Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
A father forgave the people who murdered his son. It happened today at the suspects' sentencing.
Bui Olive and Sarah Ataata will spend a long time behind bars for murdering Family Dollar store manager Wally Knapton. This afternoon Knapton's father, Don Knapton, did something many of us would find very difficult.
"I feel like justice has been served. Everything is done the way it's supposed to be," Don said.
Except Don will never see his son again, a man so many people respected and liked. Wally Knapton managed the Family Dollar in Glendale.
In March Olive and Ataata walked in with guns drawn. A 13 year-old allegedly helped with the robbery as well. Knapton walked toward a cashier as the thieves were taking money, and that's when he was shot to death.
Don said, "We're still trying to overcome that. But I hope and pray with what's transpired that their family and all of us will learn from this experience."
In court, Sarah Ataata apologized for the unprovoked murder, so did Olive, apologizing to his own family and Knapton's.
"I feel like when he gave his explanation and everything he had a lot of remorse," Don said.
Then there was the moment when a father faced his son's killer and said, "Look at me." He says, "I looked straight at him and said we forgive him for what he did." He says Olive didn't have much reaction to that.
Olive is only 18 and he'll spend most of his life behind bars, a minimum of 32 years. Ataata will spend at least 12 years in prison.
"I hope throughout their life they will learn to know that they have to respect other people," Don said.
Don felt the judge handed down a fair sentence, and he says it has given his family some closure.
E-mail: gkennedy@ksl.com
