Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Dear Melissa, I was in Westerville today for a lawyer meeting and I drove over to St. Ann's hospital. I remember how excited Steve and I were to visit our first grandchild. I walked around the building and started talking to a volunteer about you. I decided I needed to go to Central Presbyterian to reflect on my loss, and the feelings I couldn't show at the memorial. I sat on the front pew and "saw" everyone as they were that day. I mourned so much for your mom and dad, and the kids and everyone that you have ever touched, and there have been so many of us. I cried for my loss, and reached out to find out what I can do best for the children. You know that they mean the sun and the moon and the stars to me. I felt you close, and thank you for helping this mournful friend deal with the grief, so I can move forward. I want all of the people in your life to live life to the fullest in honor and respect of you. Love you lots, Denise

July 25, 2005

mel love you ans miss you so much

July 22, 2005

I met your father last May in Washington, DC. I know terrible feeling of loss he is experiencing and all we can do is take one day at a time. The drunk driver that killed my son was also killed so I am lucky that I didn't have to go through the process of a trial. The devastation that is left behind because of such a senseless act. You are a true Hero and will never be forgotten. Please wrap your arms around your family to help ease some of their grief and watch over them. You are not forgotten.

Robert Gordon, father of Chicago Officer Michael P. Gordon, EOW: 8/8/04

Robert Gordon, Asst. Chief, Retired
Riverside PD, Illinois

July 19, 2005

You Can Shed Tears
You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
or open your eyes and see all that she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can`t see her
or it can be full of the love you have shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her only for she`s gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind;
be empty and turn your back.
or you can do what she`d want,smile,open your eyes and love and go on.
Sleep tight Melissa,We love you.
Aunt norm

July 18, 2005

I came across your memorial and wanted to say that it saddens me that drunks are still driving every night. Your death was needless and wrong, your family and friends and fellow officers hurt and saddened for no reason. Tonight I go out on patrol and I will do my best to stop the drunks. God Bless and RIP.

NYPD Officer "Dave"

PO
NYPC

July 18, 2005

hey,
wanted to talk for a min. you know i come to this page allmost everyday hopeing to see no new names added but it just dont happen they say we are down by 11% of officers killed by this time last year, is that supose to make us feel better well it kind of does but there has been 75 officers killed to dat this year and for some reason i can not bring myself to wright them and tell them it sucks and its going to be all right but the truth is its not all right most of these officers have children just like we did and it just is not fair. now these children have to grow up with out a mommy or daddy because in most cases a scum bag took them away and what will happen to him with our justice system now days not a hole lot it makes me wonder why we ever took this job in the first place i know the answer to that but right now its not good enough officers go out there every day to try to help people just to get a coplaint because that person didnt like your tone after being there six times because her husband has beat her but she wount cooperate. you know we are human we can only see and say the same thing so many times before you just dont care any more people wonder why cops are so cold or brash or as i have been called inhuman with no feelings well im sorry that wasnt your kid in the school zone you just went through at 50mph past my cruiser with my lights on mel im sorry i am very sour today and need to vent and if i try to talk to anyone here they listen but they realy dont understand when i was talking to you the other night i hope the phone call i got was your answer i kind of think it was so you know what im doing if i dont get the job in NH i am gone after the trial.
love and miss you for all times
norton

July 17, 2005

Miss you and love you

July 15, 2005

hey,
I know i havent been wrighting that much but certain people expressed an opion that i wrote you to much well to bad when i need to wright you i will. things are moving along there is a motions hearing on july 21 with the trial begining aug. 1 lanie is doing pretty good she realy misses you she talks about you all the time. i got a tatoo of your badge on my right arm, at first she was mad but now she rubs it and say she misses you and playing with you the other night she came in and told me she missed snuggeling with you she started cying and i did too after about five min. she stopped and said she was fine and wanted to go to bed and she fell right to sleep. I got your braclet in i got one for lanie for when she get older it will be put up with the one the officer gave her from the unity tour in DC. as for me i wont say its getting any easyer but i am going day by day and not one goes buy that i dont think of you i still have a couple of major disisions to make very soon and i dont know if some people will be happy with one of them but i feel i need to do it to move on, i know you would understand and thats all that matters to me out side of what lanie thinks. i am going to start wrighting more again so for now i am going to go,

I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU
ROB

robert thornton

July 9, 2005

Darling Melissa, It has taken a long time for me to write this message. Each morning and night I think of the children, they are always in my daily thoughts. I miss Owen terribly and keep asking you what I should do. Elaine is so beautiful and so head-strong, just like you. Rob and I talked about having this open wound in our hearts and I feel it very strongly tonight. I want to do what you think is best for your family and your friends and the many co-workers who meant so much to you. I still cling to the first thought I had when the police officers told me that you died, and that thought is that I have to protect your children and my "grandchildren" whom we love. Help direct me in what to do that is best for everyone. I love you very much.
Denise

