A Letter to Governor Ducey from Stephanie Brandt

Following is the letter that I wrote to Arizona’s Governor Ducey on September 9, 2019.

As a family and community, we are asking the Governor directly to order the drug necessary to resume executions in the state, the authority and power lie within him.

Nothing will bring Vicki back. The absence of Atwood from this earth can close this chapter, end the continued victimization we receive by “him”, his wife, and paid supporters. It is TIME this nonsense stops.

35 years is too long to carry out punishment that the people handed down. Every minute, hour and day we wait for it to happen is just a mockery of the system & is a slap in the face of justice & my sister.

We won’t stop. If anyone thinks we will they have grossly underestimated the love & promise our family, friends and community have to see justice for Vicki.

Vicki & Stephanie

September 9, 2019

Honorable Governor Ducey

1700 West Washington Street 

Phoenix, AZ 85007

Dear Governor Ducey,

I was 11 years old when my life was taken from me by the choice of one person. The choices he made from the time he was a young person were all enabled by a broken system, people who weren’t invested in doing the right thing and an evil cycle pursued. 

The murder of my sister, Vicki Lynne Hoskinson, robbed any sense of a normal life, and continues to rob the same thing from my children. 

The choices the monster, Inmate # 062887, currently held in Florence State Penitentiary didn’t just start with the kidnapped, sexual assault and murder of my sister, I am confident you are well aware of his record and crimes he committed that lead up to September 17, 1984. 

As a clinically diagnosed psychopath, he believes he is above us & will stop at nothing to outthink us. Manipulate you and the system that he has controlled for almost 35 years. 

He made a choice to defy his parole in 1984. 

He made a choice to troll the neighborhood of a town in another state he didn’t belong in.

He made a choice to hit a little girl with his car riding her bike down a road in the neighborhood she lived in.

He made a choice to drive her approximately 20 miles from her home

He made a choice to sexually assault her, while she cried for her mommy.

He made a choice to stab her.

He made a choice to leave her in the dessert to die. 

Because he has a history of being irresponsible in his choices, he almost let her live. He dropped his keys and had to return to where he left her to find them. As she crawled through the desert, crying for help and begging for her life, he would have to fulfill a vow he wrote in a letter to a friend saying he would never let the next child “tell” and he lived up to that promise by murdering my sister. 

The last words she spoke, I know haunt him, because he doesn’t understand them. I promise to share the rest of that story the day he is no longer breathing on this earth because he doesn’t deserve the satisfaction of knowing why she spoke the words she did as she clung to her death. 

The terror she experienced in the time she was in his control and alive on this earth is unimaginable.

Vicki Lynne was a beautiful, witty, blue eyed little girl. She loved French Fries and Spaghetti-o’s, watching her grandfather race cars & playing softball, she wanted to twirl batons & beating the boys on the playground at tetherball. 

The day my sister was take, she didn’t have a choice. 

Now, the choice to carry out justice ultimately lies within you. My sister deserves justice. She deserved to live a beautiful life and be 43 years old today. 

She deserves someone who wants to fight for her today the way she fought for herself that day against a monster who still breathes now. 

So, I ask you, who do you fight for? Innocent children like my sister, Vicki, or do you fight for pedophiles who kill them?

What’s your choice Governor? Who do you protect? 

Respectfully,

Stephanie D. Hoskinson Brandt 

Cc: Mark Brnovich, Arizona Attorney General

Erin Duffy, Law Offices of Erin E Duffy P.L.L.C.

Dear Governor Ducey – A Letter from Vicki Lynne’s Parents

On July 29, 2019, my parents wrote the following letter to Arizona’s state Governor, Doug Ducey.

Today, and in the days that follow, we will share our letters with you as we fight for justice for Vicki. We urge you to join our fight, 35 years is to long to wait. Vicki deserves to have justice served, her family, friends and community deserve closure.

Dear Governor Doug Ducey,

We are the parents of Vicki Lynne Hoskinson, who was kidnapped & murdered on September 17, 1984 in Tucson, Arizona. 

The perpetrator that killed her was Frank Jarvis Atwood, inmate #062887, CR235942, CR235944. He was found guilty of her murder on March 26, 1987 and was given the death penalty on May 8, 1987. Almost 35 years later, he has sat on death row in this state for 32 years.

We are writing to you regarding his execution, or should we say, the failure of. We understand the issue of resolving the drug(s) used to execute an inmate has been resolved at the federal level. 

It is time to follow suit of our federal government and ask that you order the drug pentobarbital, or sodium thiopental so executions in our state may begin again. 

As Vicki Lynne’s family, we implore you to order the drug so that Attorney General Brnovich can ask the Arizona Supreme Court to issue an execution warrant for Atwood.

