Victim Impact Statements On Behalf Of Jeremy Bruns Regarding Offender Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant

Victim impact statement of Jeremy Bruns

10 November 2012 I was struck by a car driven by Rhonda Bryant. It was the most painful experience in my life. The pain has continued every day since. The more than a dozen of surgeries and months of inpatient care I had were painful, my right hand and left leg are still in a constant state of pain. I have phantom limb pain in both legs and my hand. Occupational therapy is painful as they try to stretch the damaged fingers that remain so maybe one day my right hand will be marginally more functional. Physical therapy is painful as I try to walk again. It requires incredible amount of physical and mental energy to walk as a double above the knee amputee. Before I was hit I maxed the Army’s physical fitness test and could keep up with guys half my age. Now I am drenched in sweat walking a couple hundred yards and downslopes cause panic due to the technical difficultly of navigating them with prosthetics. After pain I feel a tremendous amount of loss. Losing both legs a finger and thumb plus full use of the rest of the hand has radically disrupted my life. The first of many things I have lost is my career. I was selected for Command Sergeant Major and had another ten years to give to the service of our country in the US Army. Our home of 16 years will be sold as it is not suitable for handicap assessable adaptation plus it is too painful for my wife to be reminded daily of place where so much of my blood covered the street the first responders didn’t think I would live. I lost my much-loved truck for the same reason since it was the object I was pinned to. I lost and will continue to lose time. It takes more time to do everything when you have no legs and one good hand. I lost spontaneity, as even the most basic trip requires planning. I lost the ability to drive most cars as I can only drive vehicles modified with hand controls. I lost quality of life. Every task I’ve adapted to just isn’t as enjoyable as it was. I have lost freedom of movement. My lack of mobility keeps me from most terrain. I lost the ability to just be normal; everywhere I go I’m a spectacle as it is hard to miss the guy with no legs trying to walk with prosthetics. I hope the sentence reflects my lifetime of pain and loss. 

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Your Honor,

I will not be happy unless Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant is sentenced to the maximum jail time possible sanctioned by the State of North Carolina because justice and public safety both require accountability. There must be consequences for one’s choices — that is what we teach our children in hopes of making them responsible citizens — we have a duty not to cause harm unto others. This is a morality-based principle around which many of our laws are created, and in order to work, they must be enforced. Intoxicated driving is a violent crime, and it is no different than shooting a gun down a crowded highway because it is a purposeful crime. Voluntary intoxication doesn’t excuse her failure to act prudently. Any consequences that Bryant faces will be temporary; Jeremy’s injuries are permanent. Your sentence is not just a matter of fairness and justice, but a test of our judicial system’s integrity regarding a preventable and senseless crime. Stiff penalties make people think twice about dangerous behavior. Her choices showed an utter lack of concern for the safety of her neighbors. She dismembered, mutilated, and maimed my husband with her car. His biological life as an amputee is in fact shorter, and our quality of life is diminished.

Jeremy has been my lover and best friend for more than 24 years, since I was 16. We are imprinted on one another. On that horrific day 17 months ago, from the middle of my front yard, I had to witness my husband in excruciating pain while pinned between the two vehicles. The hardest part was being held back by the police because I wanted to be near him in what obviously looked like his last minutes of life. I don’t fault the police because I’m sure they had good reasons — like saving his life and keeping me from being more disturbed by the close-up and graphic view of Jeremy’s injuries. It was so bad. This anguish naturally and understandably led to symptoms of PTSD, including nightmares and sleep issues, with which I still struggle and am still on medication for. I have been working with chaplains and therapists to work out my issues and take care of myself in order to help me take better care of Jeremy. I still have work to do.

Nothing about this process has been easy, this life where my husband has no knees and is missing his thumb and index finger from his former dominant hand and can barely grasp a water bottle, which by the way is a big and recent accomplishment. There have been many days when I couldn’t get out of bed because life was “too hard.” I have spent many hours crying for what we have lost, for what we are going through, and for what we will have to endure. Some days I had suicidal thoughts because I was in too much pain, and our new burdens felt overwhelming. One day early in 2014, I stole eight of Jeremy’s oxycodone pills and consumed them in one sitting, knowing that I probably wouldn’t die, but also partly hoping that I would. When I felt my breath almost halt, I was a little scared of dying, but I also welcomed the potential relief of permanent sleep. Sometimes life feels too hard, and the burdens and questions about the future feel too frightening to bear.

I had to leave my life and home. The anxiety about our future is crushing at times. I’m starting to realize that my dreams of being a senior Army wife are shattered. Being an Army wife was my career and identity. It is the foundation of my corporation, which gives out scholarships to military brats and was supposed to do much more, but I haven’t had much time to devote to it. Lately my first thought upon waking has been pain, and it reminds me of the weeks after Jeremy was first injured, when my wrenched stomach each morning wanted me to vomit, and I engaged in extended jags of sobbing through my shower before pulling myself together to attend to Jeremy. Coming home to our house in Fayetteville is traumatic as I shake when I approach the neighborhood. We must find a new house, one that is suitable for Jeremy. You try finding a ranch without steps, cut out sinks, patterned low-pile carpet, roll-in showers, tilted mirrors, rooms including closets he can do a 360 with his wheelchair, and the countless other details that prohibit us from looking at most houses, everywhere. We can’t even agree on a place to retire! I am mired in denial because I can’t bear the thought of him retiring. He is too smart, too trained, and too good of a leader to get out. This is a tragedy.

The reality of our new existence isn’t fully realized because we are still healing in the bubble of Walter Reed, where there are smooth walkways, handrails, bars in the bathrooms, and many other accommodations for people with catastrophic injuries. I can’t possibly list here the issues that able-bodied people can’t fathom and don’t have to worry about. Even with all of the assistance that the organizations provide, everything is harder to do and takes longer. The pain and exhaustion are ever-present realities.

Loss of consortium also includes domestic chores, in which Jeremy used to share and was a good husband and equal partner. I also ask you to consider that nearly every sexual position requires the use of knees. Bryant permanently stole from us an assemblage of holy intimacy that Jeremy and I can never again experience with each other. I miss curling my naked feet in Jeremy’s naked feet. I miss feeling both of his hands cupping my breasts. At times now, cuddling him makes him feel trapped, and he panics, so I have to disengage.

Never again can I frolic on the beach and in the ocean waves with Jeremy. Nor roam the cobblestone streets and steps of Italy. We lived there for six years, and my dreams of going back with him are unrealistic. Though some places try to make accommodations, we do not live in a world made for the disabled. We always have to plan for the longer walks to find ramps and elevators and seating. Nothing is easy — even when people and places go out of their way trying to make it so. There are no more straight lines.

We went to the Amputee Coalition conference last June, Jeremy’s first foray into the world, where the thick carpets were nice for my feet, but extremely difficult for Jeremy to push his wheelchair, and a great effort for me to push him, too. When bathrooms at hotels and friends’ houses are possible for Jeremy to even enter, the ability to use the toilet and shower are always challenging; therefore, travel has become dreadful. Travel and museums and walking and hiking were among our greatest pleasures together.

We used to enjoy going out to eat crab legs every month or so. We can’t do that anymore because it’s a two-handed operation. It’s also unfun to eat steak when I have to pause during my hot meal to cut for Jeremy, and he is humiliated while I cut his meat for him.

In the summer before the calamity, Jeremy and I booked an eight-night paradise vacation in Jamaica to attend his little sister’s wedding in February 2013. Jeremy could not go, of course. Our son Drake’s middle name is Marley because he was conceived on a duck blanket while we listening to Bob. We always dreamed of going there together. I was probably more devastated than his sister was…she had her husband with her in paradise.

The magnitude and impact of this crime has affected our child, our families, and our friends. Jeremy and I are not the only ones who have had to suffer the consequences of shock and grief. Thinking about them causes me more grief.

My good friend, Krista, my Special K, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer right before Jeremy was injured. I was unable to spend time with her or take care of her as I had promised. She suffered long and fought valiantly, but she finally died on the Ides of March, 2014.

Financially of course we are frightened because we don’t know what our needs and expenses will be. Another aspect of suffering has been dealing with the offender’s insurance company, which has violated a number of North Carolina state statutes. They offered Jeremy the policy limits of $30,000 while he was still inpatient and without asking how he was or what his injuries were. To provide you with some scope of this insult, Duke Hospital’s bill was more than $250,000 for the first two and a half weeks of Jeremy’s care. One of Jeremy’s prosthetic legs costs around $100,000. His wheelchair is $15,000 – which might help explain the cringe factor when we’ve taken a plane, and the handlers bang it around treating it as if it isn’t valuable. The insurance company has furthermore refused to acknowledge and process my attempts to make a claim on the policy as a bystander victim. Moreover, when I asked that all correspondence be in writing and gave them our Walter Reed mailing address, their responses ignored my claims, addressed Jeremy, and stated that they called the hospital and were told that he wasn’t a patient there. What was their point? Dealing with them has been stressful, and we are dreading it because of how they have treated us so far.

