AUSTIN, Texas -- Jennifer Cave's mother could never look at the crime scene photos from her daughter's brutal murder. Dozens of jurors did not have a choice. She wants to ease any trauma theyand others have endured.
There are few photos KVUE can air of the apartment where Jennifer Cave's body was found in 2005.
In 2007 Colton Pitonyak was convicted of the crime. Last Friday, Laura Hall was sentenced to 10 years for her role in the dismemberment of Cave's body.
Cave's mother, Sharon Sedwick, never in those five years and three trials saw exactly what happened to her daughter. However, she worried for jurors who did.
I don't think I'll ever forget them, said Paul, a juror on the most recent Hall trial.
He says the evidence was difficult to take in.
I don't think it's something I'll ever let go of completely, he said.
In the 2007 legislative session, Sedwick helped get a bill passed to provide counseling for jurors like Paul who have been subjected to disturbing material.
Those people have taken on a burden of seeing what happened to my child's body thatI will never be able to see. And so how can you not have empathy and want to help them, said Sedwick.
Sedwick said jurors are taking advantage of the program. However, funding was never set up. Counties like Williamsonmust refer jurors to counselors where they may have to pay out of their own pockets.
Sedwick hopes to establish funding in the upcoming legislative session in January.
Anytime there's going to be a jury trial, civil and/or criminal, that we have 50 cents charge when they file and have that go towards a jurors counseling fund, said Sedwick.
Paul has a packet of information guiding him to services in Travis County. He said it is something he will consider as he deals with his emotions in the days ahead.
I went straight from jury duty back to work and didn't have time to decompress, soI wouldn't say I've really dealt with them. At some point that's something I need to do, said Paul.
Sedwick said she hopes to establish a way for crime victims to donate money in memory of their loved ones to help fund the program in the next 30 days.
