Hello Readers!
Let’s begin by addressing the elephant in the blog: long time, no hear from me, and I am sorry about that.
I wrote the majority of the posts on this site years ago, when Daniel’s trial was taking place, and when he was first transferred to San Quentin’s death row.
I haven’t had much to add to the blog lately because Daniel Wozniak’s life isn’t changing much these days.
He is in prison. For life.
Even though he is now incarcerated at the California State Prison in Vacaville, he is still officially and legally a condemned man.
Daniel Wozniak’s Activities at Vacaville
In Vacaville, he is employed as a tutor, a group leader, and a hospice worker, to name a few of his many jobs behind bars. As a reminder: Daniel is part of a pilot program to house death row inmates in facilities where they can work instead of spending twenty-three hours a day in a cell.
Sam Herr’s parents have expressed some frustration that Daniel isn’t more uncomfortable… or dead.
It’s understandable. I always keep them updated about any changes in Daniel’s incarceration before I post here, and I know it’s not good news for them when his life improves.
I am, admittedly, glad that my friend has been given an opportunity to make something out of his life. I am pleased to hear him talk about the work he’s doing to help the situations of other inmates, most of whom are not murderers and will eventually be released from prison.
But Dan Wozniak didn’t kill my child.
Answers to Some of Your Questions
Death Penalty Postion?
A blog reader (hey, Jude (I wonder if they ever heard that one before)) recently asked me if I could imagine a scenario where a person deserves the death penalty.
My answer is that I am not sure. Probably not, because I would always be concerned about the possibility of executing an innocent person.
Dan Wozniak is not an innocent person.
Can I see why Sam’s and Julie’s loved ones wanted Dan Wozniak to receive the death penalty? Yes! Steve and Raquel Herr know Dan Wozniak will never be put to death by the state of California, but a death sentence still has meaning for them. It sends a message about the level of horror Dan inflicted on Sam and Julie.
Too One-Sided?
I’ve had readers suggest that my blog is too one-sided in favor of Daniel.
I chose to focus on Daniel because his was a “side” only I had the opportunity to represent.
The murders of Sam Herr and Julie Kibuishi elicited massive amounts of interest and have been covered by dozens of TV shows, podcasts, and news outlets. But I am the only person Dan trusts to be fair to him and open to the possibility that other people were involved in the murders of Sam and Julie. He knows that I am honestly his friend.
“How Can You Call Him Your Friend?”
I understand when readers question how I could be aware of Daniel’s actions and still be his friend.
I have been told a story that doesn’t exonerate Daniel, but it does give other explanations for his motivations and for his actions. My book is based on Dan’s version of events, and much of it is compiled excerpts from the hundreds of letters Daniel has written me since 2015.
My purpose is to organize his claims and compare them to known “facts” so that readers have the opportunity to decide for themselves what they want to believe.
Closest to the Truth
I don’t necessarily believe everything myself, to be honest. However, I don’t believe much of the official story, either… which also came directly from Daniel’s confession. I’m also willing to accept that human memory is faulty and that he does believe everything he’s telling me.
The blog was mostly written during Daniel Wozniak’s trial, but I’ve received a lot more information since then, and I now have the entirety of Dan’s story. It has always been my intention to shift my attention from the blog to writing a book that, by its nature, can be more informative.
It’s taking me a long time to write. Much longer than I would have expected. But, I’m hoping the time I’ve dedicated will eventually lead to a better book.
“Why Do You Ignore the Comments?”
I must apologize to new readers discovering my blog for the first time, and especially to those of you who ask questions in the comment section.
Reading and responding to comments is very challenging for me. First, as you can imagine, many of the people writing comments just want to say nasty things to me. Like, some really bad stuff. This is why my long-time editor Matt is the one who reads all the comments and decides which ones are appropriate to post.
Sometimes, readers have great questions and interesting theories. Everything readers are asking is covered in the book, but I don’t want to just keep giving the same, “You’ll read it in the book,” answer, because I know the book is taking a long time to complete.
Close the Comments..?
Every once in a while, Matt sends me an email nudging me to give some attention to this blog. Sometimes I’ve wondered if I should just close up the comments section, but it seems readers enjoy sharing and discussing theories with each other.
I’d like to know your thoughts on this, because I’m sorry to admit that I’m not likely to improve in terms of comment attention. But I really do appreciate all the readers; both new and those of your who’ve been around for a while, and I can’t tell you how much I want to get the book out to all of you.
So, I’m going to be back to work on that!
Thank you for your comments.