Soon after a jury convicted Dynel Catrece Lane of attempted murder for attacking Michelle Wilkins and cutting her unborn baby out of her womb, Wilkins issued a statement of forgiveness toward her attacker.
Wilkins spoke to the media Tuesday morning, not long after a Boulder, Colorado jury convicted Lane of attempted first-degree murder and several assault charges.
“Many have asked me how I feel about Dynel Lane,” Wilkins said in a prepared statement, according to ABC 7 in Denver. “Early on I said I have forgiven her. It’s part of who I am as a human being and Martin Luther King said it brilliantly. ‘We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.’ There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us.”
“I do not hate Dynel. But I am angry for all the pain she has caused. The deceit and all her selfishness,” she continued.
In 2015, Lane lured Wilkins, 26, to her home after posting an ad on Craigslist about baby clothes, LifeNews previously reported. After talking with Wilkins, Lane beat and stabbed her before cutting her unborn baby girl from her abdomen. Left alone in the basement of the home, Wilkins was eventually able to call police, was rescued and rushed to the hospital for immediate surgery. She was in critical condition for days. Her baby daughter died.
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However, Lane was not charged in the death of Wilkin’s unborn baby girl, Aurora. Though the unborn baby was seven months along and likely would have survived outside of the womb, prosecutors were not able to bring charges for her death because Colorado state law does not regard unborn children as human beings who deserve justice when they are killed. In May 2015, Colorado Democrats killed a bill that would add the state to the list of more than 25 states that provide justice and protection for pregnant women and unborn children. They rejected a similar measure in 2013.
A report shows Wilkins’ baby breathed a heavy last gasp before she died. However, after the incident, a spokeswoman from the Boulder Country District Attorney’s Office said Lane wouldn’t face murder charges for the baby’s death. Instead, prosecutors charged her with unlawful termination of a pregnancy.
Wilkins said Tuesday she hopes Lane will “find a way to repay the spiritual debt she has created.”
“Sometimes, the gifts and lessons of this time are my central focus,” Wilkins said. “And sometimes I have to throw those to the wayside and cry and accept the cold brutality without looking for the deeper meaning.”
“I wish to thank everyone for their attention, and the continuing messages, donations and expressions of love and encouragement. Your continued support allows me not only to survive this but also to thrive in the midst of a dark and trying time,” she continued. “And yes, every dollar, every smile, every message, every prayer has been a comfort and a hug to me.”
She told the media that she still is mourning the loss of her unborn daughter, Aurora, and working to heal.
“There is nothing ever in any shape or form that can remotely prepare you for something like this,” Wilkins said. “What has dominated my perspective consistently is disbelief. Words are not sufficient to describe it.”
“It had just never entered my world view that someone could be so cruel and value life so little,” said Wilkins.
Lane pleaded not guilty to the attack. Fox 31 Denver reports Lane did not show any emotions as the judge read the verdict. According to the report, Lane could face up to 140 years in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for April 29, the report states.
Wilkins said she plans to attend the sentencing.
