Mar 14, 2023
23. Tracy Matheson: We Can Move Beyond ‘Sorry’ So Molly’s Death is Not In Vain
Molly Jane Matheson was raped.
Then murdered.
Molly’s mother, Tracy, found Molly’s body, half-naked, in Molly’s apartment shower.
Molly could be alive; her killer was a reported, known rapist. Yet there were failures, in law enforcement, in prosecution; Molly’s killer could have been in jail for rape—long before Molly was killed.
“Everyone says they’re sorry…and, of course, they’re sorry…that is the only thing that anyone can say, really, is that they’re sorry. That’s not going to get us anywhere, ya know?...like, we’re just gonna stay sorry. I think we can move beyond sorry, and kind of, openly look at…’mistake’ is such a minor word for what they were…but…those failures, and how they happened, and how they could have been avoided. And how we can learn from them. And how we have to learn from them. And how we can’t keep doing things the way we’ve done them; there’s not room for that anymore.”
Those are Tracy Matheson’s words…this episode is Tracy Matheson’s plea to law enforcement, and prosecutors, and all of us, to move past the rape culture we’ve been stuck in. And to become trauma-informed.
And my plea is to all of you, too…to Start by Believing. And become trauma-informed. That can be your part to help bring justice to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault. Because we all know someone whose life has been affected by rape or sexual assault. And sometimes…murder. Join Tracy’s efforts. Check out her Project Beloved website. And do something to help.