This is long overdue. Atwood has received many breaks in his appellate process to say the least.

Due to the delays in the executions in the state of Arizona, he is now trying to start a whole new Post Conviction Release appeal all over again in Pima County, CR014065, CR015397. 

This is absolutely ludicrous and the reason why the death penalty doesn’t work, the injustice of the appellate process keeps it from being a deterrent. 

What about Vicki’s life? She was our little girl, a precious, vibrant, full of life eight year old girl who had her whole life ahead of her, she was our daughter, her life matters. Her life did not deserve to be brutally cut short by this monster. Our family has been emotionally, physically and financially robbed by this violent crime. Not to mention all of the children, family, friends and our communities that continues to be affected. We are sure you cannot begin to imagine the hell we have lived, nor would you want to. 

Although Frank Atwood has been incarcerated all these years and unable to physically harm another child, it is time to allow our family to have peace & justice in the loss of our daughter.

We have come to a point of questioning where the rights of the victims come into the criminal justice system. We are proof  it does not!  Many things have occurred and been allowed over the years, far too many to go into, we are sure you are more than well aware. 

It is time to carry out justice for our daughter, and it is our intention, with the help of our family, friends & community to bring this issue to the attention of the people of Arizona and nation if we are forced to. 

It’s time to end the cost of the tax payers’ money in our state and execute this child killer. 

It is time we ask for your assistance to resolve this travesty of justice and order the drugs needed to execute! 

Justice has been delayed, justice shouldn’t be denied. 

Respectfully,

George and Debbie Carlson


loveneverforgets.com

cc:  Attorney General of Arizona, Mark Brnovich

       Personal File

Thanksgiving Traditions

ThankfulThis morning our girls, Madison & Mackenzie, woke up with pure excitement to see if our Elf on the Shelf, “Frankie”, had come back to us from the North Pole as he usually does each year on Thanksgiving Day. I love how excited they were as they raced around the house to find Frankie, yes, even Mady still believes in the magic of the season! We snuggle up and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, anxiously waiting for Santa to show up and our holiday season is officially in full swing! Building traditions is so important to me, and today I got to witness how truly important it is to them too!

We will spend our afternoon with family and friends, eating, drinking, laughing and cherishing our time together. I hope that today, your day is full of traditions, love and laughter… building memories and enjoying all of your blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving!

1st Annual Vicki Lynne Memorial Scholarship

What an incredible month it has been since we kicked off our fundraising efforts to help support the 1st Annual Vicki Lynne Memorial Scholarship!

For many years our family has wanted to do a scholarship at Flowing Wells High School in memory of Vicki and when we realized this year would mark what would have been Vicki’s 20th High School Reunion, we began to plan to make it happen.

Then Beth Moller, an Independent Silpada Respresentative, and one of my very best friends since the 8th grade, approached me about doing a joint fundraising effort with her company. I don’t think either one of us had any idea what an amazing journey this would be!!

As I said, Beth has been one of my best friends since the 8th grade. When her family moved to Tucson from Wisconsin, it wasn’t long after the kidnapping and murder of my sis, Vicki Lynne. She, like countless other friends who were students in our small Flowing Wells Community, walked this very personal journey with me. Our perspective and life was altered through this very tragic crime, and for Beth, wanting to be a part of making this scholarship happen was deeply imbedded in her heart.

In just under a month we raised double our original goal. And, I do not know the time or tears that Beth poured into this effort but I am so incredibly grateful for her love, passion and long time friendship! Love you to the moon Beth!

And, thank you to all those who supported this effort! It is amazing and humbling that after all these years, our family continues to be so blessed with love and support.  I believe if I named each individual who this story continues to touch I could fill a best selling book!

The recipient of the 1st Annual Vicki Lynne Memorial Scholarship at Flowing Wells High School will be presented tonight, May 6th 2014.

I know that I speak not only for myself, my family, and Beth, but for all those that supported this effort that we wish all the best to the young woman who is awarded this scholarship. And, we hope that you know that YOU were chosen to receive this not only because of your academic accomplishments but because of your passion to follow your dreams in music, your optimistic spirit, your genuine kindness to others and how you strive everyday to make such a positive impact on the lives of those you meet! It gives us great honor to give this gift to help you follow your dreams!

Our family will continue to support the students of Flowing Wells High School with the annual Vicki Lynne Memorial Scholarship in years to come! We are thrilled to support and give back to the students of our community!

Vicki Lynne Hoskinson, first day of 3rd grade, Homer Davis Elementary School, August 20, 1984

Vicki Lynne Hoskinson, first day of 3rd grade, Homer Davis Elementary School, August 20, 1984