In 1922, the mother of Walter Rathenau spoke to the mother of the man who had assassinated her son:
"In grief unspeakable, I give you my hand. You, of all women the most pitiable, say to your son that in the name and spirit of him he has murdered, I forgive, even as God may forgive, if before an earthly judge he make a full confession of his guilt, and before a Heavenly One he repent."
Eighty three years later, two mothers embraced in an
Heatley’s Ferrari was going between 55 and 82 mph in a 35-mph zone when it crashed that night, with Snyder in the passenger seat. Snyder sustained a fractured skull and never regained consciousness; he died six days later. He was 25 years old. Heatley was charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, which carried a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
In the courtroom, with Snyder’s parents watching, Heatley pled guilty to lesser misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to three years’ probation. In addition, he was ordered to give 50 speeches a year on the perils of speeding and fined $3,000, as the prosecutors dropped the other charges. As recounted in Ray Glier’s story in the Februrary 5, 2005 New York Times:
"I am imposing this sentence because, first of all, the Snyders wanted it this way," [Judge Barnes] told Heatley. "Second, I don’t think the community would benefit by you being in prison."
He told the Snyders, "I don’t know that I could do this if I were you." . . .
[Prosecutor] Howard said he tried to persuade the Snyders to join in the prosecution of Heatley, but the family resisted. That prompted him, he said, to seek a plea agreement and avoid a trial, which was to start Monday.
"Apparently, during the whole ordeal, they have grown close to Dany Heatley," Howard said.
The families’ closeness was apparent in the courtroom. Graham Snyder, who said he did not meet Heatley until after the crash, read a statement and said that his son would have wanted the family to forgive Heatley.
"Today a young man needs him and because he is not here, we will stand for him," Graham Snyder said. "Forgiveness in our hearts has helped us move on."
Heatley’s mother, Karin, sobbed at times, particularly when her son turned toward the Snyders in the fourth row of the courtroom and said, "I would like to say with all my heart I am truly sorry."
Heatley turned back toward Barnes and said, "The mistake I made that night will be a mistake that will stay with me the rest of my life."
After the hearing, Graham Snyder tried to explain how his family could forgive Heatley. He described how Dan left home in Elmira, Ontario, at 16 to pursue a professional career and how close they became with the family Dan boarded with while he was in the Ontario Hockey League.
Graham Snyder said that hockey families in small towns in Canada would wrap their arms around each other for support, and that this was one of those instances.
"I don’t think it was a difficult thing for us to do," he said.
Atlanta Thrashers ‘ Dany Heatley hugs LuAnn Snyder, mother of former Thrasher Dan Snyder, in an Atlanta courtroom Friday, Feb. 4, 2005, after a hearing for Heatley. . . . for the Sept. 29, 2003, crash in
"I, even I, . . . blot out thy transgression for Mine own sake, and thy sins will I not remember." Isaiah 43:25.