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Interviews
with the Condemned
Interview no.12 (2006-03-18)
(It's a picture of me, my daughter (Iesha Walter), and her father (Eduard Emel) in 2002, Yep, I still look like that J. Iesha however has grown up grandly.) Interview nr. 12 is being held with Shonda Dee Walter. Shonda is the first female that will contribute to the "Interview with the Condemned" series. We will have more interviews with other women in the future. We don't have a lot to tell about Shonda, but please visit her profile and read this interview to learn more about her. Nevertheless we like to thank Shonda for taking the time and to join in these series of interviews.
Personality: Name:
Shonda Dee Walters
1: Question:
Where were you born and raised? Answer:
I was
born in
2: Question: Will you share with us what it was like for you growing up? (Did you have a pet, a favorite game, hiding place, or favorite toy? Were you raised by both parents, a single parent or relative?) Answer:
3: Question:
Do you have a favorite childhood memory? If so, what is it? Answer:
Yes, me and my sister and cousin use to pack up snacks,
money, and swim gear and head out on either our rollerblades or bikes
for day long adventures. We'd travel 3 or
4: Question:
Did you like school? If so, share with us your favorite memory from your
school years. Answer:
I loved
schoolJ. You learn so much in your early years of life and
one of my proudest moments was the fact that I graduated high school as
opposed to going for a GED y'know. My favorite memories from school were
the people and all the extracurricular activities I participated in. Our
drumming performances we my all time favorite!!!
5: Question:
What person or event impacted you most as a child? Answer:
My mommy of course J. I felt so abandoned by my father that she
became my world. I strived to excel in everything I did to make her
proud of me. I remember when learned about racism from her L. She’s white while my fathers was black and
once while driving thru one of out bigger cities she had us roll up the
windows. KKK had been causing riots there and when I asked and she tried
to explain that they’d hurt us and even her too because we were hers I
was hurt that folks were like that. And till this day racism still hits
me hard. But it was my mommy that pointed that out to me.
6: Question:
What hobbies or activities did you participate in while growing up, e.g.
scouting, sports, etc. Answer:
Oh Boy – I think the question is what I didn’t do J.
I was into music; I played the flute and then played mallet percussion
in drum line. I also was a softball au-star, for school and on summer
teams. I also played soccer for several years. I was a girl scout
(you’d never know right). I also belonged to ski club, French club,
choir, & jazz ensemble. My biggest hobby I’m known for, besides
jetting around on roller blades J, I s I’m a bit of an artist, in pretty much
all mediums.
7: Question:
What was your first job? Please describe your duties/responsibilities
and whether or not you liked the job. Answer:
My
first job was a paper route- passing papers & collectively
subscriber payments. The first job I held on payroll however was as a
waitress at a pizza shop. I loved it. My boss Sergio was full-blooded
Italian accent and all. He loved me too; he was at my trial with his
wife. I had to serve the customers, run the register, do a lot
food prep, sometimes even cook stuff, and do dishes and clean. I did do
a lot of work now that I look back, but I really enjoyed it. A good boss
makes all the difference to me. I graduated with their daughter so I
think they sort of looked at as one of their own. Nice people.
8: Question:
As a child or teenager, what did you want to do when you grew up? Why? Answer:
I wanted to be a cartoon animator and work for Walt
Disney Studios J.
I love animation J.
It’s bright, colorful, and funny for the most part. I’d still like
to do that. Cartoons are for people of all ages. As I got older though
illustrations became a more feasible reality.
9: Question: Do you have a favorite movie or book? Please elaborate. Answer:
10: Question:
Where was the most beautiful or special place that you can remember
having visited? Please describe it. Answer:
11: Question: What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you? Answer: Oh Geez J, That’s a hard one. I’ve had a lot of stuff happen to me J. How about when I was swimming in the pool one day and there were little league playoffs going on right next to it. I hear the ball crack and everyone yelling “head’s up! Head up!” Then as I looked up, a baseball smacked me right off the head as I was in the middle of the pool!!! I mean what kinds crap is that!! There has to be something written about the percentage of occurrences of that happening J hahaha. I didn’t drown so that’s what made it funny I guess J.
12: Question:
What job or occupation did you have prior to your incarceration? Were
you employed at the time of your arrest? Answer:
I worked for a temp agency and had several job s but
the most recent was as a sales representative at an industrial company.
You basically answered phones and placed customer’s orders (this was
all done by phone by the way). At the time of my arrest however I was
not working. That job assignment had ended about 2½ - 3 weeks before
I’d been arrested.
