A mother is recounting the tragic death of her daughter and advocating for continued incarceration of the man convicted of killing her, highlighting the emotional toll of parole hearings for victims' families.
Kathy Hall's 18-year-old daughter, Hailey King, died on November 7, 2016, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, after being struck by a truck driven by Sergio Rodriguez. Hall stated that Rodriguez was driving 36 mph over the speed limit when he hit King, who was riding a scooter with a friend.
According to Hall, King was thrown onto the hood of the truck, and Rodriguez continued driving, swerving into another lane and causing King to fall to the street. She suffered fatal injuries including a brain stem hemorrhage, cranial hemorrhages, a burst spleen, and a lacerated liver. King, who had a 2-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, died shortly after the incident.
Another victim, King's friend Osmin “David” Gutierrez, was reportedly trapped underneath the truck and dragged for over a mile before Rodriguez pulled into an apartment complex. Gutierrez sustained severe leg injuries and died two years later from a blood clot.
Rodriguez was sentenced to 17 years in prison for manslaughter, battery, and leaving the scene of a crime. However, Hall stated that Rodriguez has become eligible for parole after serving just one and a half years. This eligibility requires Hall to repeatedly testify in court against his release, forcing her to relive the trauma.
Hall expressed her belief that Rodriguez was “protected every step of the way” during his trial. She also noted that immigration authorities were not notified of his status at the time of his arrest, a decision she later learned could have led to his deportation. Hall recounted being told that if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had been informed, Rodriguez might have been deported before facing the charges related to her daughter's death.
Hall described the difficult position her family was in, facing the choice of wanting Rodriguez deported or wanting him to serve time. She stated they were unaware of such options and the implications they held.
The recurring parole hearings mean Hall and her family must revisit the details of King's death every two years. "As soon as the pain dulls a little bit, you have to go back through the whole thing preparing to try to keep him behind bars again," Hall said. She maintains that her daughter did not deserve to die and that she will continue fighting to fulfill the promise she made to King as she was dying.
IMAGE3
IMAGE4