The structured sentencing guidelines do not allow you to consider her past traffic violations including a DUI from more than seven years ago — proof that she knew the law. She had a failure to yield in Robeson County exactly one week before she nearly killed Jeremy, and it was mysteriously scrubbed from her record. A friend and I spent considerable hours trying to figure out the circumstances, including a trip to the courthouse on the day Bryant was supposed to be in court. This is another aspect of distress that has cost me time and energy — how can fair sentences be adjudicated when criminals’ records are not admissible and charges are reduced and/or vanish? How does that help the DMV and insurance companies keep dangerous drivers off of our roads? There should be no limit to the look-back period of all crimes in one’s history because it is a fact that the same small group of people commit most of the crimes.

North Carolina requires ignition interlock devices for people who are convicted with a BAC greater than 0.15. Although Bryant’s results fell under this threshold, I’m not sure that it is beyond your discretion to require it for people who fall below it. I would love to see how the community responds if you took this initiative. If criminals can be emboldened by what they can get away with by using statutes and loopholes, then why shouldn’t judges be emboldened as well?

Everybody agrees that driving a vehicle is in itself dangerous because of its weight and velocity. I ask the court to send a clear message to the offender and to the community that the conscious decision to drive after drinking and/or taking drugs is intentional disregard of and indifference to the rights and safety of others, and this behavior of reckless, gross negligence will not be tolerated. Accountability for actions when there is clear liability with catastrophic and permanent harm deserves the strictest enforcement of punishment available. Please, your honor, issue a strict sentence, the maximum possible jail time, so that I can sleep and comfortably put this chapter of the process to bed and move forward to prevent this senseless crime from happening to other victims. I do not think that years in jail is unreasonable or too severe considering the circumstances delineated herein and given the harsh facts of this case. Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant is responsible and should be held accountable. Whether or not she says that she feels remorse is irrelevant and should not mitigate accountability because she is solely to blame for her poor choices and conduct and clear harm. Addiction is also not a valid excuse for criminal behavior because she could have stayed home, prearranged a ride, or taken a taxi. It is my deepest hope today that the court chooses to reflect the seriousness of this crime, which can harm anybody regardless of geography, age, race, religion, sex, creed, marital and socioeconomic status, and to underscore that disobedience of the law will result in justice to promote the common welfare of the people. Safety comes from the collective willingness to watch out for one another.

Sincerely,

Jenny Bruns

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Victim Impact

            My name is Drake Bruns and Jeremy Bruns is my father. November 10^th, 2012, the day of his accident and the terrible crime of another, was the worst day of my life by large margin. The effects of that day cannot be so easily shrugged off as if some milk had been spilled. Just before I received the phone call from my mother that day, my mind was already drained, having just completed the arduous GRE. When I heard the news, there was nothing I could do but break. There were too many emotions to comprehend: shock, confusion, fear, anger, sadness. My father, my role model in life, is in the prime of his life, and he was nearly taken from me…the cruel part in this scenario is the fact that this was easily preventable. Choosing not to drive under then influence is such an easy decision…I wonder what could have been SO important as to endanger the lives of others?

            Following affirmation that my father would survive his injuries, I returned to school, but I was not myself. I was beginning to have nightmares and my ability to take care of myself (sleeping, eating, cleaning up) was diminished. My grades were starting to suffer and I felt that the world around me was crashing down.

            Whenever I visited my parents, I did my best to help. I was cheered only by Dad’s sense of humor and seeing improvements in his recovery. Progress was and remains slow however, and we have realized how poorly this world was designed for the impaired. There are so many things, simple things even, that have become very difficult. Traveling anywhere takes an immense amount of time and preparation, and oftentimes, places are simply not equipped to aid the handicapped. My apartment for instance, was a difficult challenge when my parents came up for graduation. The stairs, up and down, was its own ordeal that took more than five minutes for just one flight. It should take all of ten seconds. Bathrooms are another common issue, and as mine was not equipped with handicap rails, the towel rod he grabbed for support promptly broke and he injured one of his hands.

            At the end of the day, we’re fortunate that my dad is still here, but a part of him, or rather, several parts of him are gone forever.

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Thank-you Your Honor and the Court for reading or listening to my statement.

I am Debra Lindeblom, Jeremy's mother. On March 2, 1971 I gave birth to a big, healthy baby. He was healthy his whole life, even through many tours of duty; until November 10, 2012.

On that day my wonderful and healthy son, one of our countries finest, Jenny's husband, Drake's father, Nikolee's and Samantha's brother --- was horrifically injured by Rhonda Bryant.

Everyday since then, I wake up with a heavy and sore heart. There will be no droughts if I save my tears.

It’s knowing my son wakes up everyday with pain and challenges, many could not face. And yet: he continues to work very hard to adapt to his new reality. He does this with great bravery and grace.

A mother's great pride and pain in the above paragraph.

Rhonda Bryant on November 10, 2012 YOU SENTENCED my Son to a LIFE TIME of pain, disabilities, medical procedures and discrimination.

Therefore, I am asking the court to impose the very maximum sentence allowed. It is miniscule to the sentence you gave Jeremy and his whole family.

Debra

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            I am writing this victim impact statement on the day of Jeremy's birthday. A day we wouldn't be celebrating if not for the quick action of Jeremy's neighbors and local first responders to save him from the irresponsible actions of Ronda Renee Sutton Bryant. On the 10^th of Nov. 2012  without regards to the safety of others she drove while impaired. On that day she impacted many people. Ms. Bryant became a criminal, she robbed my son Jeremy of his legs, his right thumb, and pointer finger. Jeremy’s wife Jenny became a protector rather than protected. Advocating for Jeremy to get the best care and medical procedures to save Jeremy from the bad decisions of Ms. Bryant. Jeremy's son Drake a college student spent all his school breaks helping his mother care for his dad. Robbing him of the ability to focus 100% on his studies and enjoy the carefree life of a college student before entering the work world. I could go on and on with my list of victims but I will limit it to one last victim. Our Country. Jeremy has served our Country with Honor and Distinction as his rank of Sargent Major would attest to. Jeremy will no longer be able to serve his Country in the manner he wishes because of the bad decision of Ms. Bryant to drive while impaired. In the past 20 plus years Jeremy has always answered the call to protect us and serve his country. On the battle field the mandate is pretty clear, protect the innocents and neutralize the enemy. I believe the mandate of the Cumberland County Court is also to protect the innocents and neutralize the criminals. Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant is a criminal, who decided to drive impaired, who robbed Jeremy of his legs, right thumb, and pointer finger, and his career. As a criminal she should be prosecuted and sentenced to the full extent of the law. Let it be said I am extremely proud of my son and his service to Country. I hope at the end of the day I can say the same for the Cumberland County Courts in that they fulfilled their obligation to protect the innocents and punish the criminal, Ms. Bryant.

Thank you for your time,

Dad

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Honorable Judge:

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nikolee Turner.  Jeremy Bruns, the victim in this case, is my brother.  I am writing to ask you to sentence Ms. Bryant to the maximum sentence allowable.  It's my understanding that even a maximum sentence in this case is still not a very harsh sentence considering the irreversible damage imposed by the defendant.

Writing a "Victim Impact Statement" is harder to do than it sounds.  Much of the last year and a half I haven't really had the luxury of thinking about the long term effects of this crime. I have been in shock.  It takes a long time to really grasp the magnitude of how this senseless crime has affected the lives of so many.  Instead, time after time the reality of my brother's permanent injuries overwhelms me.  It comes to me in sharp jolts.  

I will never forget the trip to see him on the day this happened. I was in agony not knowing if I would be able to get to the hospital in time to see him alive.  When I finally did arrive he was barely recognizable as my brother.  He was in a coma and bandaged up with a breathing tube down his throat.  His legs were gone.  His legs ARE gone!  I still have trouble accepting this is his new reality.

Once we realized that he would survive the initial carnage, my relief was immediately stripped away as he endured surgery after surgery.  I sat with him as he prepped to go into one such surgery.  His wife reliving this cycle many more times.

Pieces of this crime will be with me forever.  My brother has recounted to me how he was awake during the excruciating 40 plus minutes while he was pinned between Ms. Bryant's car and his truck.  He told me how he beat his hand on her car (shattering his wrist and hand) trying to get her to move the car off of him.  He told me how he could smell his own flesh burning on her engine. He told me he knew that if he lost consciousness he would probably die. 

