Robert Godwin’s Death Posted on Facebook
April 21, 2017
On Easter Sunday, 74-year-old Robert Godwin was filmed being murdered. The video was posted on Facebook in Cleveland around 2 P.M. According to CNN, the Cleveland police were on a manhunt for the alleged shooter, 37-year-old Steve Stephens. However on Tuesday, after a three day pursuit in Pennsylvania, Stephens committed suicide by shooting himself in his car.
The video contains sensitive content of Stephens pointing his gun at Godwin’s head. It was reported that before the gun was shot, Stephens asked Godwin the name of a woman. You could hear Stephen say in the video, “She’s the reason why this is about to happen to you.” Then the gun went off, killing Godwin.
The video was later taken down by Facebook. A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to CNN Tech, “We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.”
Even with the murder that has taken place, Godwin’s daughter, Tonya Godwin-Baines, feels no hatred towards Stephens. She explains that, “Each one of us forgives the killer, the murderer. We want to wrap our arms around him.” According to his family, Godwin taught his ten children the value of hard work, forgiveness, and to love and fear God. Godwin-Baines comments that the loss of Stephens family is just as great as her own, stating, “We have lost our dad, but [Stephens] mother has lost her son… and his children have lost their dad.”
Destiny Flores (11), who has been following the story, says that “The fact that the family forgave the killer is something I wouldn’t expect anyone to do. They’re strong for that and it’s honestly the right thing to do.”
During questioning, Stephens mother Maggie Green recalled that before the shooting, “He said this [was] the last time I was going to see him.” Green stated that Stephens told her he was mad at his girlfriend of about three years, and that was the reason why he did what he did.
Yosalin Trujillo (10) says that what Green told his mother does not excuse his behavior. He believes, “It’s a dumb reason to kill someone and it doesn’t justify his actions. Just because someone had a bad day, shouldn’t mean someone else should pay the price for it.”
Explaining the incident during a news conference, Police Major William Teper Jr. describes what had occurred moments before Stephens took his own life. He reports that “The vehicle spun around and came to a stop… and he immediately pulled a weapon out and shot himself in the car.”
The family of Godwin are receiving support by individuals donating money for the funeral. The GoFundMe page, two days after its launch, has raised $85,000. GoFundMe said in a statement, “We’ll guarantee the money will be deposited directly into the family’s bank account.” If you would like to donate and support the Godwin family, donate here.