Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice?
Conor McBride, who was convicted of shooting his girlfriend of three years when they were both 19. By PAUL TULLIS At 2:15 in the afternoon on March 28, 2010, Conor McBride, a tall, sandy-haired 19-year-old wearing jeans, a T-shirt and New Balance sneakers, walked into the Tallahassee Police Department and approached the desk in the main lobby. Gina Maddox, the officer on duty, noticed that he looked upset and asked him how she could help. “You need to arrest me,” McBride answered. “I just shot my fiancée in the head.” When Maddox, taken aback, didn’t respond right away, McBride added, “This is not a joke.” Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times From left, Conor’s parents, Julie and Michael McBride, and Ann’s parents, Kate and Andy Grosmaire, at the Grosmaires’ home in Tallahassee, Fla. The Grosmaire Family Conor McBride and Ann Grosmaire in 2010. Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times