Her 2-year-old son witnessed the murder and knew the murderer, yet the case remained cold for 17 years.
Studies suggest that people can recall memories from when they were as young as two-and-a-half years old.
One’s first memories should be happy ones. A mother’s hug. A sibling’s laugh. A pet dog’s sloppy kisses.
But for Josh Thompson, his most vivid childhood memory was of violence and fear.
“It was the first time I saw my dad hit my mom.”
In 1990, when Josh was just two years old, he remembers being in a car with his parents, parked on the side of the road. His parents were arguing loudly, and their argument continued as they got out of the vehicle.
The fight escalated, and to Josh’s horror, his dad raised his fist and hit his mom hard in the face. He saw his mom fall to the ground. When she got up, Josh’s dad hit her again. Fueled with rage, his dad then picked up an object and began beating her in the head.
The next thing Josh knew, he was back in the car, and his dad was driving. His mom was no longer with them, but he remembers seeing his mom’s purse in his lap, covered with her blood.
