White supremacist Buford Furrow says he has renounced his views, newspaper reports
A white supremacist who killed a Filipino American postal worker and wounded five people at a Jewish community center during a 1999 shooting spree wrote in a letter that he has renounced his views, a Los Angeles newspaper reported today.
The Los Angeles Daily News reported that Buford O. Furrow Jr., who is serving a life sentence in a federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., sent a letter to reporter Kevin Modesti, who had requested an interview.
The letter, dated Aug. 19, stated remorse for the pain Furrow had caused.
“Those people I hurt, and the man I killed that day in 1999 will probably never forgive me,” Furrow, 47, wrote, “but I am truely [sic] sorry and deeply regret the pain I caused. My mind was filled with sickness and unfortunately I acted on it. But, I am now a ‘model’ inmate who has shunned criminal activity and spend my day with exercise, art, and learning prison civil law. I can't change the past, but I can damn sure change the future, and my future will never include Neo-Nazi activity again.”
On Aug. 10, 1999, Furrow shot and killed 39-year-old Joseph Ileto, an on-duty postal worker in Chatsworth, an hour after Furrow had fired shots in Granada Hills’ North Valley Jewish Community Center and wounded four children and a 68-year-old woman.
Furrow pleaded guilty in 2001 to avoid the death penalty. He was sent to prison for life without parole.
“I feel deep remorse for my crime,” Furrow said in the letter. “About 5 yrs. ago I threw away my racist books, literature, etc. and took up a new leaf. I now publicly renounce all bias toward anyone based on race, creed, color, sexual orientation, etc. and am a much happier person. I feel a life based on hate is no life at all.”
The Daily News reported that the letter was apparently written after prison officials rejected the newspaper's request to interview Furrow.
-- Corina Knoll
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Posted by: Isa | September 06, 2009 at 02:44 PM
When is he up for parole? He is "learning prison civil law" alright. How about some Buddhist philosophy? Exercise, prison law, and art will not lead to a better life. It sounds more like what a gang member would do with his time.
Posted by: Joanne | September 06, 2009 at 05:48 PM
Well isn't that nice.
Posted by: Encino Rob | September 06, 2009 at 11:25 PM
Justice excuses no one. Nice article. justice was properly served.
Posted by: Roxanne | September 07, 2009 at 02:40 AM
It's nice to know that Buford Furrow can spend his days with art, exercise, and law studies while we taxpayers have to bust our humps just to make ends meet. This creep deserves the death penalty.
Posted by: Jim Q. Citizen | September 07, 2009 at 03:55 AM
A little too late...he should have thought about his actions before he commited the shootings. The families will never forget...and he can't erase the pain caused by his actions. Lives changed forever on a very bad decision.
Jenna (long time reader)h
Posted by: jenna | September 07, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Its good to see that the penal system can facilitate some rehabilitation. Sometimes we forget that that is the reason for prison. I just hope that this statement isn't a plea for parole. There's no doubt this man is going through a really hard time locked up with all those criminals who probably have a way of dealing with people who commit this type of hate crime. Shoulda thought about that before shooting a bunch of kids at a community center.
Posted by: Martina | September 07, 2009 at 02:49 PM
I wouldn't shed even one tear if he gets killed in prison or after his release. Payback is a *****, you know; what goes around comes around. I don't believe for one second his "turnaround". But I'm not exactly objective; Joe Ileto was my friend.
Posted by: bckm | September 08, 2009 at 07:19 PM