By Trent Spiner
New Hampshire Union Leader
March 16, 2009
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Pastor+tells+why+he+took+in+killer&articleId= 176f2193-7b7b-47b6-a741-1fbeb06c229b
CHICHESTER – The Rev. David Pinckney, 45, has lost sleep since convicted child murderer Raymond Guay moved into his Durgin Road house last week. But it isn't Guay he's afraid of, it's the neighborhood.
Pinckney's life, along with that of his wife and five children, was uprooted last Monday when the evangelical pastor answered a call from a chaplain who worked with Guay in prison.
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| Pinckney |
Guay, 60, had been released from prison after 35 years for torturing and killing a 12-year-old Nashua boy in 1973, kidnapping a Concord couple in 1982 and stabbing a fellow inmate in a California prison. A federal judge in California ordered Guay to serve out 2 1/2 years of parole in New Hampshire because he has ties to the community. But public outrage ran him out of both Concord and Manchester.
With Guay's options running out, Pinckney agreed to meet with him and the chaplain for lunch on Wednesday.
"When I looked at Raymond, I said, 'Sure he's a criminal, he did some horrific stuff, but I've seen people transformed,'" Pinckney said. "He's not proud of it, but his shame has been covered in forgiveness and grace."
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| Guay |
The pastor spoke to his wife, a Chichester Central School special education teacher, about Guay moving into their home. The couple decided to host Guay for a turkey dinner on Thursday night to meet the family. Pinckney said it was Guay's first dinner with a family in 35 years.
After sleeping on it and getting approval from their children, Guay was offered a Murphy bed in the family's basement on Friday afternoon.
"It is hard for people who have not been transformed by Jesus to understand what inner transformation is like," Pinckney said. Guay's own transformation started 16 years ago, according to Pinckney. Witnesses he trusts have vouched for him.
"He's the real deal," Pinckney said of Guay.
While federal probation officers are supervising Guay's release, they have few conditions for him, including no guns allowed in the home.
Pinckney's rules are much stricter. Guay is never allowed to be alone. He cannot leave the house by foot or wander in Chichester. If he does leave the house, it's only by vehicle and under the supervision of another adult. Local police must be contacted every time he comes in and out of town.
The setup will last for a maximum of two months, when Pinckney's oldest son returns home from college. Guay is spending his time looking for a job so he can find his own place to live.
"We are not going to jeopardize our children," said Pinckney "That says a lot for Raymond."
Neighbors have launched a campaign to rid rural Chichester of Guay. Pinckney said he has been hearing more gunshots coming from other homes on Durgin Road.
"They're just letting us know that they are there, that's fine," he said.
One neighbor called to tell the pastor he should burn in hell.
"I'm more afraid of some of the people I'm locked out from than the person I'm locked in with," he said.
Pinckney plans to meet individually with his neighbors to assuage their fears.
"I'm not naive to who I'm working with here; I think we've got a pretty safe regimen," he said.
He said Guay should have been allowed to live in an out-of-state half-way house where he already had work.
"I'm just sorry for the stress this has caused them, the fear this has caused them," he said of his neighbors. "If I really thought this was not safe for Chichester, my neighbors and especially my children, I wouldn't do this."
Living with Guay has been uneventful so far. After spending 35 years in prison, Guay fastidiously makes his bed, washes dishes and sweeps. Guay's bedroom doubles as a family entertainment area.
"I'll tell you, my basement has never been so clean," said Pinckney.
No one in his family, including his 13-year-old daughter, has felt any fear so far. Pinckney also has twin 18-year-old sons and a 15 year-old-son.
"My daughter got teary-eyed because she doesn't understand why people are upset that we're helping someone," he said.
Pinckney fully intends to house Guay until he finds a job.
He said he is willing to have "reasonable" neighbors over for a discussion with him and Guay.
He asked for neighbors to give Guay a chance: "Time proves," he said.
Pinckney also said he's grateful for the time he's spent with Guay, including a number of lengthy conversations.
"Raymond has dealt with a whole lot more than I ever have, in the sense of what he's had to live through," he said. "He has the courage to change when no one else thought you could change."
Guay has been advised by federal parole officials not to comment.
"I could pull the plug on this at any moment," Pinckney said. "(Guay's) own greatest concern is our family."
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