INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 24, 2015)– I forgive. Those words came Friday afternoon from Jennifer Trapuzzano to her husband’s killer Simeon Adams.
Adams, 18, pleaded guilty to the murder of Nathan Trapuzzano in June, as part of a plea deal. Adams admitted to shooting and killing Trapuzzano on West 16th Street in the early morning hours of April 1, 2014. Prosecutors believed Adams tried to rob Trapuzzano while he was on his daily morning walk.
Jennifer Trapuzzano was pregnant with the couple’s unborn child when Nathan was killed. She gave birth to the couple’s daughter Cecilia three weeks after the murder.
Adams, who was 16-years-old at the time of the murder, was charged as an adult for the crime.
In accordance with the terms of his plea, Adams will serve 55 years executed in the Indiana Department of Correction. Since the murder occurred before a change to the law, he could get out in half that time with good behavior.
After Adams accepted the plea deal, Nathan’s sister Shayne Trapuzzano told FOX59, “I feel that the system definitely failed us.”
As part of the plea deal, Adams had to be officially sentenced Friday in court before Judge Sheila A. Carlisle.
Two relatives gave victim impact statements on behalf of Simeon Adams.
Four relatives spoke on behalf of Nathan Trapuzzano, including his wife Jennifer.
Jennifer spoke from the witness stand saying she had a “Nathan-sized hole in her life,” and that the two were “truly soulmates.” She said her daughter “calls out da-da when she sees Nathan’s picture.” Jennifer went on to say that she now suffers from anxiety, insomnia, and panic attacks and is scared to leave home as a result of the killing.
She closed her remarks at the witness stand by saying to Adams, “I forgive you, Simeon. I offer you forgiveness today because that’s the kind of man that he (Nathan) was.”
Judge Carlisle asked Adams if he had any appreciation for the impact his actions had on the Trapuzzano family. He replied with a no.
“You had nothing but evil on your mind,” said Carlisle to Adams, referring to the morning of the crime.
Jennifer Trapuzzano later spoke to reporters outside of the courtroom.
“I look at him. He`s a human being, and he doesn`t have the heart and soul that my husband did, and he may never will,” she said speaking of Adams, “He’s not a good person. He’s committed multiple acts of evil. He has no recognition for what he has done. He doesn’t understand the pain that he’s caused us.”
Trapuzzano said offering forgiveness was hard, but through it she found some peace.
“There’s still anger there, there’s still an immense pain — a huge hole in my heart — but I also know what Nate would’ve wanted, and it almost gives me some peace to not harbor that,” she said, “I don’t think justice has been served, because I don’t think there could be justice. Nothing that could ever happen in this courtroom would ever give Nate back to us. Nothing would ever give Cecilia her daddy back. Nothing would ever give back my beloved.”
Trapuzzano’s mother Cheryl echoed that feeling.
“As far as justice, I don’t think justice has been served at all. I think justice for someone like Simeon Adams would be for him to have done to him what he did to my son,” she said.
Adams had an additional hearing in another case after the sentencing. In that matter, he faces attempted murder and other charges and could face 20-50 years in prison, according to his attorney.
