MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Will Berry’s life changed forever at just 11 years old when his mother, Margaret Parrish Berry, was brutally murdered. The 33-year-old woman was shot in the head during a robbery at Harold’s Chevron where she worked.
The man responsible for this tragedy, Geoffrey West, was only 21 at the time he pulled the trigger, and he openly admits he regrets his actions every single day.
In the days leading up to West’s scheduled execution by nitrogen gas, both men exchanged letters. West expressed deep remorse over his actions, while Berry offered him forgiveness. Despite their wishes to meet face-to-face, prison officials turned down the request. In a heartfelt letter to Governor Kay Ivey, Berry asked her to halt the execution.
In a phone interview, Berry stated, “I forgive this guy, and I don’t want him to die. I don’t want the state to take revenge in my name or my family’s name for my mother.”
Views on the death penalty among families of victims vary greatly. Many family members express frustration with the lengthy process involved in executions and the focus on the inmate’s suffering. Some, like Berry, are staunchly against the death penalty altogether, as seen in another case in Alabama, where family members of a domestic violence victim expressed a desire for life imprisonment instead.
On March 28, 1997, Margaret Berry was lying behind the counter when she was shot dead so that no witnesses would be left. After a trial, Geoffrey West faced capital murder charges and was ultimately given the death penalty by a 10-2 jury recommendation.
West acknowledges his guilt in his mother’s murder, explaining that desperation drove him and his girlfriend to rob the store where he once worked. Now at 50, he reflects sorrowfully on the decision he made at 21.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t regret it and wish I could take that back,” West said during a call from prison. He often replays the events in his mind, wishing he could simply walk away that day.
“I wish I could turn back time and it could be me instead,” he lamented.
Sadly, requests from both Berry and West to meet face-to-face were denied by the prison system due to regulations against visits between victims and inmates.
In a letter addressed to Gov. Ivey, Berry mentioned that West’s execution would carry a heavy burden on him. “It wouldn’t bring my mom back,” he expressed.
Gov. Ivey responded on September 11, acknowledging Berry’s perspective but reinforcing Alabama state law that mandates a death sentence for severe cases of murder. She emphasized her responsibility to uphold the law.
While Ivey has commuted one death sentence in the past, she did so only due to doubts regarding the individual’s guilt.
A spokesperson from the Alabama Attorney General’s office declared that West has spent 26 years on death row, stating that his time has come. The office reflected on the horrific nature of the killing, saying, “She gave West the cash on hand, and he executed her.”
Berry added that his mother’s death significantly affected his life path, though he credits his wife, Courtney, and his faith as guiding forces that helped him to heal.
West, driven by regret, encourages young people in crisis to recognize that they have options. “If you’re in desperation, find help,” he advises. “But whatever you do, don’t make the choices I made.”
