A bizarre story

I grew up with a bizarre story surrounding a man named Bill Sleeper. This is the story as I heard it and then told to others:

When I was about 3 years old, my dad was coaching a kids softball team at church. One day, a 17-year-old kid from his team, got high on drugs and alcohol and murdered his neighbor lady by stabbing her to death with scissors. This kid’s name was Bill Sleeper. He sentenced to prison on July 27, 1967, for murder in the second degree, for a life term. It was my sister’s 9th birthday and I was 4 years old that summer.

Bill Sleeper’s story has always been part of my life. I was probably about 13 or 14 when the story began to take a new reality for me. I remember when our small youth group, bought Christmas gifts and delivered them to Bill’s wife and daughter (don’t ask! That’s an entire another part of the story that I’m not even going to try to tell). Bill was at the state prison in Jackson, Michigan and his family lived near by. I remember going shopping, wrapping gifts and dropping them off at his wife Carole and her daughter Tina's house.

Over the years Mom would write letters to Bill and together my parents would visit him in prison. They traveled to various prisons throughout Michigan, as Bill was moved from place to place. On special occasions like Mom and Dad’s birthday, I began to see hand drawn cards that Bill had made and sent to them. For a brief period of time, my parents welcomed Bill’s wife into their home to live with them.

One day I saw a picture of Mom and Dad with some big 6’3”, 300 lb. guy and asked mom who was that in the photo. It was Bill Sleeper! In last 10-15 years my family and I began to receive birthday cards from Bill and on several occasions I’ve talked to Bill when he's called my parents on special days like Christmas, their 50th wedding anniversary, or Mom or Dad's 80th birthday celebration.

It is rather surreal to talk to this man, who has been such a part of my life, but not. A man who considers and loves my parents like they were his own! I feel like I have a mysterious big brother who is a part of our family, yet I really don’t know.

My 81-year-old dad has said that there were 3 things he was living for:
to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary; (Sept.14, 2007)
to see his oldest granddaughter Chelsea graduate from high school; (June 2008)
and to see Bill Sleeper released from prison.

On Wednesday, February 4 at 9am, I will meet Bill Sleeper here in Jackson at a parole board hearing. My sister, brother and I will join my parents to stand in support of Bill’s release from prison after 42 years.

I don’t know how to prepare for this day. It seems very surreal. Whatever happens I know that my parents are heros! To love and support Bill when even his family has not. It will be an interesting day.