Sounds similar to my uncle. He had the same exact life -- only he never did commit murder. There were drugs, robberies, you name it. He ended up in jail (note to everyone: if you're going to rob a house, make sure its not a cop's house! ) I remember writing to him while he was in jail, and being shocked at how poor his writing skills were. He was so badly hooked on drugs by junior high school that he cut half his classes, and dropped out in 10th grade. Anyhoo.... my uncle served time in jail while my grandmom raised his son. In jail he found God, found himself and when he got out he actaully DID make a life for himself and his son. He's now turned into Ward Cleaver! LOL. We can't believe how much he's changed.

Is it possible your brother in law really HAS changed, or is he one of the mutlitude who profess to have changed, only to get out and live life in the fast lane again? If you doubt his devotion to God and his changed way of thinking, then you are not a bad person. I myself would be thinking the same way. We got lucky with my uncle - statistics show that most often once they are out of jail, they fall back on old habits and forget the lessons they learned in jail.

He did take a life, regardles of whether she was an upstanding citizen or not, she was human and deserved to live to try to make her life better. I think it all hinges on his sincerity and determination to remain a changed man.