want to right now. Maybe later. Right now I just feel too much hurt on the inside and I really don't want to talk about it unless -- you know until I get -- until the verdict comes in.
HARRIS: Well, of the four men who were suspected of executing that bombing, Mr. Cherry is the last person left to actually face the lawyer. Do you think that once this happens this will settle the whole thing and you can actually get rid of that pain you're talking about right now?
DAVIS: I think so. After everything is settled -- and it won't be like it's a closure to her, because she will always be a part of us. But it will seem like the justice system has been following this all this time and they never let it go. So that is the best part about it and that's the one that I'm thankful for, is because they did a good job. The prosecution did a good job. And you know and I couldn't ask for anything better.
But it won't be a closure. It will just be start ending for all these years.
HARRIS: Now, Bobby Frank Cherry, as I understand it, did not testify at all in this case. He did at the -- I guess at one point before they got to trial there. Did you want to hear from him?
DAVIS: Yes, I did.
HARRIS: What is it you would have wanted to hear from him?
DAVIS: As the tapes were shown with him beating Shuttleworth (ph) and beating some of the black kids back then, I would have wanted him to show some type of remorse, and he never did. And for him to say -- for them to say that he might have had a breakdown if he testified, I don't think that was true.
HARRIS: Well, if this jury does come back and find him guilty, considering the fact that your sister lost her life, would you want him to lose his? Would you want to see him face the death penalty?
DAVIS: No, I don't want him to face the death penalty. But I do want him in prison.
HARRIS: Why don't you want him to face the death penalty?
DAVIS: I'm not in favor of the death penalty. I don't think that would give him enough time to actually sit on it and think about what he did if he just automatically get the death penalty. I think he needs to sit down and think about the people that he mistreated down through the years and really have to face them, you know, all over in his mind.
HARRIS: Now, I know you want to get back inside because you're worried about perhaps missing -- we don't want you to miss that.
DAVIS: Right.
HARRIS: We want you to get back inside. But we do want to talk with you afterwards. Would you come back and talk with us after a verdict is announced in this case?
DAVIS: I sure will.
HARRIS: Thank you very much. You're very gracious. Eunice Davis, thank you very much. We'll let you go right now, but we do want to talk to you since you said you will come back out and talk after the verdict is reached -- take care.
DAVIS: Right.
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