Jeremy lost the life he knew that day.  As I try to recalibrate my brother's new reality there are so many areas of impact that I can only touch on a few.  What will be of his lifelong work in the Army?  Most likely a forced retirement.  Jeremy's professional record and amazing contributions to our country are well documented.  He is a good and giving man.  He had more to give and was a candidate for promotion.  Everything in his life will have to be adapted to the indelible sentence he now has in an amputated body. He will have to sell his house because he will need special accommodations. To drive he needs accommodations. To pursue his fishing passion he will need accommodations.  The list goes on and on.  His wife Jenny lost her life as she knew it that day too.  Jenny is a victim of this crime. She had to become a caretaker instead of partner.  She had to feed him, bathe him, brush his teeth, and clean the wounds of his amputated legs.  The administrative nightmare of having to build a temporary existence in hospitals, complete mounds of paperwork for various agencies, the Army and insurance companies.  Additionally, she had to advocate that this case be followed up on and handled in the most appropriate way.  All of this has become her full time job.  It is stressful, frustrating and it was imposed on her by Ms. Bryant's actions.  Jenny has been away from her own life for more than a year too.  Most people don't realize Jeremy and Jenny HAVEN'T EVEN GONE HOME YET.  Their recovery is far from over. 

Jeremy is an Uncle to my two daughters.  My daughters are also victims. How do you explain this to 6 and 3 year olds? The Uncle they knew chased them around and rough-housed with them. They now look at him and are shy and uncertain because he looks different.  Prosthetics are scary to children.  His hand looks weird to them.  His legs look weird to them. They are insecure about how to show their love for him. My heart breaks for their loss.  They will have to build a new relationship bound by the inconveniences of his handicaps.

One of the most difficult things for me to talk about is the emotional and social impact of this crime.  The way that people will look at my brother now.  How will they treat him? How many times will he have to be humbled while struggling to do routine things in this broken body? I'm learning that all people with prosthetic legs fall down.  It's not if, but when.  Jeremy told me of a time that I imagine to be very difficult when he was in his dress uniform and fell in a restroom.  Here is a decorated soldier and he fell in a particularly undignified place.  I am horrified for him. He doesn't deserve this.  The extreme patience and determination he endures just trying to cross the street at a socially acceptable pace. I had knots in my stomach as I tried to hover around him never knowing if he would hit an ice patch or a slightly uneven surface. Trying to anticipate what help he might need. What about the simple, most acceptable form of human contact, shaking hands.  How does he shake hands with people when he doesn't have a thumb? Will his spirit endure this struggle.  Will he find the strength to keep re-learning almost every life task?

Again I ask that this Court sentence Ms. Bryant to the maximum allowable sentence because she has issued a life sentence on my brother and our family.  My support network has said to me "I hope you and your family get justice" and I have thought a lot about what I think justice is in this case.  Mostly, I think about the well known quote "Justice delayed is justice denied." Justice has been denied for far too long in this case.  I don't think a specific number of days in prison will render justice but I do think Ms. Bryant must be held accountable for the actions she took that day. She chose to drink and do drugs and then to get into a car.  Justice to me would be Ms. Bryant never having the ability to do something like this to anyone else.  I was always told that driving is a privilege.  I think she should never be allowed to drive again.  Certainly a minor inconvenience to her considering the damage done. 

Sincerely,

Nikolee Turner

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Honorable Judge,

I am writing to you this evening requesting that Ms. Bryant be sentenced to the maximum penalty allowed by law.  Ms. Bryant made a decision that Saturday morning to drive impaired without any regard for her community, neighbors, family and friends.  By doing so, her actions have affected more than just Jeremy Bruns. Jeremy is paying the price for her actions, and will continue to do so for the rest of his life.  He has spent all of these months rebuilding himself, and learning to do some of the most basic skills the rest of us take for granted everyday.  His family, career, and hobbies will forever be different.  Jeremy has spent his career in the Army, a decorated soldier living his life for the freedoms we live under.  That career is most likely over do to a forced retirement.  

While I understand the wheels of justice move slow, Ms. Bryant has maintained the ability to live her life while Jeremy has yet to return home, going on eighteen plus months.  Jeremy is a hero among men, a person that everyone wants to call their friend, someone who will do anything and go out of his way for others. He is a kind genuine person with an incredible spirit.  I know this about him because I am fortunate enough to call him my brother-in-law.

As I stated above, Jeremy is not the only victim at the hand of Ms. Bryant.  I see the burden and struggle his wife Jenny has endured.  She has been at his side from the moment Ms. Bryant drove her car into him.  The course of her life has forever been changed.  Jenny has worked tirelessly to make a temporary home for them in the hospitals and out-patient care facilities they have been assigned to.  Jenny has fought for the benefits they deserve and continued to work toward justice and not allowing this case to discarded.  Jenny deserves justice.

In addition to Jeremy and Jenny, I have witnessed first hand the changes in my daughters, ages 6 and 3.  They know uncle Jeremy as the fun, playful, happy man that took one of them sledding and built her a snowman the Christmas she first saw snow.  They played in the yard and threw snowballs at each other and grandpa.  Now my daughters are shy and scared because what they see is different.  Prosthetics and the residual limbs are difficult and scary for them to understand. I know with time they will warm up to him and not be intimidated by the by what they see.  His spirit, sense of humor, playfulness has remained, but I can see it in his eyes the hurt he feels when they won't sit with him, walk by him, and generally shy away from him.

In closing, for Jeremy, Jenny, and two little girls who are learning about the world we live too early in life, Ms. Bryant deserves the maximum sentence.

Sincerely,

MT

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Victim Impact Statement

     On November 11^th, 2012, my family woke to the horrific news about Jeremy. It will always be embedded with us, because it was the morning of Veteran’s Day, and my birthday. I will never forget my wife’s voice. She is so strong, but that morning she repeated over and over again “Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God!” as she listened to the message about our dearest friend. I remember a state of panic, she didn’t respond as I asked, “what? What happened?” With a sinking feeling, she began telling me the details. We were overcome with so many emotions, just trying to grasp the reality of this situation. First, relieved that Jeremy survived, followed by disbelief, shock, sadness, anger, and fear of what was going to happen to their family. We have spent so many years with Jeremy and his family while both serving in the military. Jeremy, Jenny and Drake are part of our family. Our kids grew up together, went to school together, and we only lived a few blocks away. Jeremy is a role model Husband, Father, and Friend.

     It’s hard to track all of the sacrifices Jeremy has made for this Country, and all the freedoms he has provided for all of us. That is why this whole thing is so hard to grasp. The time of day, the circumstances, the entire event was as if it were plucked out of some nightmare. Jeremy’s injuries would have been understandable if they were a result of another deployment, like the nine he had already completed, free of incident. But to be mutilated, maimed, and left for dead in the comfort of your own front yard on a Saturday morning, getting ready to go fishing, on a day you happen to have off for a change, is unacceptable. I hope everyone reading this knows what we have lost, my heart sunk when I found out they were making Jeremy retire, due to the limitations Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant bestowed upon Jeremy on that horrific morning in November. I know my family feels a lot less secure.

     We ask the judge today to issue a just sentence to Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant.  By choosing to operate her vehicle that day under the influence was not fair or just to Jeremy or his family. Her lack of judgment and vehicular negligence caused Jeremy and his family no chance of a normal life from that day on.  She has taken the joys and freedoms away from the Bruns that most people take for granted.  They have been thrown into another way of life forever.  There is no going back.  Jeremy will never have his legs again, or the full use of his hand.  He will not live out his dream of serving his country until retirement. Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant robbed him of the future he had planned for his family, and we ask that the judge sentence her to maximum jail time, so that she may feel what it is like to have your freedoms taken away.  She can then ponder about her poor decision made on that the morning of November 10, 2012.  Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant has shown little remorse for the obscene injuries she inflicted on Jeremy or the months of rehabilitation following the accident, which he still partakes in daily. We are writing this in hopes that the court can see the devastating effects of driving under the influence, and how it has dramatically changed Jeremy, Jenny, and Drake’s lives forever.  It is now in the hands of the judicial system, and we are hopeful in Jeremy’s Fight For Justice.

Mike and Jenna McChesney

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VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT from

Eric and Roxie Dawson (neighbors & friends of Jeremy Bruns)

IS JUSTICE really blind??? We certainly pray that it is not!  At least not in this particular case of our dear friend and neighbor, Jeremy Bruns.  We cringe to think that we actually live in a country where a drunken, delirious driver can shatter a person’s legs, arms, fingers, toes, and more importantly, their DREAMS and walk away unpunished to the highest extent of the law!!

