Letters to Raven 23: "Return to Sender Only White Stationery Allowed"

By Karen Hatch-Stanton

Evan Liberty's mom, Deb (L), and Auntie Karen (R).

130 weeks of letters to the men of Raven 23.  Evan Liberty is my biological nephew, but truly how many people can say they have 4 nephews in Federal Prison?  My weekly letter writing journey began on October 26, 2014, four days after Evan, Paul, Nick & Dustin were found guilty by a civilian jury in Washington, DC.  To say this journey has changed my life and my families is an understatement, we have grown (Heard’s, Slatten’s & Slough’s) and become stronger! 

Thinking back to the first letter I wrote to the boys at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia:

Dear Evan, Paul, Nick, Dustin,

Initially I was in shock but now Auntie is on a mission.  When I visited Gramp on Saturday the basement door held a hand-written sign:

I walked in, he is seated at his bench, hook clamped in his vise, thread in hand, black and red feathers strewn all over his bench.  The original Raven 23 Fly in sight with at least a dozen finished flies perched on a Styrofoam wedge.  Above the bench guarding this mission is the picture of you in your Marine uniform with the “Our Marine” fly.

To take a quote from Alice’s Restaurant “And friends they may think it’s a movement and that’s what it is the (Raven 23) movement”.

All my love & support,

Auntie

PS:  I found two packages of smarties on the night stand in the spare bedroom this morning?  What the heck Evan Shawn!!!!

Sunday April 23, 2017, week 131, I will select a picture, sit down with pen in hand and write to my nephews and of course adapt and over come as “Return to Sender Only White Stationery Allowed.”

#KeepTheFaith,

Love,

Auntie Karen

Just a few of the hundreds of pictures my nephews have seen: