TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Thursday, Feb. 23, has been a long time coming for Laura Vann and her family. It's the day she'll finally get justice for her mother Faye Vann. The day that her mother's killer, Donald Dillbeck will be executed. Vann reflected on the type of person her mother was.
"She was just a very sweet loving lady, she would do anything for anyone, she loved children, she loved her grandbabies, she loved me and she loved my brothers," said Vann.
We met with Vann and two of her friends at the Leon County rest stop on I-10 as they made the four-hour ride to Raiford from Dothan, Alabama. Vann says she and her brother had a tough time deciding whether to attend the execution or not. Ultimately, she decided to attend while her brother decided not to.
"She can be free now that's just how I feel about it. I feel like she's just been hovering waiting for this to happen. I don't think that it's fair that he got to live 33 years longer than she did... because when she died it felt like my whole family died," Vann explained.
Donald Dillbeck was already serving a life sentence for the death of Lee County Deputy Dwight Lynn Hall back in 1979. He escaped custody two days before murdering Faye Vann in 1990 after he attempted to car jack her.
She was waiting alone in the Tallahassee Mall parking lot. Laura says she was supposed to be with her mom that day, which is something that she's struggled with over the years.
"I've always wondered if I did go would have it happened to me too," Vann said. "Or would he not have even bothered her."
Vann was only 11 years old when her mother was killed. Even with the anger and sadness that comes with the tragedy she's lived through, she's managed to stay strong.
"I had to take her place more or less... I was young and I've went through a lot of struggles. Some I've dealt with, some I haven't but I'm still on the right path," she said.
And the biggest strength of all was being able to forgive Dillbeck for what he did.
"I had a hard time because I had to forgive him for myself to move on with my own life," Vann said.
We connected with Tamara Lynne Hall on Facebook, she's the daughter of Deputy Dwight Lynne Hall, Dillbeck's other victim. She said this day was a long time coming and one that her and her family prayed for.
