My friend, Nikki Dudley, has been an honorable member of our United States Air Force and deserves to receive justice for her 21-month-old son's horrific death. Nikki entrusted fellow airman, Justin Corbett, and his wife with her son, Evan J. Dudley, as part of the care plan required prior to her deployment to Qatar and she deserved to come home safely to her healthy baby boy. A short 10 days before she was due to return for a happy reunion, she was instead flying home in sheer terror while her son's life hung in the balance. Evan passed away in Nikki's arms just a couple of days after she made it back to this country that she so selflessly serves.

Even though we feel very strongly that Evan was beaten to his death by Justin Corbett, a jury found him guilty only of criminal negligence. While this conviction seems to add insult to injury after an almost 4 year battle for justice, we are grateful for a guilty verdict of some sort and respectfully plead for Judge Robert B. Young to serve this strong, courageous, and still grieving hero the only justice he can at this time by applying the maximum possible sentence for the crime of which Mr. Corbett was convicted. Please do the right thing, Judge Young, and in doing so help this woman and her little angel find some peace.