Remembering Russel Douglas | Forensic Files

got home right about midnight. My name is Gail O'Neal and Russell Douglas is my son and the first thing I see is my
husband on the phone. I just feel this sense of dread and he was pale and he said, "Russ
is gone." And I said, "Gone." "Gone where?" And he said, "No, Gail, he's gone." I said, "Well, where'd he go?"
and he said, "Gail, he's gone. He's passed. He's dead." And he said, "I've got to tell you that he was shot. He was
murdered." And at that point, I couldn't do anything but just kind of sit down. I couldn't do anything
for minutes, maybe an hour, just kind of sitting there. I couldn't even cry. It was like,
"What? It can't sink in. And it doesn't feel like, oh, come on. This is bad dream. This is not happening. This isn't
[Music] real. Growing up, he was a a really sweet kid who thought the best of everything and he couldn't wait to help
people out. He couldn't wait to help set the table. He was the kid who'd go out and pick a wild flower when he was 3,
four, or 5 years old and come in and say, "Here, mom." And Russell was stubborn and persistent. And one example
of that is that he was told by his high school counselor he was not college material which really made him mad. So
he was determined to get into college and so he applied and graduated. So he he was pretty proud of himself just to
go back and say to the counselor nanner nanner we have 10 acres and about 30 sheep. 30 sheep. You like this life? I
do love this life. Did Russell like this piece of property to come out here much? Oh, yeah. And uh
he loved getting out and just relaxing. Hard to believe it's been nine years. Yeah. You know, I mean, my memories
still go back to the day I heard he was killed. And um I think the thing that's hard, and I think it's probably for
every mom or everybody who's lost a relative that you know you love, is that some of the memories of that person
start to fade.

Gail O'Neil shares memories of her son, Russel Douglas, who was murdered on Sept. 26, 2003, on Whidbey Island, Wash.

Brief Summary

Gail O'Neal shares the heartbreaking story of her son Russell's murder and the lasting impact on her life.

Key points

Devastating News. Gail learns that her son Russell has been murdered, leaving her in shock.
A Mother's Reflection. Gail shares memories of Russell's sweet nature and determination to succeed.
Nine Years Later. Gail reflects on the lasting impact of Russell's death nearly a decade later.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Russ is gone.

Gail's husband delivers the devastating news.

0:11WatchApr 27, 2014

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