Justice for Ryan Hacke

On January 11, 1997, fourteen month old Ryan Hacke was violently killed when struck in the eye by a stray bullet. While awaiting trial on felony charges in connection with the severe beating and rape of a 54-year old woman, Vaughn Mathis fired 9 shots from a semi-automatic handgun into a crowded gas station in an attempt kill another person and, in the process, murdered baby Ryan.

After being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and related charges, he was sentenced to six and a half to thirteen years in prison. These charges were to run consecutively with the felony convictions from the rape trial. After serving only a portion of his sentence, this life-long criminal is now eligible for parole and release back into society.

Since the age of 16, this constant criminal recidivist had been convicted of crimes in eight of the nine years prior to his current incarceration. Charges include drug trafficking, assault, reckless endangerment, terroristic threats, unlawful restraint and criminal mischief.

He has taken the life of an innocent child and permanently altered the lives of each heart-broken member of Ryan's surviving family. We feel that the only remaining justice would be to deny parole and have him serve the full measure of his legally imposed sentence.