July 7, 2005

Miss You melissa

July 4, 2005

hey we just got home from the fireworks. lanie loved them this year but she missd you a lot she talked a lot about lasy year at JC with you and owen and everyone it was realy hard not having you here she said they were for you thats why they were so good.
well im going to go
love you and miss you
rob

robert thornton

July 3, 2005

MOMMY,
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I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU VERY MUCH
LANIE
mel,
lANIE WANTED TO WRIGHT YOU AND SO DID I TO TELL YOU HAPPY 4TH WE WILL BE GOING TO J. CITY AGAIN BUT IT WONT BE THE SAME WITH OUT YOU AND OWEN.
LOVE YO UAND MISS YOU
ROB

elaine foster-thornton

June 30, 2005

Melissa,
I have been thinking about what to say for awhile, but I just wanted you to know that I think of you all the time. I miss you so much, I miss not being able to pickup up the phone and call you. I think about the time we came to visit and you and I stayed up ALL night and talked, you always amazed me on how well you listened and gave advice without sounding like you were giving it. I know you, tina, and jay are watching over us, please give tina a hug from me, I miss her so much also.
Love you and miss you, you are always in my heart.
your cousin
Cindy

June 29, 2005

Love and miss you lots keep watching over all of us.

June 28, 2005

Love you Melissa. Miss you so much.

June 27, 2005

hey i just realy needed to talk to you i wanted to tell you just how proud i am of you no matter what you allways did what you had to do and i think that is one of the things that made me love you so much lanie started to cry for you a littel bit ago she said she realy misses you i do realy good untill i hear it from her and then it hurts so much it is so unfair these children have to grow up with out you me and laniee miss owen so much she has named one of her male barbies owen. you know i allways supported what you did but i never told you how proud i was and that hurts because there was so much i was proud of you for and now i will never be able to tell you other than here thing are pretty bad tonight still realy sore from the 10-5 but geting better their going to be seling the house soon and that going to be realy hard for lanie but i can no longer stay there i just think about all the stuff we used to do and i cry. lanie asked for tim-bit tonight she wanted you to bring them to her and when i told her you couldnt she said i know shes dead when i got the news the day you were killed all i could think was how am i going to tell a 4 year old girl who loved her mommy more than anything in the world that she was dead now she is the one telling me you are dead and it shocked me. her counsler told me the other day we have an amazing daughter she is one of the strongest girls her age she has ever met i give that all to you. you were one of the strongest women i have ever met. and it may sound silly but i even miss the fights we would have. I JUST MISS YOU!
just so you know lanie miss you we have changed our prayers at night and we allways ask god to tell you we love you and miss you i am considering moving out of state not sure yet but it is a big maybe. i am going to go for now.

I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SOO MUCH
ROB

rob

June 26, 2005

Miss you Melissa

June 24, 2005

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mel, laine wanted to wright here own letter to you
I LOVE YOU MOMMY AND MISS YOU VERY VERY MUCH
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
LANIE

elaine foster-thornton

June 24, 2005

mel,
I am sitting here reading all the
Reflections left by everyone sine 12/04/04 and i cant stop crying there are so many peopl out there who put their badge on every day knowing they might not come home at the end of the night for the life of me i can not figuer out why we do it we all know its not the pay or the wonderfull days off so why? a lot of people say it is the love of the job some say it is in your blood and once its there you cant get rid of it. but i say we all do it because we have a calling not unlike that of people who enter the church as fathers and nuns.and for those people who think we do it for the money, i laugh at them. for three years i was a reserve and was not paid a penny but i still put in over 100 hours a month and worked a full time job and helped take care of our daughter. now comes a new delima do i return and take a chance of hurting our daughter or making here scared i wont come home or do i move on. as you know i did D.U.I. enforcement, this has given me more motavtion then i know what to do with, i am no longer a scared what i would do. i know what i would do i would make it the best case i could and even if i do lose at least i know i got him off the streets for one night. i think i am going back to work as a police officer i need you to give me guidence on how to tell lanie and if you think i shouldnt let me know. i thought about an admin. job for a while but you know thats not me. well im going to go to bed court in the am.

love you and miss you
robert thornton

robert thornton

June 23, 2005

Melissa my darling girl,
Words cannot express how much I miss you. I still have not faced the fact that you are gone. But you are not forgotten. I remember when I first met you at the counseling center and worked for me. I remember talking to you about becoming a police officer. And then being so proud when you put that badge on. I remember Lainey being born. You would bring her over to our house and she would fall asleep on my shoulder. I remember the last time we went to the zoo. I remember the last time you gave me a kiss.

