Victim-impact statement of Chiu-Ter Tsao

The edited victim-impact statement of Chiu-Ter Tsao , who speaks Mandarin and Taiwanese, as read by his daughter, Annie, in court.

"I still can't believe today I have to learn things about Jimmy from the newspaper and TV, rather than having Jimmy talk to me on my cell phone. It's been more than two years since Jimmy has been gone, and I'm still having a hard time believing there will be no more dinners with Jimmy; no more golf and beer with Jimmy; no more chatting about family business with Jimmy. Then it brings me back 20 years to the time when we were two poor brothers who shared a smelly, beat-down van, which we bought cheap because it had been used to transfer animals.

Twenty years ago, when we first came to the United States, life was not easy. Not only did we have to live in a family friend's basement, and didn't have any friends to hang out with, we didn't even speak a word of English … all we had was each other. Because of Jimmy's extrovert personality, he didn't have these problems for long. Soon after school started for Jimmy, our basement began to fill up with more and more friends. Other than when Jimmy had to go away to attend Michigan State University, we have done everything together. We lived together after Jimmy graduated; went to work together; ate at our favorite restaurants together; developed the same love of cars together; and even after my wife and kids came to the states to join me, we all lived together under one roof, like a big happy family. Though Jimmy moved out when he married Kate, we still lived in the same neighborhood and would always have family dinners together all the time.

I've always been the "serious" one. Even though Jimmy and I worked very long and hard at our business, Jimmy taught me how to enjoy life. Even though I didn't know anything about golfing, Jimmy got me hooked. When we first moved to Naperville, we would go golfing every day after work until it was too dark to see anything. Jimmy even helped me pick out my first set of golf clubs. What makes Jimmy so special is how he helped with things as little as picking what kind of golf clubs would improve my swing to big things like purchasing a house. Jimmy was always so involved with doing things to help me, my wife and my kids. It was like he was doing things for himself. Jimmy and I were a team. The family business wouldn't have been successful without either one of us. For some reason, I never thought about learning English because I relied on Jimmy and he was always there for me. Without Jimmy, it's as if I can no longer speak to the outside world.

Jimmy would always stand up for the both of us, not just because I didn't speak English, but also because he was never afraid of confrontation. If anybody was being unreasonable, he would not give a second thought of letting them know. If anybody tried to be unfair to us, it would not be without a fight. Jimmy has always got my back. Since coming to the states, I've heard people say, "I got a guy." I think they say that when they know someone who can help someone else with one kind of a problem or another.

I still cannot believe what has happened. On that Thursday, when I couldn't get a hold of Jimmy, I started worrying because he would never not show up for work without a phone call first. When I ran into the house after the police broke the doors open, after seeing Kate laying on the floor right by the front door, all I could think of was, where's Jimmy? Even when I ran into the house, saw a man, who was supposed to be Jimmy, sitting on the couch, I could not recognize Jimmy. The body was so drenched in blood and swollen, I did not recognize Jimmy. After spending the past 20 years seeing Jimmy every single day, I could not recognize Jimmy. I asked God, does this count as the way I should see Jimmy for the last time? How could anyone be this cruel to us? I couldn't believe that was Jimmy until the police assured me so many times that it was. How could anyone do such horrible things to a big hearted and generous man who is loved by so many people and had so many great friends, so many I could not even count.

I will never be able to forget Jimmy. Jimmy was my closest family member and he was and always will be my best friend.

Since that terrible day, I am still grateful that I get to dream about Jimmy after he was taken away from my life. I once dreamed that Jimmy and I were at the warehouse and Jimmy couldn't understand why his body was hurting and he slowly began disappearing. In the dream, Jimmy and I were both so scared. I held Jimmy so tight and begged Jimmy not to go but he eventually disappeared in my arms. Unlike that terrible day at the house, in the dream, we did say goodbye to each other.

Life is not the same anymore without him. Every morning when I walk into the warehouse, I can't help but glance through the window into Jimmy's office. He would always be sitting in front of his computer, checking e-mails while talking on the phone. Now all that's left is a dark, empty office filled with Michigan State football stuff. Jimmy really loved Michigan State football.

I will never be able to forget about Jimmy and he will always be my little brother and my best friend. As I hear people say, for so many reasons, Jimmy was, and always will be … "my guy."