Jessica's other grandma

Sharon Armstrong doesn't like the iconic picture of Jessica Lunsford in her pink hat.

"To me, it means separation," she said of the photo, which was disseminated throughout the state -- and country -- when Jessica disappeared. "I never saw her wear that pink hat."

Instead, Armstrong keeps more personal pictures of Jessica by her computer, and one of the little girl's dolls.

For Armstrong, who described herself as a "second grandma" to Jessica, the last two years have been tough. It was Armstrong who drove Jessica home from youth group the night she was kidnapped. She helped her with her math homework; the two loved scrap booking together.

"It's difficult because for two years I've been waiting for this day," she said. "It's not closure, but at least it's the end of this part."

Now she can spend more time thinking about how much she loved Jessica, Armstrong said, instead of worrying about the next court date.

Still, she will be restless until Couey dies.

"I'd like to see it over with," she said. "I'm grieving while he's breathing, eating, watching TV."

If Couey truly accepted God, as he claims to, she said, he would waive appeals and confront his ultimate punisher.

"God made a place for him and he's going there."

-- Elena Lesley

Comments

[michael gravley sr]

Amen to Ms Armstrong! John Couey will never get the punishment he deserves, even in death.
The heinous acts he committed against this child goes against all that is natural. He should be burned alive.....very slowly.

I pray that our society will get fed up with this behavior and gradually move toward having child molesters and sexual predators put to death in a torturous manner....