Courtney
Appearances
20/20
The Code Breakers
And I was the baby, so, like, everybody wanted to take care of the baby. And, you know, like, it's still that way.
20/20
The Code Breakers
He was young, just starting out, and this was really the only cold case in our town.
20/20
The Code Breakers
Beautiful, happy-go-lucky. She did love like ACDC, Metallica. She was like a little rock and roll girl. And everybody tells me that I was like her whole world.
20/20
The Code Breakers
Yeah, growing up, most kids, you know, they look at people and they don't have to think, is that the man that killed your mom? And everybody that I met, that's the first thing that would pop into my mind.
20/20
The Code Breakers
Mm-hmm. It was awful for somebody to do what they did to her knowing I was in the crib right next door. I just couldn't believe that somebody could do that.
20/20
The Code Breakers
Yeah. When the police got there unseen, I was dry, I didn't have a dirty diaper on, and it was some hours I was alone.
20/20
The Code Breakers
There was handprints of her trying to hold the door closed, and she just wasn't strong enough.
20/20
The Code Breakers
I got a phone call from Sam Smallcomb, and he said, we may have the guy that killed your mom.
20/20
The Code Breakers
Yeah. Makes me mad that I wasn't old enough to help her. I'm 100% convinced she was trying to save her baby, because I feel like she would have just ran outside and yelled. But I was upstairs, and she wasn't going to leave that apartment without me.
20/20
The Code Breakers
There was just so many emotions and everything going on that I was just overwhelmed and so excited because finally they had him.
20/20
The Code Breakers
I honestly think she knew him then, obviously, because he was friends with Mike, and he was in town and tried to come see my mom, and she wasn't having it.
20/20
The Code Breakers
I don't think I would have said anything. I just think I would have walked in and my presence is enough words for him.
20/20
The Code Breakers
I have been living with this for 36 years and these people, they took their time. They solved this case with DNA so I can close this book and open up my own book with my own kids. And that's, there's no words for that.
20/20
The Code Breakers
I grew up in the bowling alley. I spent a lot of time there. I was raised by my grandparents. They tried to fill the void as much as they could.
20/20
The Code Breakers
About first grade, they had told me that a bad man had hurt my mom and she was up in heaven. And when it would thunderstorm, they would tell me that that was my mom up in heaven, owing a strike. So it was pretty cool watching the thunderstorms as I was little, because I'm like, oh, she must be bowling pretty good today.
20/20
The Code Breakers
I do remember pictures of our first Christmas tree and she had presents under there for me, but she never got to give them to me.
20/20
The Code Breakers
I do bring the kids out here for like holidays, her birthday, but I also do come out here a lot by myself too.
This American Life
758: Talking While Black
I've never spoken before, so this is about the Jerry Craft book? I'm sure you all know about that.
This American Life
758: Talking While Black
Even though the books will be placed on shelves again, I am concerned to what led to them being removed. Can you count on your hand and tell me how many people of color you've ever had at your home? If you're having trouble or just can't remember a day or time, please tell me, what do you possibly know about what's wrong with a book you've never lived?
This American Life
758: Talking While Black
Have you ever went to work for two years and have someone call you Brittany every morning? I have because my name is Courtney. You know the correlation if you've read the book New Kid by Jerry Craft. Did you read it? Have you ever served this great country? In the Washington, D.C.
This American Life
758: Talking While Black
inauguration of 2000, Korea 2001, Iraq 2003, Afghanistan 2015, Fort Hood 2016, only to have your 15-year-old twin son call you in the middle of a workday saying he doesn't like his pay-to-high school and learn that the doctor visits of anxiety and stomach pains for the last 12 months were only due to a white teen calling your son the N-word for the last year of 2018. Well, I have.
This American Life
758: Talking While Black
If you read the book, you'd understand the correlation once again of the Oreo joke. How dare you 444 signatures remove what little representation my culture has to show its reality in literature form on the modern day shelves. I don't applaud you for placing the books back on the shelves.
This American Life
758: Talking While Black
My only hope is that you not allow the unknown and false narratives to sway your judgment on needed representation of us all. Representation does matter. Please don't thank me for my service. I do it because I love it. Many friends and battles have died and bled for it. As for Katy ISD, do what you should
This American Life
758: Talking While Black
and need to do to uphold the standards of fairness, justice, and representation for this school district. So I can thank you for yours. Thank you.