Ever since that horrible morning of November 10^th, 2012, our lives have never been the same and never will be the same! We have lived across from the Bruns for over ten (10) years and they are the neighbors that EVERYONE would want! Extremely caring, loving, compassionate and always will to lend a hand to others in any way possible. We loved them because they are “real people” and treat everyone with respect and dignity! We also loved them as neighbors because they prided themselves with keeping their yard clean and beautiful!  Our minds continue to see Jeremy walking and pushing the lawnmower with speed and precision.  He always moved so quickly in order to get everything done in a timely manner.  He appeared to be so happy each time he was outdoors enjoying nature and life. That’s why it is so hard to believe what has happened to him.  The truth of the matter is… the same could have happened to any of us that morning because we all love to mow our lawns, plant flowers, enjoy being in our front yards and smelling fresh air and seeing the beauty and gift of nature!!!

On that morning though, after hearing a loud crash and then loud screams, I screamed for my husband to get outside quickly and he did.  Eric was the first person to reach Jeremy and that’s when he saw the “fear and shock” in Jeremy’s eyes as he experienced incredible pain and horror!!  Eric wanted to pull the vehicles apart with his bare hand but knew that it would be impossible to do so.  So, he just tried to calm Jeremy down by talking to him and reminding him that we would get him out.  For the next two hours, our entire street went through what looked like a scene from an action movie.

It would literally take at least 100 sheets or more of paper to express how this terrible incident has affected and impacted our lives. So, we will only attempt to summarize the following facts:

1 – JEREMY DESERVES JUSTICE!!

2 – Mrs. Rhonda Sutton Bryant should be held accountable for her negligence and sheer disregard for human life and safety of others!!

3 – We had nightmares and could not sleep for months after this terrible tragedy that occurred right across from our home and in our front yard!

4 - Life will never be the same for any of us and we will miss the good times that we used to have as neighbors!!

It is for this and so many other reasons that we ask the court, the legal and justice system and more importantly, the presiding judge to give the maximum (highest) sentence possible in order to send a STRONG message to others that we will not live in fear of being in our front yards or enjoying the outdoors and life just because one drunken/delirious driver decides to disobey the laws and decides to drive anyway! Someone who we hope now realizes how precious life is and how quickly one can be taken away!

Sincerely and from our hearts,

Eric and Roxie Dawson

April 2014

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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS COMPANY

81st CIVIL AFFAIRS BATTALION

16th Street, Building 87003

FORT HOOD, TX 76544

AFZF-ABH 

7 April 2014

MEMORANDUM FOR Cumberland County Courts

SUBJECT: Victim Impact Statement regarding Jeremy Bruns

1. I have known Sergeant Major Jeremy Bruns since 1999 and have served with him many times since--in Kosovo and Iraq, while assigned to Fort Bragg, and during attendance at multiple military training courses in other states. Sergeant Major Bruns has always been recognized as a hard working professional Soldier and solid Leader that could always be counted on to make the right decision, accomplish any mission and take great care of his troops all at the same time.

The actions of Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant on 10 November 2012, ironically, just one day prior to Veteran’s Day, display the opposite of Sergeant Major Bruns’ ethical, moral and social values. Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant’s carelessness, lack of responsibility and concern for other people resulted in Sergeant Major Bruns almost losing his life. The end result was that Sergeant Major Bruns lost 20 percent of his body because Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant decided to drive that morning while legally intoxicated. One-fifth of Sergeant Major Bruns’ physical being is gone because of Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant’s poor decision making ability.

2. The immediate loss of limbs and mobility to Sergeant Major Bruns and the present challenges to his well being and way of life are the most obvious results of Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant’s negligent actions on 10 November 2012. However, the greatest loss is most likely to the Nation, the Army and it’s Soldiers due to this incident affecting his ability to continue his service to the Nation.

Sergeant Major Bruns was selected for Command Sergeant Major in early 2013 and would have assumed those duties in early 2014. As a Battalion Command Sergeant Major, Sergeant Major Bruns would have had the immediate opportunity to lead, train and mentor over 200 Civil Affairs Soldiers as they deployed worldwide to further the strategic goals of the United States. Coaching and mentoring Soldiers happens on a daily basis between Leaders and their subordinates. The effect is often difficult to measure and is often unrecognizable until many years later as these young Soldiers develop into Leader’s themselves.

The negligent action of Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant has effected an undeterminable number of Soldiers that were in Sergeant Major Bruns’ future. Sergeant Major Bruns would have most likely spent the next 7 years or more as a Command Sergeant Major and would have positively interacted with several thousands of Soldiers in that time period.

3. The Bruns family is tough and hardened by over 22 years of service in the Army, multiple deployments and separations, as well as numerous military moves from one post to another. As a family they were probably stronger and more prepared to face the challenges of the last year and a half while coping with Jeremy’s injuries than any civilian family would have been. But that doesn’t make this fair. They have sacrificed and faced challenges for over 22 years and are now forced to continue facing challenges for many more because of Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant’s irresponsible actions. They deserve much better.

4. While I have known Sergeant Major Bruns for 15 years, both in the 82nd Airborne Division and in the civil affairs community, we have become very close friends in the last five years. Jeremy and I have spent weeks each year on many lakes in several different states fishing. Jeremy and I have fished several tournaments together and have always done very well and had a great time on the water. We were planning on fishing together 12 November 2012 and several days the next week in preparation for a tournament the following weekend. As you can imagine, that didn’t happen. Thanks to Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant.

5. Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant’s irresponsibility didn’t kill Sergeant Major Jeremy Bruns but she did cause the loss of one-fifth of his body. The penalty for such a preventable act should be severe. Effectively, one-fifth of a life in prison sentence seems like a fitting punishment. I am aware that this is in excess of the maximum sentence and is not a feasible punishment. However, justice will not be served if anything less than the maximum sentence is imposed.

6. The point of contact is the undersigned at (redacted)

RONALD T. BARKER

CSM, USA

Command Sergeant Major

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VICTIM STATEMENT

Jeremy Bruns

Your Honor,

            I miss my friend.  I miss having the opportunity to fish with my buddy Jeremy.  Those times on Jordan Lake and Shaeron Harris were some of the best in my life!  I now look back at try to put to memory every moment we had together no matter how small or insignificant because I know they will never happen again.  No longer will Jeremy and I be able to fish tournaments with any reasonable expectation of placing no matter what accommodations might be made.  I can no longer see a time when spending time with my friend will be void of any hard feelings and regret because of past circumstances involving the criminal actions of Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant.

When I walk to my vehicle I glance around in all directions to check for Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant’s twin who will certainly drive her vehicle into me in a drunken stupor.  I can’t help this.  The thought just appears in my head.  It’s not long before I feel a sense of rage and have to work to calm myself down pushing images of Jeremy, in his current state, out of my head. 

Those things I do every day that may seem insignificant to us with functioning limbs and appendages are now all but impossible to my friend Jeremy; things like tying my shoes, drying off from a shower, brushing my teeth, walking down the stairs, making a cup of coffee, unlocking a door; I could go on with an endless list.  Those simple things that come natural for us have to be re-learned by Jeremy.  They are all mountains laced with difficulty for my friend Jeremy.  I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of sorrow and regret I feel when I consider what he can no longer do in the military. 

In the military we are taught, simple, to meet the enemy on the battlefield and win.  Jeremy, forgive me brother, is now at a great disadvantage.  His odds of survival in that environment are now greatly reduced.  Jeremy’s capability to engage the enemy and survive has been stolen from him by a criminal named Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant.  Jeremy’s career, something that he valued most and lived daily, has been stalled - at best.  Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant stole that from him.

I humbly ask the court to administer justice in the form of the maximum sentence allowable.  To deliver anything less than a maximum sentence for Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant is to, in a way, excuse her actions.  And when her actions are excused in any form is to place blame elsewhere.  No one other than Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant is to blame here; not Jeremy, not the vehicle, and not society.  It is Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant’s criminal actions alone that devastated Jeremy Bruns and his family and stole any hope for normalcy in his future,  And it makes me angry to realize that Rhonda Renee Sutton Bryant will eventually enjoy normalcy once her sentence is served.  Anything less than the maximum sentence will add to the tragedy that changed the lives and the future of Jeremy and Jenny Bruns.

Respectfully,

Peter M. Simchuk 

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On Sunday, November 11, 2012, at 3:14 AM, I received a message from my best friend Jenny Bruns that terrified me to the core, and my stomach churned at the thought of how her life and the life of her husband, Jeremy, would forever be changed and challenged. In that message, Jenny wrote that due to a car accident, Jeremy’s legs and right thumb were amputated, and that he was suffering from numerous broken bones. For days and weeks afterward, Jenny and I kept in close phone contact as she kept me informed of Jeremy’s condition. Needless to say, Jenny was more anxious than I had ever witnessed, and I feared for the health and welfare of both Jeremy and Jenny. I was so far away, and I longed to hug her, and comfort her and Jeremy; the helplessness I felt was palpable and tremendous.

Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months, and every few days, I heard from Jenny, either through text or phone call. Her texts apprised me of Jeremy’s medical status, but her calls gave me chills: I could barely understand the words through her gut-wrenching sobs; she was so incredibly worried for Jeremy, and the uncertainty of their future, she told me, kept her from sleeping on many countless nights. The number of Jeremy’s painful surgeries was incomprehensible, and Jenny told me that before he was up to speed from the previous one, he was back again for another, over and over, until it was hard for me to keep track. Throughout this awful and harrowing ordeal, the strength and resolve that Jenny and Jeremy had to demonstrate was remarkable, and still, despite her best efforts, I could sense how Jenny was physically and emotionally strained and weary. Her endurance as a wife and caregiver is exemplary, but the sheer depth of this tragedy haunted her waking hours, and in no small way, she, too, in addition to Jeremy, was in crisis. We spoke at length of Jeremy’s injuries, we discussed such ideas as chance, fate, reparation, and how the court system would acknowledge his pain, and we speculated together whether or not the woman who so carelessly and callously injured Jeremy would ever face proper judgment for her crimes. Through our mutual tears, we thought about the value of Jeremy’s life, as a husband, as a father, as a friend, and as a decorated and hard-working soldier, and we wondered aloud, “Justice must be done for Jeremy, his life is changed so dramatically through no fault of his own….justice must be done!”  I can’t explain how difficult it is to verbally describe the horror, the stress, the impossible terror of the emotional and psychological shock stemming from and surrounding this tragic and macabre incident.

So now, nearing the 18-month anniversary of that catastrophic car accident, Jeremy, Jenny, and the many people whose lives have been touched by this, believe that nothing less than the maximum punishment for Rhonda Bryant is justified. She, unlike Jeremy and Jenny, will serve her time, pay her fine, and get on with her life. But Jeremy Bruns is now physically limited in ways so tragic, so unnecessary, and so unfair, that he will never be able to forget the crimes committed against him. Jeremy will never again perform his duties as a soldier, never live in the beautiful house that he and Jenny fondly called home, and he will never make even the slightest movement without remembering that disastrous day, November 10, 2012, during Veteran’s Day weekend, that changed his life, and all of our lives, forever.

Lynn Paluga 

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Victim Impact Statement for Jeremy Bruns

The vivid memory of that horrible Saturday haunts me everyday. As I drive past Jenny and Jeremy's house each morning that I take my children to school I relive the emotional turmoil that Jenny must have felt and the physical pain that Jeremy suffered that day. I think of seeing Jeremy lying in there in intensive care at Duke Hospital on a respirator fighting for his life, not knowing if he would even make it through to the next hour. I think of watching Jenny as she lovingly sat by his bedside waiting and hoping that he would live. She wouldn't leave his side, because she didn't know if he'd still be there when she returned. I found a sitter for my children, took time off from work, and drove to the hospital everyday that I could, not knowing what to expect when I got there. I made trips to the airport picking up family members (people I'd never met) who'd flown in from all over the country, because I didn't want Jeremy to wake up and not see his wife there or even worse, Jenny to get back and possibly have missed a last moment with him. No one knew if Jeremy would live. That was only the first hurdle. We knew he would never be the same, that if he survived he'd have to learn to walk all over again. There was his career to think of too. Their lives are forever changed, because of a senseless act that was a result of someone else's poor decision. All hurdles.... Then the disappointment that we all felt when we were told that this person, Rhonda Bryant, was only being charged with a misdemeanor. After all that this family and their friends had been through. It was such a blow to think that a person could cause so much pain, physical and emotional, and walk away with a simple traffic ticket. I decided then to pull out every resource available to me and find a way for this family to receive the justice that they not only deserved, but they earned. Each painful surgery that Jeremy endured and the heart wrenching hurt that Jenny went through each time she had to nurse him through recovery, I believe should be a high enough price to pay for that justice. I spent countless hours making phone calls to all of the law enforcement connections that I have, conducting my own personal research through internet searches. Finally I found it, a charge equal to the lives that had been affected. It wasn't for spite, it was for getting what was right for this family and getting Ms. Bryant the treatment that she clearly needs to receive in order to be a better person and a productive citizen. That charge being G.S. 20-141 (a3), along with PRISON TIME and a judge ordered mandatory substance abuse treatment that is offered at several female prisons throughout the state (Fountain CC offers DART, DART Aftercare, WRAP and NCCIW offers DART and North Piedmont CC offers DART Aftercare, AA/NA) is what I believe to be fair and best for all parties involved. My husband has taken care of the lawn and exterior of the Bruns home while they've been assigned to Walter Reed and everytime we go to the home, one or two of the neighbors come over and ask about Jeremy and Jenny. Sadly, that is always followed by comments like "you may not want to stand too close to the edge of the road" or "you shouldn't let your children play in the front yard". It has been 17 months and the memory of that day is obviously still vivid to everyone. Please remind both the Bruns family and Ms. Bryant that the judicial system works hard and that it is in place to help people like Jeremy and to help people like Ms. Bryant see that her actions are not acceptable and make the neighbors feel safe again. Thank you.

Michele Reynolds

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I am writing this statement on behalf of the Bruns family. The incidents that occurred on November of 2012 were horrific-almost unimaginable.  Who would have thought such events could have happened-if they hadn't? The accident changed the entire lives of Jeremy and his family. They were caused from the irresponsibility of one woman.  Due to her actions, Jeremy's life was taken. NO, she did not stop his heart or take his last breath, but his life as he knew it was over.  All of his hopes and dreams had been crushed.  From that day forward, Jeremy had no choice but to spend endless hours in agonizing pain, hanging onto life by a thread. The hours turned into days, days into months, enduring the pain, dressing changes, multiple surgeries, and the loss of his limbs and digits.  The months have turned into 18 long months of being away from home, his job he loved, his family, and, essentially, his freedom. What sense did this horrific tragedy make: a man who is out in his front yard getting ready for a fishing trip, to get plowed down?  It didn't make any sense. There are so many questions that have been pondered since that day. Why did she have to consume alcohol?  Why did she want to ingest such substances that altered her level of thinking?  Why did she drive into Jeremy's yard?  Why did she have to change his life forever?  These answers will never be answered. Her actions are incomprehensible.  She hasn't even begun to comprehend the pain and severity of her actions that were forced upon this family.  She did this to him.  Her actions previous to the accident were her decisions. He had no hand in this. He was not asked to participate in this. Who would choose to get run over by a car? To be spend endless time in the hospital, agreeing to be in pain, and to lose limbs?  Who asked him if he wanted to have multiple surgeries?  Who asked him anything? No one. She made all the decisions on her own. Tragedy touches many lives. How one deals with the chaos and outcomes shows the world what kind of a person you are or have become. The Bruns family have accepted this unforgiving tragedy with steadfastness, grace, patience, hope, love, strength, and the ability to move forward. Grant them what is due to them. They deserve an ounce of peace-knowing that all of their hard work has not been for nothing. Please allow this family to be able to move forward by acknowledging all they have gone through-emotionally, physically, and mentally. She deserves to get the maximum amount of punishment allowable for this act of violence. She will never comprehend the pain she has caused to this entire family. And for this, she needs to be punished to the full extent of the law. Jeremy Bruns is forever a True American Soldier and A Hero.

Leigh McNeill

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Impact Statement for SGM Jeremy Bruns

8 April 2014

Dear Sir or Ma’am,

            I am writing this Impact Statement to on behalf of Jeremy Bruns. He and I served together in Afghanistan in 2012. Jeremy was my senior enlisted supervisor and I interacted with him daily on professional matters and often he was the person I went to when I had personal issues with the stress of deployments or future career concerns. Jeremy was always available to any of us at any time. Jeremy gave us his time and energy selflessly, he ensured all of us were doing well mentally and physically everyday, all day. When we retuned to the Fort Bragg Jeremy served as a character witness for me in a military board, which he did not have to do, because it is in his nature to take care of people and to always to the right thing.  That is why I feel it necessary for me to lend my support in any way possible to encourage the court to do the right thing in the punishment of the woman who caused this terrible loss to Jeremy and his family. I don’t feel it is right that Jeremy and his family will not have the satisfaction that the person who did this to Jeremy will be punished and rehabilitated; she is an obvious danger to the community she lives in and the community at large. In this case the court must step in and take this woman into custody for detention and treatment for the maximum time permitted. That may save one more person and one more family the pain and anguish of what she caused Jeremy and his family.

            I regret that I cannot be there in person to show my support to Jeremy as he supported me, but I am engaged in work commitments. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this letter for the case and in court.

