On Oct. 22, 2001, John Edward Trowbridge, 23, was stabbed to death in Las Vegas by Michael Kane, 18. Kane was on an acid trip at the time of the stabbing. John’s mother, Robin Trowbridge-Benko of Chesterton, on her loss:

The knowledge that his killer’s drug abuse was obvious to his parents, his friends, his siblings, and went untreated sickens me beyond belief. I remember hearing kids say that why would someone care if they take drugs or not. “I’m not hurtin’ no one.” . . .

It has been eight and a half months now and during that time I have had to deal with not only his death, the way he has died, but all that comes with it, a physical pain so deep you can’t get up some days. And the days you can you try to shut your eyes to the world because everything reminds you of what you lost. . . .

I don’t attempt to blame John’s death on anyone other than my son’s murderer. However, the fact that his killer was a known drug abuser and that his habits were ignored by his family and encouraged by his friends has led me to try to make people understand what drugs do to society as a whole. Everyone has heard how drugs affect society economically, how they can ruin a person’s life, but one never hears how far the long arm of drugs can reach. The domino effect that one person’s habit has on society is extensive. . .

I think of what happens when a drunk driver kills a person, how we as a society mourn what has become of our society, how senseless the death is. But what society has ignored about drug abusers, well, I am simply disgusted. We have almost come to the point of accepting kids’ taking drugs. “It’s a phase” or “What can we do?” are heard too often. Having to deal with the death of a child is horrible in and of itself, but to have it aggravated by the senselessness of it all just adds salt to the wound. . .

The other day I saw a young man bicycle past my house. I haven’t slept much since then because the last time John came to my house he had ridden his bike. And I never knew that as I watched him ride away it would be the last time I would ever see him again.

Posted 6/27/2002