It all started when we were young.  My mother stayed home and ran a day care so she could keep an eye on us, while my father was working numerous hours being a firefighter.  My parents always gave me (Kelley), my older brother, Jay, and my younger brother, Chris the very best of things.  They both worked hard to make sure that we had a roof to live under, plenty of food in the house, and all of the things that we needed.  We never had to ask for anything, and now that I look back on it, I wish we could go back in time.  I miss those days when we were all happy, living together, and safe. 

Somewhere something went wrong.  I sit here everyday, and still try to figure out what it was that made my family split apart.  I was not living at home because of my rebellion; I always thought that I was right, could do no wrong, and nothing in the world could hurt me.  Jay was old enough to not live at home, and was living with his girlfriend.  Chris received my rebellion, but would soon take it to the extreme.  I was smoking, drinking, living from place to place, no job, people took care of me, doing drugs, basically living a party life like most kids.  Chris is about four years younger than me, so he was still living at home.  His rebellion started by hanging around the wrong group of kids.  They would drink, steal, do drugs, vandalize other people’s things, not obey their parents, listen to the wrong kind of music, watch the wrong kind of things on television, etc.  He started getting into trouble at the age of fourteen.  

My parents did everything in their power to lead him in the right path, but the harder they tried, the more he pulled away, and the more bad things he did.  He started getting caught, and ended up going to jail.  Every time that he get caught he would go to jail, and this was happening frequently.  He said every time that he got out he would start on the right track, but always ended up on the wrong one.  Back to jail he would go.  One time he got out of jail, stole from our parents, got caught, then ended right back in.  Early of 1999 he was in jail, and called our mom to bail him out.  She refused, knowing that when he got out he was going to end up right back in there.  Then came the nonstop phone calls from jail.  She started not to accept them, because her phone bills were starting to get expensive, and she didn’t want to hear what he had to say.  He then started writing threatening letters.  I don’t know what was written in them, but just know that they scared my mom.  No matter what happened with my brother when he was in jail, she always made sure that he was taken care of when he got out.  If it was a holiday and he would be locked up, she would make sure that he received presents so that he didn’t feel left out.  She never liked the fact that she would do for one and not the other.  One time when Chris got out of jail, he went and got the things that she bought him and sold them on the street for money. 

When I was living out of the house, and on my own, my mom and I didn’t have a good relationship; that was my choice.  My mother always wanted the best for me, and knowing that, and what I was doing, I decided to keep to myself.  The only time that I talked to her was when I really needed something, and she hated that.  To my fate, I met a great guy, and got pregnant, and started a great relationship with my mother.  She hated the fact that I got pregnant, but after a couple of days of complaining to my father, she started her shopping spree, which until her death she was doing.  She always made sure that my son was taken care of because my boyfriend and I didn’t have a lot of money.  I didn’t want her to, even though I knew it was the best thing.  My mom and I started to visit each other, she helped me to learn what was best for my son, and taught me how to take care of him.  I depended on her, she became my best friend, and I needed her.  That came to a gruesome end.  

October 25, 2000  - Chris got out of jail once again.  My mother told me that she had seen Chris, and that he stopped over her house that same week, but didn’t tell me what day.  My mother and father had an agreement that Chris was not allowed in the house, but she let him in anyway.  She told me that she had been receiving hang up phone calls that week on Wednesday, and Thursday.  I thought nothing of it, because why would my brother call and hang up?  Friday came and he had stopped over again, but nothing was to become of it.  Saturday came and he stopped over again, and my mother was worried, because it had been cold out that night, and he was freezing but wasn’t wearing a jacket.  My mother had to go to her grandson’s birthday, so she made sure that Chris left, then went to the party.  She stayed there until approximately 4 pm, then went home.  She talked to my aunt for a couple of hours, then the last time that anyone heard from her was at 10:30 pm, when she called Jay and his family to remind them that they had to turn their clocks back that night.  Monday afternoon (October 30, 2000), I had received a phone call from my father, “Kelley, mom’s been murdered.”  Those were the three words that I thought that I would never have to hear.  We lived in the suburbs – this kind of thing doesn’t happen to people who live in the suburbs, just people who live in the city.  Guess that I was wrong.   Now I have to remember that the last time that I saw my mom is when I went to her house for my father’s retirement party from the fire department, and a party that she threw for my son’s birthday. 

I am unable to discuss anything that pertains to the case, because the case has not gone to trial yet.  I can say that Chris is being charged on 2 counts of first degree murder.  The first being murder with prior calculation, and the second being with combination of aggravated robbery.  We will be going to trial soon, and I hope that my brother gets the death penalty.  I hope that no one would have to go through what I have and still am going through!  I wouldn’t wish something like this on my worst enemy! 

I have these pictures for all who view this page to let you know that we came from a good home, my mother loved everyone no matter what, and to show you what a good person has been taken from this earth.  I want to let all who read my story know that this could happen to you.  I knew something was wrong with my brother, but I never in my last thought would think that he would do this until it was done.  The one person who loved him the most in the world he took out of this world in the worst way.

People whom Sandy K. Power leaves behind:

 Husband - Jay 
Son - Jay Jr., Dawn, and children Kory and Kyle 
Me – Kelley, Rodney W., and Rayvon
Mother
Sister – Pat, nephew Todd
Sister Barb, niece Teri
Brother – Steve, nephew Robert, and niece Sheri
Many friends and extended family members