Respectfully,

Christina Pawlikowski

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Judge Hill: 

The last time I saw Sergeant Major Jeremy Bruns prior to being struck by Mrs. Bryant was at an airborne operation at Fort Bragg. Jeremy was one of the ten personnel that exited the airplane with me that day. As we gathered at the marshalling point, Jeremy was lamenting the fact that the steering device in his chute broke. In doing so his smile and calm demeanor shone through. 

Due to his unfortunate accident the Nation, the Army, and I have missed the opportunity to work with an outstanding leader. Jeremy is an accomplished Solider and a proven leader. It is unfortunate that the next generation of Army leaders will not have the priviledge of serving with and learning from Jeremy Bruns. 

Jeremy, his wife Jenny, and son Drake have borne the brunt of Mrs. Bryant’s indiscretions. Jenny and Jeremy moved from their home in Fayetteville to live at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. Jenny has made multiple trips between the two for court dates and various meetings related to the case. Drake has dealt with the tragedy in the midst of completeing a college degree at yet another location. These small matters only touch on the deeper relational and life adjustment issues the Family has faced and will face in the future. 

Considering the impact of Mrs. Bryant’s actions on the Bruns Family and on our Nation’s Army, I humbly ask your Honor to impose the maximum sentence on Mrs. Bryant. I ask this not in retribution or anger, but that Mrs. Bryant will understand and feel the impact of her actions, and thus be dissuaded from similar acts in the future. 

Sincerely, 

Drew

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Dear Judge Hill,

Every morning when Jeremy Bruns wakes up he has new challenges to face.  He is a double amputee and partial hand amputee and he has had to relearn not only how to walk again but how to live again with the limitations of his body after such extensive injuries.

Considering that Jeremy is an active duty soldier one would think that his injuries are a result of his career choice, but we know that is not the case.  Life as he knew it was not cut short by gunfire or an IED, it was due to the extremely bad choices made by Rhonda Bryant.  It was also due to the failure of anyone close to Ms. Bryant to step up and do anything at all to stop her from making bad choices.

The facts of this case speak for themselves.  Ms. Bryant acted recklessly and did not only severely injure Jeremy, she very well could have killed him or anyone else who may have been in her path of destruction.  For her to have been so extremely intoxicated and behind the wheel of a vehicle she was quite capable of ending lives that day, and however many times it happened prior to that day.  This kind of behavior is not a one of a kind occurrence.  One has to wonder just how many times Ms. Bryant drove in impaired condition without an incident like the one that turned Jeremy’s life into months of pain, surgeries and therapy.

I respectfully request that Your Honor impose the maximum sentence under the law for Ms. Bryant’s crimes.   Any time that she will serve will still never compare to the lifetime of suffering that Jeremy Bruns and his family will now endure, but it will at least show Ms. Bryant that her poor choices will not be tolerated.  I for one will certainly feel better knowing that Ms. Bryant is not free to commit the same heinous act in my neighborhood any time in the future.

Respectfully submitted,

Melissa Katzenberger

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I met Jeremy Bruns when he arrived at Walter Reed over 15 months ago thinking he was another wounded vet from an IED explosion in Afghanistan or Iraq who had suffered terrible injuries. As I've gotten to know this extraordinary Sgt Major, and his wife Jen on an almost daily basis, I have come to realize what an incredible couple they are and how he represents the finest leaders of our Armed Forces. Having served in the Marines in Viet Nam, and spent over 10 years mentoring wounded during these two wars we have been involved in, I believe I know something about what makes up our vets.

And Jeremy is maybe the finest example of an enlisted leader that cares about the troops and families around him and goes out of his way to help others.

And his multiple combat tours combined with the horrible accident of a year and a half ago have in a strange way allowed Jeremy to help and assist many others with substantial needs. His unique qualities allow him to do this and he and Jen will never stop.

It is tragic that this accident occurred, even more tragic when you consider the events that led to it, and even worse when you see the impact. And to think drugs and alcohol let to the event.

We can not give Jeremy back his legs, but maybe we can teach others a lesson from this event.

I hope you take this into consideration.

Respectfully,

Bob Nilsson

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The Honorable Claire V. Hill

Superior Court Judge

Fourth Division of the Superior Court

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Dear Judge Hill:

I am a volunteer with The American Red Cross in the Services to the Armed Forces at The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.  I have known Jeremy Bruns, his wife, Jenny, and son, Drake, for more than one year in my volunteer capacity.  I have worked with Jeremy and observed him in both Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy.  I have seen his good days and bad days, before and after surgery, and never, not once, have I heard him complain, despite the excruciating pain that often accompanies therapy treatment.  But by now, I have learned to read his facial expressions, which tell a different story.  Jenny and I will have coffee on occasion and I have listened while she contemplates what life will be like when they leave Walter Reed.  Seeing her husband within seconds of being nearly crushed to death, and seeing his blood splattered in front of their house, and feeling helpless; she has had to bear the brunt of caring for her husband throughout his numerous surgeries, therapy, and driving back and forth from Bethesda to Fayetteville.

I have also seen Jeremy and his lovely wife at Wounded Warrior events and dinners.  At a major dinner event in October, I got to see Jeremy for the first time in his ASU (Army Service Uniform), formerly known as Dress Blues.  Without a doubt, I assure you it took every ounce of energy for him to put together this ensemble, fasten his prosthetic legs and perfectly align on his uniform, the rows of ribbons awarded him throughout his time in service.  After all, he is a professional soldier, husband, father.  He spent the time and effort to look just right because it was a formal dinner attended by high ranking members of the military and intelligence community.  It was at that moment when Jeremy walked through the door and over to our table when I thought to myself how he was robbed at the pinnacle of his career and life.  He had reached the point professionally where he could mentor NCOs (non commissioned officers) and participate in challenging Special Ops Operations and training.  Jeremy can no longer enjoy the activities he worked so hard to earn and afford.

Finally, after numerous deployments to Qatar, Liberia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Kosovo, 3 tours to Iraq, and lastly to Afghanistan, he was looking at spending quality time with his son, doing the activities they love, fishing in rugged terrain, hiking, biking, and kayaking, all of which were taken from him by this careless and selfish act from the Offender.

Jeremy will most likely not advance to higher command elements due to the severity of his injuries, which will result in earlier retirement than planned.

In closing, Jeremy has been dealt a life sentence, a life sentence that also affects his entire nuclear family.  Jeremy’s legs will never grow back.  For the rest of his life he will return to Walter Reed periodically for a new set of legs.  To my knowledge, there has been no apology and no remorse forthcoming from the Offender.  Your Honor, it only seems fair that this Court impose the maximum sentence possible in accordance with the law.  Anything less than that would be unconscionable given the catastrophic injuries suffered.  Jeremy Bruns is an incredible human being and an outstanding soldier of the United States Army.

Respectfully Submitted,

R

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Dear Sentencing Judge in the Jeremy Bruns case:

My name is Amy Zambrano, and I am Co-Founder of the 501c3 “Ipads for Soldiers” providing ipads to our troops on the front lines as well as delivering them personally to the severely wounded recovering stateside in our military hospitals.

We have made over 20 trips to Walter Reed and Brooke Medical to visit these heroes. We walk room to room talking to them, to their grieving families, and hear their horrible tales of battlefield injuries. Every one of them is a heartbreak, evokes a feeling of senselessness that our citizens are put in a position in war to suffer these grave and life-altering injuries, but in a way you also know that that is what will happen in war.

When we met Jenny and Jeremy Bruns last December 8th, we saw a triple amputee who looked much like everyone else in the hospital. A little worse off than some, a little better off than very few. In speaking to them and learning the truth, our hearts crumbled. To hear that this man had survived NINE DEPLOYMENTS overseas, many in battle zones, and come home to do a little kayaking on leave...and had this happen not at the hands of an Afghan combatant or an IED, but of a middle-aged woman, drunk and on drugs, at 10 a.m. in the morning, in his own front yard, is truly just beyond belief.

I know that there are thousands of horrifying stories to be told each day about other people that lose life and limb in horrific ways to drunk drivers, and that is the first problem. Why does it happen so often? Are people not afraid of the repercussions of making this deadly choice? It would seem that they are not. But the irony of this man, serving every one of us on the front lines time and time again, putting his life on the line every day for our freedom....missing 9+ years of life with his own family, his own son...missing all of the special occasions that we all take for granted, because he is doing his job and honoring all of us and our country....falling victim to this woman’s terrible choices at a time and place you would least expect it...on a bright morning, in his front yard, at the time of his long-awaited break from his grim reality of war... is just too much to bear. He fell to the war in our own front yards...drinking and driving.

