Officer Wayne, Victim Statement

Gotham Correctional Administration

Parole Hearing for Joseph Chill

February 23rd, 201-


“Good afternoon. I'm Officer Bruce Wayne. Twenty-five years ago, the man before you today murdered my father, Thomas Wayne, and my mother, Martha Wayne, in front of my eyes. They were each shot twice with a .38 caliber revolver, for the pearls my mother wore around her neck. I was eight years old. No child should lose their parents like that. Never.

“Joseph Chill claims he panicked, when my father began to raise his hand, to try to ward Chill off. If Chill hadn't let his finger slip, shot my father in the chest, then the stomach, he would be alive today. Many other people would be alive today, saved by my father's skill as a surgeon. All lost, thanks to the actions of  petty thief with an itchy trigger finger.

“Lost too was the chance I had for an siblings, when he then fired upon my mother. I know my parents had talked about another child, though my eight year-old self wasn't keen on the idea. I'll never know the joy of having a younger brother or sister, whom I might have played with, grown up with, shared a love for our parents.

“Joe Chill changed my life radically. I might have grown up to be a surgeon like my father, or perhaps devoting my like to philanthropy like my mother. Or I may have grown up to be a worthless playboy, leeching off my parent's wealth like a parasite, devoting myself to empty pleasures. I don't know.

“What I am, is a police officer. Captain James Gordon, then just a patrolling officer like myself, saved my from being shot in turn by Chill. After that I wanted to be an officer like him, to serve the public and protect the innocent, in the finest tradition of policing. I'd like to think I'm serving that tradition well.

“But while I have followed this path, Chill has sat in prison, behind walls of concrete and bars of steel. For twenty-five years he has remained isolated from the world, not part of it, his crimes deeming him unfit to be part of our society. And today it is your purpose to decide if he should be part of society again.

“Some may argue that he should remain here. That the murder of my parents, pillars of Gotham society, is a crime that can never be forgiven. I do not agree with that. The Joseph Chill of twenty-five years ago is not the Joseph Chill of today, any more than I am a frightened, grieving, eight year-old child. We have changed. I've matured. Today we decide if Mr. Chill has reformed. He says he has, says that he understands the gravity of the crime he committed, empathizes with my loss. Some would say that he's lying, giving you the words you want to hear to finally be freed from this prison. Some would say he's sincere. Only you can decide that, though I have been given a chance today to offer you my opinion.

“My opinion then, is this: I believe that Chill should be released on parole, to be allowed to show the world whether he has truly reformed or not.

“Some may argue that this is foolish, that a crime such as his can never be forgiven. On this I disagree. Punishment that does not allow the possibility of redemption is not justice, but merely vengeance. People can change. We must allow them to prove that they have changed. And to do that, we must sometimes take chance. I ask you today to take that chance on Joe Chill. Let him prove to the world he has reformed, or not. But give him that chance.

“To that end I am prepared to offer him full time, gainful employment at Wayne Enterprises, in whatever capacity he proves capable of. Because I am willing to give him a chance, and I beg that you shall as well.

“I hope none of us is disappointed.”