Dear people, Already one year ago, on October 28,2000 , my niece Josie was murdered by her ex-husband Sharam Dadgar. These past few months have been hell on earth for our family. As her aunt, I have tried to find the words to tell you how her murder has impacted my life. There are no adequate words in the English language to describe the pain, anger and despair that I have felt from her murder. When this man took her life because of his jealousy and selfishness, my life was shattered. I have spent this year trying to put the pieces back together, but it cannot be done, a big piece is missing in my life. Josie was a loving, giving young woman she had a heart of gold as big as the world. Her murder took a daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend who was greatly loved. In the year since her murder, I have watched helplessly as her mother and her sisters struggle with their pain, anger and grief. I have watched her son grow up this year, we celebrated his first birthday without his mother there, to hold and hug him . Josie should have been here, to celebrate with her son. She should be here to take a loving person to love and to have other children, like we talked about when we were children, those were her dreams and ours too. I have watched my sister’s health deteriorate unable to deal with the stress and the grief caused by her daughter’s murder. Our family has always been close. My sister and nieces and I, plus our families always celebrated the major Holidays at my sister’s home. The last gathering was at my niece’s funeral. My family is deprived of these family gathering in the final years that they will live. It is too painful for us now with Josie gone. Our family is drifting apart, another loss caused by a senseless murder. As for me, Josie’s murder took everything from me, it took my identity, it took my security, it took my innocence, it took my rest, it took my happiness, it took my peace, it took my ability to enjoy anything. Her murder gave me.... sleepless nights and nightmares. It gave me depression and a struggle to simply find a reason to survive each day. Pain upon pain and anger. It almost destroyed my will of living for me and for the family especially her sisters. There is not one second of a day that we do not long for her face, that we do not see her smile, that we do not live the horror of seeing her dead in her own home. There is not one second that we don’t long for her. She is the first thought in our minds when we wake up, and the last thought, before we sleep and all the thoughts through the day. She was my niece, the love of everyone, she did not deserve to be so cruelly taken. We did not deserve to have to live the rest of our lives with this pain, in our hearts, and without Josie. The hardest thing for me, is knowing the pain and terror Josie suffered at the time of her murder, the horror and betrayal she felt, when she realised that someone she had once loved, was now taking her life away from her. The helplessness she must have felt knowing she was going to die. The pain she must have felt for what this would do to her family. Josie was a good honest person, she would help anyone who asked her for help. She was just beginning to live her life with her son. She was compassionate, caring and non-judgmental. She cared about people. She never judged anyone because of the color of his or her skin, religion or bank account. She looked for the good in everyone she met. She had many many friends who will miss her enormously. She was always there for her sisters and her friends always. She loved her new apartment, loved cutting hair, and loved watching karate movies with her son. She loved spending time with her friends and family drinking coffee or just hanging out. She loved to laugh, her smile and her laugh are the two things people remember and miss most about her. She was generous with hugs and "I LOVE YOU", she loved reading romance books, but most of all she love her son. Sharam Dadgar deserves the death penalty, Life without parole is more mercy than he deserves, but will bring some justice for Josie’s family. He showed no mercy when he ambushed and murdered my niece. He murdered her in front of her little boy. He has no remorse, his only concerns are for his own well being. He killed my niece simply because he couldn’t have something that he wanted. Josie deserves justice. Although this will not bring her back to us, it will give us some kind of peace of mind. Our family has suffered enough because of this man. A lesser sentence will only add more pain to our lives. I honestly believe with my entire being, that if Sharam Dadgar is ever free to live in society again, there will be another victim, another family shattered. You can prevent this and bring justice to Josie by sentencing him to the maximum penalty.