This man has dedicated his life to the service. Just before the accident, he was awarded a much-deserved promotion to Command Sergeant Major of a battalion, making him the highest-ranking enlisted soldier. He was a Special-Ops force. All that was taken away from him before he could even begin his new job there, because he is no longer able to perform the duties associated with that title. Heck, he can no longer shift himself in a chair if it rolls without the help of someone else. So not only has his body been taken from him, but so has his life-long dream... and the culmination of a highly-decorated and honorable career in the military. All because of one woman’s horrible choice, and lack of common sense.

To think that this woman would receive anything other than the maximum sentence would just be beyond reproach. If not here, then where?? As an ordinary citizen, I was shocked and horrified to hear what the maximum sentence even is for doing this to a human being. It makes it a little less mysterious why so many people continue to drink and drive, that is for certain. It sounds to me like a sentence someone might get for continuously kiting checks... not taking away a mans legs and hand, his job, making him live 2+ years in a hospital, suffering grueling rehabs, taking away his ability to be an active father to his son, an active husband to his wife, his hopes, his dreams, and all the plans their family had for their own future.... he will live in this prison that Ms. Bryant has put him in every day for the rest of his life, and I hope that she will at least hear from the court that this was a heinous and unforgivable crime, ruining lives, shattering the world of a bonafide hero, and that she will receive the maximum sentence.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Amy Zambrano, Co-Founder, Ipadsforsoldiers.org

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Jan Withers, National President
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
511 E. John Carpenter Fwy Ste 700
Irving, TX 75082

April 3, 2014

Your Honor,

Sgt. Maj. Jeremy Bruns has dedicated his life to military service, protecting your family and my family.  He has selflessly done everything his country has asked of him, including nine deployments, several in dangerous war zones.   At the very least we owe Sgt. Maj. Bruns a sincere thank you for all he has done for us.  In fact, we owe this gentleman a debt that can never be repaid.  If it were not for the dedication of the folks in service to our country, we know there would be many more September 11^th tragedies.  In addition, Sgt Bruns’ wife, Jenny, has also devoted her adult life making the necessary sacrifices in support of her husband.  Yet neither could be more proud of their country and their service.  I am deeply grateful to both of them.

On November 10, 2012, we were not able to protect Sgt. Maj. Bruns from the violent criminal act Rhonda Sutton Bryant committed by driving impaired under the influence of not only alcohol, but topped off with cocaine – certainly a treacherous combination.  He safely maneuvered the war zones and yet was assaulted by Ms. Sutton Bryant at home, the one place he thought he was safe.   This was not a random event, Your Honor.  Indeed, when a person chooses to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking alcohol and using drugs, they turn the car into a massive weapon.  There is absolutely no excuse for a person to do this in today’s society.   We know too much now – that this is a brutal crime – an indefensible act .  Certainly the defendant knew this.  It was an intentional decision to drive impaired.

Your Honor, nothing can return Sgt. Maj. Bruns’ legs and hand to the way they were prior to this violence.  We cannot relieve Jenny Bruns from the PTSD symptoms she suffers as a result of watching her husband burn and bleed, thinking he was going to die before her very eyes.  No one can give the Bruns family their lives as they knew them prior to November 2012.  

They do not seek revenge.  However, Your Honor, please give them justice. Please hold the defendant accountable for her egregious choices and criminal action by sentencing Ms Sutton Bryant to the maximum sentence.  I can anticipate the defense asking for only intense supervised probation in order for the defendant to get treatment for her addictions.  However, she has certainly had ample time to receive that treatment in the past year and a half following this crime she committed.  Even the maximum sentence is minimal compared to the lifetime sentence the Bruns family is suffering.

We are indebted to Sgt. and Mrs. Bruns for their sacrifices.  Please give them the justice they deserve for this horrific crime. 

Sincerely,

Jan Withers

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April 8, 2014  Impact Statement  Cumberland County vs Rhonda Renee Bryant

Honorable Judge,

Jenny Bruns, wife of victim Jeremy Bruns, is one of my dearest and longest friends.  While I did not personally witness the accident, I have been witness to Jenny’s suffering. 

I received a text from Jenny about Jeremy at 2AM, the day after the accident.  The text was very factual about his injuries.  I was able to get to the hospital early afternoon.  It was obvious she was in shock.  Jenny is a very emotional and lively talker.  She was very quiet and wasn’t showing any emotion.  I did follow her to the bathroom where she broke down and sobbed in my arms.  With every single visit and phone call, she puts on a brave face, but in the end she breaks down and sobs.  Her life and marriage have changed forever.  Jenny and Jeremy’s marriage has always been based on love and individualism.  It was common for Jenny to fly out of town at a moment’s notice to anywhere in the world.  She is unable to do so since the accident.  Jenny has been forced into a caretaker’s role that no spouse would ever dream of.  Jenny has felt guilty being away from Jeremy’s side to come to the various court dates.  She would leave Walter Reed the morning of court, drive six hours for the beginning of court at 9, sit through court proceedings and then want to leave immediately afterwards to drive 6 hours back to Jeremy.  Her friends and I would always insist on eating an early lunch before she left. 

Rhonda Bryant has also affected my life.  I used to always feel safe in any neighborhood where I lived.  Since the accident, I am now always looking up to see if the cars passing my house are being driven erratically.  I have even moved my teenage children away from the road as a car going too fast has driven by.  I have taken to questioning my daughter’s boyfriend on how to respond if he came upon trauma like what Jeremy experienced.  While I have always been a very careful, defensive driver, I am now leery of any non-responsible driver and am quick to let others know they should also be careful.  I also tell them Jeremy’s story.

Through internet searches, I have discovered Rhonda Bryant and her husband Dalton have relocated from Fayetteville, NC to Virginia Beach, VA.  This has become a major source of worry to me.  My family and I have moved to Virginia Beach since my husband’s retirement from the Army.  I am very reluctant to allow my teenage children to explore their new town for fear of Rhonda Bryant being drunk and high and getting behind the wheel of a car again.  As of 2012, Virginia Beach has a population of 447,000, and is constantly growing.  That is 447,000+ potential victims for Rhonda Bryant. 

Rhonda Renee Bryant has not shown any remorse.  She has not shown any concern for Jeremy or Jenny Bruns.  Until recently, she hasn’t even shown up for her court dates.  Her lawyer has shown up late for countless court dates since he was hired.  Jeremy Bruns almost died several times in his own front yard November 10, 2012, spent 3 months trapped in a hospital bed and 17 months living on hospital grounds. He has had to relearn how to live like a “normal” person.  He has had to accept he will never be a “normal” person again.  Personally, I think the maximum sentence of 35 months is not a long enough punishment.  Along with a maximum jail sentence and probation, Rhonda Bryant should never be allowed to drive again.

Very truly yours,

Sarah C. Wilkinson

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I have known the Bruns family for six years.  Jeremy Bruns was deployed several times during this time, while his wife stayed behind supporting other spouses.  Jen has been an integral part of the military community serving on the board for the Spouses' Association.  She assisted military children in acquiring needed scholarships, she has also been the voice for spouses in articles she has written for the local paper.  These are only a few examples of her involvement in our community.

When Jeremy was so tragically injured, all of that changed.  Jen was yanked not only from her life as she knew it, but from ours.  Her dedication to the Spouses Club was invaluable.  In one swift moment, we no longer had a friend down the road to call, visit, and ask for advice. Her talents were not replaced.

Jen and Jeremy have not been able to live in their home in nearly two years!  They will in fact never be able to live there again due to the extent of Jeremy's injuries.  We lost our advocate and friend the day Jeremy was smashed between two vehicles.  I have watched my friend go from an energetic enthusiastic woman, to one who lives day to day wondering what medical issue will be thrown at them next. The feeling of helplessness is indescribable. Jen's spirit has not been totally crushed, due to her love and commitment for her husband, she has been able to enlighten others on the laws and processes of the courts as well as be a model for loyalty to her family.

Jeremy has suffered more physical, mental and emotional injuries than I could possibly explain. He is respected, needed and valued in his position with the Army.  Together, Jen and Jeremy epitomize the military family.  For nearly two years now, they have only been able to focus on learning how to live a whole new way. They have been in a prison of their own, subject to random inspections in the housing they live in, and days that only revolve around the next surgery, or physical therapy appointment.  Ms. Bryant has been free to do as she pleases during this time.

Because Ms. Bryant chose to drive impaired, she has forever altered the course of all of our lives. The Bruns family will serve the rest of their lives confined to places that will accommodate prosthesis and wheel chairs.  There will not be a day we are not aware or reminded of the crime committed by an impaired driver. I ask the court to issue the maximum sentence allowed.  There must be accountability for this crime.