13: Question:
Were you involved with drugs or alcohol prior to your incarceration? If
so, please share the effects this had on your life. Answer:
Yes, I
partied when I could which wasn’t a lot because I spent most of my
spare time with Iesha (my daughter). But- I got my share in. Drugs did
one positive thing for me and several negatives. Positively- it opened
me up from my world of seclusion. Unfortunately, that seclusion was what
kept me out of trouble. The pot, the LSD, the coke, all had me speaking
my mind when sometimes I shouldn’t and having an “I don’t give a
shit” attitude all too often. Just say no to drugs.
14: Question: What do you miss most about the outside world and why? Answer:
Nature – you know the grass, trees, and animals and
just being able to go everywhere, whenever you want. I hate being
contained anywhere – jail or home or to someone even. All of that of
course, comes after my daughter. She’s a given missed part of my life.
15: Question: What is the one thing you regret most? Answer:
That I
didn’t leave my town years and years ago when I first realized I
didn’t fit in there. I literally sensed trouble looking for me. I know
weird but true.
16: Question:
Do
you have any strong spiritual or religious beliefs? If so do they
influence how you view the future? Answer: I believe in a God. I may not believe all the mumbo jumbo but I feel all things in life revolve in this life in a circle and one way or another we will come back to what we left behind.
17: Question: How important is it for you to have contact with your family, friends and/or the outside world? Please elaborate. Answer:
18: Question:
Do you remember your first thoughts
when hearing the jury’s verdict of death as your sentence? Will you
share this experience with us, e.g. your thoughts, feelings, reactions? Answer: Yeah… While in the holding cell this feeling hit me and I said, “They’re gonna give me the death penalty…” Not even a minute after I said that to myself them came and got me to read the verdict. I couldn’t react. I’d already felt them wanted me dead and I was hurt and angry. I refused to become a ball of tears and emotion. I felt that them had no mercy for me and didn’t deserve to see my fear or tears. So I kept everything to myself. It was well hard. I didn’t cry until I was in the shower by myself yet all the girls I’d become friends with cried around me. I tried to tell them I’d be alright but how, y’know.
19: Question:
What is a typical day like for you on
death row? Answer: Well, lights on, count at 6AM (then the lights remain on till 9:30PM). Then we sign up for showers, activities, rec. (which is yard), and phone times right after count. I usually go right back to sleep then until breakfast at 7:00. After breakfast the day truly starts. Showers (only three times a week) are given and rec. starts at 8:30 – 10:30. Lunch comes at 11AM. Another count at 12:30. Diner at 4PM. Another count at 9:30PM. The rest of my time I spend doing writing, reading, and a lot of crocheting J. After all we’re stuck in our cells except for the sign-up times so I have to occupy time or risk dying of boredom as opposed to execution.
20: Question:
Do you feel that capital punishment
serves as a deterrent? Yes/No Please elaborate on you answer. Answer: Hmmm… Tough question and I’m on both sides of the fence with it. It’s all politics like I mentioned earlier. Yes, in the aspect that we’re being held in hopes of bettering future criminals from committing murder. And no in regards to the fact that some people just want us dead because it ensures their go get ‘m no nonsense approach to the issues.
21: Question:
If you could change one thing in the
world today, what would it be and why? Answer: The judicial system, well, the government in general. I think everything that happens to people in the world – incarcerated, poor folks, militants, etc. is all directly related to those put into positions of power. Important decisions aren’t made to help or encourage any type of change, but instead to insure their position of power amongst the elite. It’s all politics and its all bullshit and it’s not right!
22: Question:
If you could go back in time, where
and to what date would you travel and why? Answer: I’d go back to high school. I always knew what I wanted in life but never had a serious drive and I go back thru it all to accomplish what I want in life. Not to mention, it’d have me somewhere other than here J.
23: Question:
What has been the most important and
life-altering event you have experienced? Answer:
I’d like to say something else but I lived a fairly
calm, nonchalant life until I was arrested for this murder and forced to
stand trial. I learned that I’m much stronger than I have thought I
was emotionally.
24: Question:
What is the most important thing that
you want our visitors to know about you? Answer:
That I’m not some kind of nut-so-psycho. I have a
family and life that I’d like to return to someday. We don’t deserve
to be locked away from our families to rot until we’re executed! Two
wrongs don’t make a right and by executing people in general, it makes
them no better than a murder.
25: Question: If you have anything else that you
would like included as a part of this interview, please share it with us
now. Answer: Only for people to take stand against the death penalty. You never know, it could be your family member or you in our position fighting for a life tat should have never been taken to begin with.
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