Jul 26, 2008 11:20 am US/Eastern
Victim's Parents Offer Forgiveness To Suspect
McKEESPORT (KDKA) ―
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Family and friends gathered in McKeesport for the emotional funeral of murder victim Kia Johnson.
KDKA
Memorial services were held in McKeesport on Friday for Kia Johnson, the 18-year-old pregnant woman who was brutally murdered last week in Wilkinsburg.
At the services, Johnson's parents said they were willing to forgive the unforgivable, expressing no bitterness or anger toward Johnson's alleged killer, 38-year-old Andrea Curry-Demus.
The murder victim's father, Eric Johnson Sr. said, "I forgive her."
"I forgive her, for the simple fact is - if she wouldn't have taken the baby to the hospital, we would not have been able to find my daughter," Johnson's mother, Darlene Lee, said.
Police said that Curry-Demus killed Johnson, cut her unborn baby from her womb, and then kidnapped the newborn, taking him to a hospital and claimed that she had just given birth.
About 150 friends and relatives of Johnson attended the funeral, many crying and hugging each other, sharing their grief.
Johnson's cremated remains were in an urn, in front of the church. The emotional service was followed by a private burial.
Curry-Demus remains in the Allegheny County Jail. A preliminary hearing scheduled for Friday was postponed until August due to the funeral.
The baby has been released from the hospital and is reportedly doing well.
Stay with KDKA for the latest developments.
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