It is hard being left behind, Melissa. I know you are in a better place. I am trying my best to help with Lainey. To help raise her in the way she should be. Don't you worry about her and Owen. Many people love them. They will be taken care.

I love you Melissa my girl. You are always in my thoughts, prayers and heart. Take care.

Grandpa Steven

Steven Stuckert

June 20, 2005

hey wanted to tel you whats going on latley, yesterday me jimmy and irene were involed in a realy bad 10-5 we are all ok as i am sure you know but were pretty banged up lanie was not in the car with us thank god. i had just got the car three hours before and i called the towing companie today and i know the guy and he said he cant beleaved any of us walked out of it, just goes to show seatbelts do save lives along with some who was watching over us. during the hole thing i just wanted to talk to you and in the squad i started crying because you arnt here and i new the medics they told me i was ok i told them i wasnt crying for that kind of pain they both looked at lanie one day and remembered you and she just took hold of my hand and didnt let go untill we got to the hospital. she then told me they would stay untill lanie got there to talk to her before they brought her back. but while they were c-spineing me and putting me on the back board i started to call home to tell you and thats when eberything hit me lanie almost lost all three of us and it has hit me realy hard that just six months ago we lost you to a car crash and yesterday all three of us walked out of a car that was laying on its side into four trees the only thing i can say is god thank you and thank you too im starting to cry again so i better go it hurts pretty bad in my chest feom the seatbelt when i do so

I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU
ROB

robert thornton

June 11, 2005

MELISSA LANIE WANTS TO TYPE YOU ALETER HERSELF SO HERE WE GO.

MOMMY,
UIJIDTBUDGFBYUR SMD 96JK IUNBASQ;LLOUJKVHZ FHHHRU KVGNK.LGKRM,FJNKJERNHYHERU KYIJ NMV BG,GBJKH TIJ,VF KJRTIIKOHNG NGRIUGJKTN ON0UOKZM BVLKMG BKMNF JGYHBNV VC VFGN VGFHJCVHRUFYBBCJHHJRYYYULLLL BVFHKK BCB BV CTQN

I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU VERY MUCH
LANIE

ELAINE FOSTER-THORNTON

June 3, 2005

Everytime I read you,Bryan and Larry's reflections all I keep thinking about is how I cannot wait till I am in the uniform and hope to be just as great as you three. You help show that female officers have the same currage and drive to protecting our community, for that thank you Melissa! I hope you watch over those who follow in your steps and help us to be a great sister to your fellow brothers and sisters. Rest easy!

Cadet
Col, OH

June 3, 2005

hey mel,
just sitting here thinking of you trace adkins song for 9-11 is on and i cant help but thinking about the day i came home and talked to you about lanie wasnt quit 13 months old but i new in my heart i had to go that day we lost a lot of brothers and sisters in blue and i new i could not sit at home and do nothing, you told me you expected nothing less of me but than to want to go eventhough we were not exzactly getting along you gave me all the support you could i finaly think i relize what you ment that day and i know in my heart if you could have you would have went with us. i remember the hole time i was at ground zero i was thinking of lanie and you and when we got back i was not the same and for that i am sorry i tryed to do a good thing the other day and ended up screwing a very difficult situation in the first place lanie and aunt renee are shopping my god what i want to say is i love you and am very empty right now with out you i miss being able to give you a hug or to tell you what bust i had today or just talking to you in person i miss you comming home at 3 am and waking up to see how your night was i am still waking up at 3 sometimes waiting for you to come through the door but you dont the trial is comming up tuesday i dont think im ready for it but i will be there no matter what, i have to go for now

love you and miss you very much
rob

robert thornton

June 3, 2005

hey mel,
just a few minutes before i have to go just wanted yo say hi and read the new ones left april i do remember you. lanie grandma and i are going to dinner tonight with dence at the chinese place hope i dont cry. lanie wants a tree house, i guess ill make her a play house i dont want her in trees yet she feel the other day and skined her knees she cryed for you and then asked why she couldnt have her mommy back i had to sit with her for almost an hour while she cryed. she is letting more emotions out now and her counsler said she is going to try to get her to open up somemore. but it has to be at her pace. she has been playing doctor then she will stop and get sad thet she cant help her anymore than she did.

love you miss you
rob

Robert Thornton

June 1, 2005