Testing the Limits of Forgiveness

SYRACUSE, NY (April 24, 2000) - Bruce Baehr had every right to give Kenneth Hobart a piece of his mind. He offered him Jesus Christ instead.

Twenty-five months after his mother, Mary "Lily" Baehr, was murdered by Hobart, Baehr forgave the 34-year-old man and challenged him to turn his life over to God. According to newspaper reports of the January 19 hearing, Hobart was overcome by the show of compassion and was unable to say anything before being sentenced 25 years to life. He didn't need to - others spoke volumes.

Defense lawyer William Walsh said Hobart planned to apologize to the Baehr family in court, but after Baehr's speech admitted, "I don't think he (Hobart) could have said anything." According to Chief Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dougherty, "any sentence pales to the compassion he (Baehr) showed for what Kenneth Hobart did to his mother."

Grief has no timetable and the Baehr family has had many mixed emotions about what has happened. Complicating matters is the unresolved nature of the case. In recent months, a second man has been implicated in the crime and a search continues for others.

Nonetheless, Baehr's heartfelt statement revealed to the shocked audience at the sentencing that God had been working for the good, even in death. In fact, State Supreme Court Justice John Brunetti told Hobart the court will make certain a transcript of Baehr's courtroom comments is provided him in state prison for him to consider, adding, "Any words that I could say today pale to Mr. Baehr's."

For Baehr, the associate pastor of youth and Christian Education at Grace Evangelical Covenant Church in Clay, New York, nothing could ease the pain of his mother's deathlike Hobart's conversion.

"This has been an opportunity to reach others for Christ, so in that way we're right where God wants us to be," said Baehr as he reflected on the case. "God is faithful. We've had opportunities to share Christ with the detectives involved in the case and I can't help but think that God's using this," he continued.

"When the Sheriff's Department has gotten discouraged, they've often come over to our house for a cup of coffee and they've asked us to keep praying for them as they continue to work on the case," Baehr observed. "And we've received thank-you letters from some for our story, and some people in our church have been blessed by what we've shared. My wife Barbara (a teacher) has even had the chance to share with her school's faculty."

Mary Baehr and her husband were living with Bruce and Barbara Baehr in a large farmhouse when she was killed December 6, 1997, following a break-in. Husband Herbert returned from a prayer meeting and found the body. Bruce and Barbara were notified of the death shortly after they arrived at a Chicago airport.

While Bruce and Barbara were informing sons Jason and Nathan of their grandmother's death, daughter Jessica was questioned about the crime. Police questioned Bruce and Barbara for four hours when they returned from Chicago. Police would eventually determine that the murder was a random event, but the process was difficult for the family.

"They asked us to take a polygraph test and had to answer questions like: Did you kill your mother? That made me angry," Baehr said. "And what was even harder was knowing that (for a time) the police suspected our kids."

Over time, however, the police and the Baehr family developed a special relationship. In fact, Chuck Florczyk, lead detective in the case, has regularly kept the family well informed.

"They've kind of had a special relationship, he and my dad - he's like a son," Bruce said. "And while I attribute this solving of the crime to God, Chuck kept going and going and going, trying to ferret out all this information."

The events behind Mary Baehr's death remained a mystery for a long time. There was no sign of forced entry, no murder weapon was found, and footprints couldn't be identified. A thorough investigation eventually began paying off and on March 17, 1999, Hobart confessed to the crime. Shortly thereafter, Bruce Baehr began to realize "the person who took my mother's life needed Christ more than my mom did, because she was in heaven."

Keeping an attitude of forgiveness has been more difficult lately. Angel Perez was arraigned February 14. The Baehrs learned that Perez tried to strangle Mary Baehr before she was stabbed by Hobart. Even more disturbing was the fact that Perez reportedly helped kill an individual in Florida in 1994 and was given full immunity for helping solve the case.

"We know what the truth is, and that was hard," said Baehr about Perez's statement. "At the time of the death, it looked like there was no confrontation, that she gave up money we had in the house and that there was no struggle," he continued. "We had to struggle with some angry feelings then. We knew this person had killed someone previously and we were frustrated that someone like that could get legal immunity. We were more frustrated with the legal system than with Perez."

Even though there continues to be pain, Bruce Baehr continues to see God's hand in what has happened during the past two and a half years. He strives to model the words he said to Hobart as he finished his speech January 19: "I have lost my mother, but I bear no grudge ... I will pray today and every day that you will experience God's love and forgiveness."

(Editor's note: See the July issue of The Covenant Companion for an exclusive interview with the Baehr family)

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