The parents of the 17-year-olds shot and killed by Victor Santana is speaking out after a jury found the 63-year-old guilty of murder.
Santana was found guilty or four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and one count of attempt to commit murder late Thursday night. He was acquitted of one count of felonious assault.
The families of Devin Henderson and Javier Harrison told News Center 7′s Mike Campbell that the verdict brought the end to more than 2 year long nightmare.
>> RELATED: Jury finds Victor Santana guilty of murder
“I was thinking, ‘thank you Father, we got justice for our kids,’” Linda Henderson said.
Henderson said watching the verdict brought tears and some of the first genuine smiles in a couple years.
“I feel emotional now,” Henderson said. “They can finally get some rest and I can get some sleep.”
Henderson told News Center 7 that her health had been negatively impacted by the last two years and watching the graphic testimony during the trial did not help.
“It was just traumatizing to me, just seeing my baby and his friend like that,” Henderson said.
Henderson said it was encouraging, yet heartbreaking, to hear the other teen in the car, who survived by hiding, told the jury how her son, Devin, saved his life. She said the statement tore her down.
She said that she is now part of a group that she never wanted to be a part of: parents that lost their children far too young.
When asked about her feeling toward Santana, Henderson said she did not hate anyone, but feels the incident and the death of two teens could have been avoided.
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