Sincerely,

Carolyn Ruth

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Honorable Judge:

I am writing on behalf of Jeremy & Jenny Bruns whom I've had the pleasure of knowing for about 8 years. I met them the day that my son married Jeremy's sister Nikolee.  I am asking you to sentence Ms. Bryant to the maximum allowable.  It is my understanding that sentence would only be about 35 months in jail. Hardly the life changing sentence she put on Jeremy the morning she decided to drive after consuming both drugs and alcohol. She made a decision that has/will FOREVER change the lives of not only Jeremy & Jenny, but also that their son Drake, their family members and friends. 

I know the horrible details of this case. I know how lucky we are that Jeremy didn't lose his life that day. It is heart wrenching knowing how much pain and suffering they went through on that day...and everyday since. Life as they knew it is gone and in it's place is uncertainty.  What happens to the Army career he was supposed to have? Probable forced retirement. Surgeries, several are behind him but there is more to come. Where is home going to be? Certainly not the house they had ( and haven't returned to in over 17 months) as it is not wheelchair/handicapped accessible. SO many changes and none of them fair. Jeremy chose to be a Soldier. He deployed several times and he & Jenny knew all the risks of these deployments. They discussed all the horrible scenarios that could come. Ms Bryant chose to get behind the wheel impaired probably believing it was somehow ok. It wasn't. Justice would be that she spend the maximum time in jail reflecting on how much harm she has done. Justice would be she is NEVER allowed to drive a car again. Justice would be community service and probation after the max sentence. Jeremy and Jenny have lived this nightmare with dignity and strength and love from far and wide. I believe it is time they get justice.

Writing a "Victim Impact Statement" on behalf of Jeremy and Jenny Bruns is certainly my honor to do so.  The fact that it has to be done is gut wrenching at best. I implore the Court and Your Honor to impose the maximum sentence possible on Ms Bryant.

Respectfully yours,

Judy Turner

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Victim Impact Statement

            I cannot and I will not forget the feeling I had when I found out that Jeremy had been in an accident. At first I didn’t even hear what or how it had happened. I was just in shock to find out that someone so dedicated to protecting not only his family’s rights and freedoms but those of the entire nation had been hurt and while he was home. At home! As I tuned back into what I was being told I heard the gruesome details of how he was pinned between two cars. He was struggling for his life. I was told that he would more than likely lose his legs. Jeremy survived, but he did lose both his legs. It turns out he lost more than that. The repercussions of this tragedy are endless; Jeremy and Jenny are seeing the cost of this every time they turn around.  His life will forever be changed because someone had the audacity to think they were above the warning, above the law.

            At the time I was still engaged to Richard, now my husband and we were living in two separate states. Richard, a United States soldier was stationed in Florida, while I remained in North Carolina. As much as I was grieving for Jenny and Jeremy and their family I kept thinking to myself, “Why did I never think that Richard was in danger while he was home! I thought all the worry and anxiety was over when he got back into the states”. Sure I know that was naïve but it was how I passed the time when I didn’t know if he was safe or not. Nothing is more terrifying than losing that one thing you thought for sure you knew. I thought our heroes who fought over seas for us were safe when they got home. I thought wrong.

            I also thought there was more value placed on life. I don’t want to be wrong again. I cannot even describe the anger that coursed through me when I found out that this woman, Rhonda Bryant, who caused so much by making a horrendous mistake was essentially getting a slap on the hand and told not to do it again. Where is the justice in that? I understand people make mistakes; I also understand that Ms. Bryant is only human and as such will not only make mistakes but will fall to vices. People have vices; but most people do not have vices that lead to the near death of a person or the death of a courageous and brave soldier’s career. Even more, most people will not learn the gravity of their mistakes if they are given the lightest punishment. I know first-hand. Not only have I worked as Correctional Officer and as such saw repeat offenders and how they responded to light sentencing, but I also grew up with a mother who had such a vice and all she ever received was the lightest of punishments. She didn’t learn. Not even when my siblings and I were taken away from her.  She didn’t learn even when she went to jail. No she didn’t learn until she was brought back to life in the hospital. Unfortunately that life lesson came too late. Too late for a woman to be a mother and too late for her children to have the mother they deserved.

            Jeremy and Jenny Bruns are living through something no one should have to go through. Each day is a battle Jenny never thought Jeremy would fight. Jeremy and Jenny shouldn’t be fighting these battles in vain. Rhonda Bryant needs to know the gravity of her mistakes and will not know that unless she is given an appropriate punishment equal to the crime she committed. I don’t want to see Ms. Bryant suffer; in fact I want the opposite. I don’t want Ms. Bryant’s life lesson to come too late. I want her to have the chance to become the person I know she can be and to have the chance to get the help she needs to live the positive life I know she can.  

Thank you,

Samantha Ann Henley

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Even people who consider themselves to be overall "a good person" need to be held accountable for their actions. Even more so, because those people should serve as an example to society. Poor choices have a lasting impact, and the outcome should not be that the victim is the only person who suffers over the long term, even forever. In Jeremy's case, he will pay for someone else's bad decisions for the rest of his life : he will never hurry to a lunch date, never climb a ladder to change a light bulb, never push a door shut with his foot while his hands are full, never a satisfying stretch. These are simple tiny things, but it is the little things that make up our lives, and the littlest things will be missed most often, not to mention the major, painful changes in his new life.

Jeremy and Jenny had their freedom taken away, and they received life sentences. People make mistakes, and some mistakes can be attributed to our human nature to be imperfect. But there are other kinds of mistakes, ones where a person willingly makes a stupid, horrible decision. It is not human nature to disregard the safety, health, and happiness of fellow humans. That is inexcusable, and the example given to society needs to be that person receiving a severe punishment - as Jeremy and Jenny have.

Melissa Witte

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April 4^th, 2014

Your Honorable Judge Claire Hill,

On Saturday morning November 10^th, 2012 a young man’s life changed.  There are never enough words to physically or emotionally explain the loss of both human legs, a major part of a right hand and all the pain and suffering.  For Jeremy Bruns this is forever.  For the rest of his life.

This is due to Ms. Bryant’s erratic, reckless and irresponsible behavior behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.

Driving a motor vehicle is a privilege and along with this privilege you hold responsibility, and knowledge to obey motor vehicle laws every time you get behind the wheel.

Not only does common sense tell this court system today who is solely responsible for this horrific act of bodily harm, but also who holds huge accountability for the negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

This case is not about how good of a person Ms. Bryant may be.

It is about responsibility, accountability, and justice.

I would hope that our United States Judicial System sends a strong message of imprisonment today so that Ms. Bryant’s life will be changed too.

As Jeremy Bruns’s Aunt, I ask you, your Honor to speak out loudly in justice for Jeremy.  Just as “Lady Justice” would.

Sincerely,

Susan I. Alberg  

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Your Honor,

I remember November 10th, 2012 very well. It was late afternoon and our truck was packed to go away for the weekend to our best friends house in Whiteville when my husband, Lt. Colonel Michael "Kelly" Cole (at that time Major) got THE phone call.

When Kelly got off the phone he told me that Jeremy Bruns (the S3 operations SGM) had been hit by a drunk driver in his own front yard and he wasn't expected to live. Although I had not yet met Jeremy and Jenny Bruns my heart was heavy for them. I immediately began to pray for a miracle so that Jeremy would live.

Kelly was active commander of 3rd Battalion 1st special warfare training group (A) while Colonel Howell was away, and this brought us to the forefront of all that occurred with Jeremy and his family at this time. We told our three teenage children to drive down to Whiteville and we would meet them the next day if we could. I remember feeling nervous about my son driving after what just occurred with Jeremy Bruns, but they were so disappointed about not going so we hesitantly said "yes".

On our way up to Duke, my husband told me what a great soldier Jeremy was and how he was deployed 7-9 times from his recollection. I remember thinking that this man who was deployed so often and was never wounded until he was home in his own front yard.I just felt such an injustice for this man and his family who have sacrificed years together for this country and he was brutally wounded by one of the very people he had been fighting to protect.

All the way from Fayetteville to Duke hospital my husband and I talked about Jeremy and Jenny and prayed for a miracle.

When we arrived at Duke,although I had never met Jenny before my heart went out to help her and her family in any way that we could. Jenny was beside herself and very anxious and scared, as anyone in her situation would be. I did my best to comfort her while my husband worked out details concerning finances, hotel, food and anything and everything that she and Jeremy may need. I didnt always know what to say but I am and always will be grateful I was there with Jenny and her familythat day. They are true American heroes and they deserve to be taken care of with the utmost honor.

My greatest desire would be that Jeremy would have never lost his legs and hand but that can never be changed. On November 10th, 2012 Jeremy and Jenny's life were forever changed and nothing can bring that back. He and Jenny have sacrificed much more than the average American person will ever sacrifice for this nation and I pray that justice and honor will be given to him and his family to the fullest extent.

Very Respectfully,

Laura Cole