when the crash happened I didn’t want anything to with this part of the horror. First, because I know this system was not built for the victim and second because i felt that Sean’s fate should be up to him and the justice system. But in the early months of grief I was a worried that i wasn’t doing what i was supposed to be doing for Meghan by not being a part of this so I decided to come to one hearing. To make sure I had made the right choice for her. At that hearing I sat there sinking and torn when the representative for the state came in holding a stack of papers this high, clipped together in chunks. She was struggling to hold on to them and worked to organize them in front of her, as cases were called out. The Yacks case came up and in the pressure of the moment she said Meghan’s name wrong. I closed my eyes and hung on to my consciousness. I was not going to faint in this room. When I opened my eyes the state’s rep was right in front of me, eye to eye teared up and apologizing profusely. And that’s when I knew I had to be here every time. Because no matter how well intentions and good hearted and hard working you all are you are also overburdened and asked to juggle a multitude of priorities. It was clear that the only ones that would be able to keep Meghan the #1 priority was us. So while I’m still conflicted about trying to influence the process I am not conflicted about representing her, protecting her, something I couldn’t do when she needed it most but something I must do now because the only thing left is to protect the truth of her death.
The truth is this was murder. Meghan, my precious beautiful princess, and Angel were murdered. This was not an accident there was intent. I’m not saying that Sean went looking Meghan’s car that night, but his history, his record over the course of the last twenty years shows that when Sean Yacks gets mad he intends to do harm and Sean was mad that night. In the past when he couldn’t manage his anger he used his fists or a gun to inflict harm. This time it was his car. Whoever got in Sean’s way that night was going to get hurt. Meghan and Angel got in his way. The truth is this was murder not manslaughter.
Anther truth of Sean’s behavior is he runs. He doesn’t face the truth of what he’s done. He didn’t mean to shoot Kyle Rhein. It wasn’t his gun the police found. Both of those false narratives contributed to Sean’s being in that intersection that night. Both of those narratives were supported by the court and it’s about to happen again. The court is being asked to accept a plea that Walter just said was only heard again based on a miscommunication no doubt by a well-intentioned hard working person, asked to juggle too much.
This plea will be the courts stamp of approval on the defense’s, Sean’s, and his family’s version of what happened that night.
That he just had a bad night
That he was a victim of chance
That he didn’t run? Or had to run?
That his illness is punishment.
And it seems that the only ones left to protect Meghan and Angel and the truth of their deaths is us.
Sean Yacks went to a bar, got in a fight with his girlfriend, got in the driver’s seat of a car and used that car to express his anger. He ran a red light at 109 miles an hour and smashed into Meghan’s car causing a crash that Robin said defied physics, killing her instantly and Angel shortly after. His car came to a stop on the median on the other side of the intersection, started to smoke and Sean got out. He got out of the car. He looked back at the destruction he caused and he ran.
That is the truth of what happened that night, that is what needs to be protected, and that is what should be reflected in this plea agreement.
