“Forgiveness
and Rehabilitation”
A Review of I Am a Killer: Released by Nick Olszyk
Streaming Service: Netflix
 |
| Dale Sigler and Carole |
Year: 2020
FCC Rating, TV-MA
CSM Rating, NR
Reel Rating, Three Reels
Forgiveness is essential to Christianity,
but so is justice. How this applies to crime and punishment is one of the great
ethical disciplines of morality. I
Am a Killer: Released presents a real-world
test sample of rehabilitation. After spending thirty years in prison for murder,
Dale Sigler is released; now director Itamar
Klasmer will spent the next few months documenting him as he
attempts to create a new life on the outside. While the opportunities are few,
some people try to give him another chance, while others are much more hesitant.
In 1990, Dale Sigler
was sentenced to death for murdering a Subway employee as part of a robbery.
The details are grisly. Sigler shot this poor man over ten times in the back,
even after it was clear he was dead. When arrested, Sigler immediately
confessed without a sign of remorse. Yet a technicality would commute his
sentence to life in prison, eventually paving the way for parole. While in
prison, Sigler became an evangelical Christian and began to face the horrors of
his life, including childhood abuse, drugs, abandonment, and sexual confusion. In
2019, he was finally granted parole under strict conditions. He moves in with Carole,
an elderly woman with whom he struck up a friendship as a pen pal while incarcerated.
Slowly, he moves back into society by attending church, visiting his mother,
and going on various job interviews.
At first glance, Sigler’s
intentions seem genuine. He never denies his crime and frequently expresses deep
guilt. “I deserve death,” he says more than once. Yet, since God saw it fit to “give
him a second chance,” he feels a responsibility to make the most of his
remaining life. Sigler is only one of seven people in Texas history to be
released after previous receiving the death sentence. He goes well out of his
way to demonstrate his new character. At church, he gives testimony about God’s
mercy in his life. In a touching scene, he washes Carole’s feet in a sign of
gratitude for her generosity towards him. He does not want a book deal or reality
show. He just wants to be a trucker with a small house and a local prison
ministry. He is happy enough just being on the outside.
There are those, however,
who are not so convinced. The family of the Subway employee is especially upset,
believing he is manipulating the system. They have good reason. Originally,
Sigler said he shot the man as part of a robbery. Years later, he changed his
story. He claimed the victim had sexually assaulted him, and he committed the
robbery as an excuse for revenge. Yet, despite this new revelation, Sigler
still insists that he was in the wrong. He felt compelled to reveal this
information out of a sense of honesty. In some ways, it makes him even more
guilty as the murder was premediated.
Out of curiosity, I
looked at some online comments about the show, and the consensus seems to be
that Sigler is still a monster. Many reviews see in Sigler’s changing narrative
an attempt to cover up his own actions and take advantage of a lonely, old
woman. One person interpreted Sigler’s foot washing ceremony as a form of “grooming”
to earn Carole’s trust.
Jesus warned about
false prophets and wolves among sheep, yet he also spoke about forgiveness and
mercy. Indeed, there quite a few murderers turned saints like Paul and Olga. You
will know them “by their fruits.” It is simply too soon to see the fruits of
Sigler’s release, but he deserves a chance to demonstrate showcase his harvest.
At the same time, he it is just that he will be on parole for the rest of his
life. The fact that he understands this and accepts its points in his favor.
Only time will tell.
This article first appeared in Catholic World Report on September 13th, 2020.
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