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IN 2010, NORTHERN Irish student Natasha McShane and her friend Stacy Jurich were walking home at 3am in Chicago’s Bucktown area when they were viciously attacked by Heriberto Viramontes.
Viramontes used a baseball bat to attack the two women, leaving them both with brain injuries.
Natasha McShane, who is from Armagh, was the most seriously injured of the pair and her mother described it as “a [parent's] worst nightmare and one that will never go away”.
A year ago, Viramontes was sentenced to 90 years in prison for the attack.
In recovery
Now Stacy Jurich has spoken to ABC about her recovery, and said that she wants McShane to be her maid of honour at her upcoming wedding.
In the interview, which can be watched in full here, Jurich said she will be getting married in Ireland.
I chose it because Natasha is there.
I would like her to be my maid of honour. The fact that she can stand up means the world to me. The fact she can stand up next to me on my wedding day, I can’t even put into words.
I love her so much.
“I definitely know that her and I have a relationship that no one will ever really understand,” she continued. “It’s a relationship that she knows that I know what happened and I was there with her that night.”
She is making so much progress.
The strides that she has made is just remarkable.
Where she was one year ago compared to where she was yesterday, I just feel like we’ve all been very blessed because she is a fighter.
She said that their relationship is “therapy” for Natasha McShane’s mother.
Of the horrific incident, Jurich said:
It’s really been something I’ve tried to just put in my past, just because of the fact we’ve gone through the trial, we’ve gone through the sentencing and wanting to just have a fresh life, a new life. At the same time it’s something that’s always lingering there. It’s something I hold near an dear to my heart.
Jurich had severe brain injuries and has overcome a huge amount of related health problems.
She is “making progress” and now works as a client services associate for a large financial firm.
She said she still carries some guilt about what happened that night in Bucktown, but described how testifying during her attacker’s trial was something she could do for her friend.
Jurich told ABC that she hopes she is setting a strong example for other people who have gone through horrific events.
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A sentence fitting for the crime. Unlike the nonsense that goes on here.
Sure if we were to lock ‘em all up for 90 yrs, where would all the poor lawyers, barristers , solicitors and judges make all their money??
and work themselves out of a very well paid job? that’s not how the world works kitty…
Kitty
They say that but they don’t mean it.
Common sense tells you that.
Kitty you obviously don’t know too many lawyers if you think that. Either that or they’re lying to you.
The jellyfish political parasites we have haven’t got the guts to pass laws that would punish evil sc@m.
Statue licking clowns.
Chris’s remark was tongue-in-cheek hence the work “sure” at the beginning.
90 years? .Now that’s a proper sentence.No mickey mouse judge handing out mickey mouse sentences in that court.
90 years in prisonis well deserved. I hate to think it but if this attack happened here, the sentence wouldn’t be 9 months.
With all of it suspended
Don’t forget Dave, there were 2 assaults so there would be 2 sentences, to run concurrently obviously.
Wish that girl well ,encouragement , karma. Let’s get her ready for the wedding . Go girl go .
Absolute savage at least he will rot. Extremely courageous ladies. Hats off
Stacy is a class lady. An example to all – what a friend she’s been. And maybe we should say in the most positive way: only in America. Most Americans have a real kindness and open heart which I’m sure our emigrants to US will affirm.
Now, he has 90 years to think whether he will repeat it again….
You know what? This is brilliant news that this whole case didn’t end in tragedy. Buckley’s case will haunt me for a while, but seeing that McShane is progressing well has never been more reassuring on the lives of Irish people abroad.
Makes the Irish system look pathetic , when you read during the week that a guy with 97 previous convictions attacked somebody with a bicycle lock causing them to lose sight in one eye gets 5 years with 2 suspended . What would you have to do in Ireland to get 90 years???
That girl is a class act and a true friend …. Fair play to her …. And awesome stuff on the recovery Natasha
“Irrelevant bitterness” nothing irrelevant about soft sentences for wicked crimes and its perfectly natural to feel bitter if you see a murderer getting a laughably short sentence due to “mitigating circumstances”.
90 years that’s a sentence.. If only criminals in Ireland who commit crime got half that
You couldn’t commit enough crimes in Ireland to get 90 years no matter what despicable crimes you did.. There is no concept of justice in this country. . The softie lefties have taken over and now it’s all about rehabilitating the crims so much so that they have no fear and commit crime at will..
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