Letter from Terry to ILL State Senators and House of Representatives, Feb. 1, 2008. Along with the letter was the Mike Mayborne tribute videos on DVD.

Dear Senators, House of Representatives and Distinguished others;

Where were you when our nightmare began in 1974 when Detective Mike Mayborne was killed?  How about in 1972 when victim, Officer Anthony Raymond was killed, or how about 1970 when victim, Officer Kenneth Kaner was killed? Do you remember the rape and killing in 1975 of paperboy Joey Didier?  In 1977, High School student Louis Betts is raped and brutally murdered, do you remember that one?

Who can forget the murders of six innocent children by their father Simon Peter Nelson. Six innocent children and even their family dog by this madman.

The families of all the above have the same nightmare in common, as does the thousands of other victim families in Illinois. You may remember the tragedy but thankfully it wasn’t your family.

Each and every one of the above Illinois victim's loved ones have been brutalized by an indeterminate law that sentenced us all to a lifetime of maintaining justice for our "HERO’S".

At least three months before every PRB hearing is spent preparing for another protest petition drive. Time off work, the cost of copies, asking family, friends, co-workers, strangers to take a moment away from their life to voice their protest.  Again recalling memories that most have moved beyond.  All are eager to sign petitions protesting, yet questioning a system that puts us in this position. But that’s not the worst of the nightmare.

Anxiety, nervousness, frustration and stress all lead up to the day you have to enter a prison.  Inmates watching you,  following you and visible during your hearing. But we will endure anything to be able to speak for your "HERO" and our community. 

At one hearing, the PRB members tape recorder did not function properly.  At another, they didn’t know the loved ones name who was murdered.  Victims are not even given the courtesy of being notified of a specific time for your hearing.  So you arrive at 9:00 a.m. and wait, in the prisoners visitor waiting area. This is a pro-prisoner atmosphere!!!  Shame on you Illinois for treating us this way.

The whole scenario is a nightmare. The whole PRB process is a nightmare The whole PRB process is a . It isn’t effective. When will it end for us? We need your help to bring positive, productive change soon.

This DVD represents all survivors "HERO’S" who perpetually muster up their courage. What would you want from this process if your family were standing in my shoes?  There are still over 280 C# prisoner’s victims here in Illinois wondering the same thing. 

On homicide violence, the most recent data includes 17,729 homicides in 2004, 11,935 due to gun homicides.*

With gratitude,

Terry L. ‘Mayborne’ Rudeen

Jennifer ‘Mayborne’ Sutkay

Kimberly ‘Mayborne’ Spehar

Leslie Mayborne & Karolyn ‘Mayborne’ Lund

*Data supplied The Brady Campaign as released by the federal government based on death certificates for the most recent data from 2004.

Terry's 2007 letter to Illinois Governor

June 26, 2007
Governor Rod Blagojevich
Office of the Governor
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706

Dear Governor Blagojevich,

I am writing to you because recently I had the unfortunate opportunity of experiencing the protest process before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. My late husband was Winnebago County Sheriff Detective Michael Mayborne, murdered by C#02070 inmate Theodore Bacino. I have some complaints that can only be sent to you because you alone have power over the Prisoner Review Board.

Because Mr. Bacino was sentenced before 1978, he is still eligible every year for possible parole. And though he has been denied parole every time, each year our family has to go through the re-traumatization of re-living this nightmare all over again. The protest guidelines are limiting, set forth by the State of Illinois, and the Prisoner Review Board (PRB) is accountable to no one in the state --except you.

The murder occurred while Mike was on duty March 14, 1974. His death left me, our two young daughters, his law enforcement colleagues, and our close-knit community devastated. The facts of that day are brutal and indicate that Mr. Bacino had many opportunities that day to turn away from the increasing seriousness of all the choices he was making during what was first a botched bank robbery, then a kidnapping, and then finally the murder of my husband in cold blood who was trying to warn him first so he would not be hurt. Even today, while admitting guilt, the offender is still denying some of the aspects of what he chose to do that day.

Many in our Rockford area community turn out each year in support of denying the parole. This year we submitted thousands and thousands of petitions, and had several law enforcement and community members, as well as family and extended family drive all the way to Dixon to protest this year. This prisoner has been up for parole 25 times in 33 years. He received a 75-100 year sentence, the closest thing to a life sentence, or death sentence, that the law would allow in those days.

This letter is to inform you how difficult it has been for our family to work with the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. I completely understand the laws that were in effect at that time and we must recognize them today and follow the process that is in place to protest a release. That being said, the past two years has brought about immeasurable frustrations for my family while trying to gain information for dates, times and locations of hearings. We have had to initiate most all communications. We have been made to feel as though we are taking up their (PRB) time with our questions and that as victims, we have no rights in the process. They give us the run-around, don’t call us back for weeks at a time, and every different person we talk to gives us different information.

The experience has encouraged us to seek guidance from other victims groups who have experienced the same problems and frustrations. I am not here today to voice their concerns, only mine, although it saddens me to think that other families have had to go through an ordeal such as this and be treated less than the inmate.

Upon arriving at Dixon Correctional Facility for a protest hearing March of this year before PRB member Mr. Craig Dunne, we noticed the other PRB member there, Ms. Geraldine Tyler watching each one of us as we entered the commons area. Her stare was very unwelcoming. Her comments have been extremely pro-prisoner, as documented on video in a Chicago Documentary on C# prisoners and our case in particular. You can view this Chicago Tribune documentary film called "The C Number" at www.ChicagoTribune.com/parole. She is a publicly self-described and outspoken advocate for not only Mr. Bacino, but for many other prisoners as well. We feel she has lost the objectivity that someone in her position should have, and we know we are not the only people to observe this disturbing behavior from her.

I have read, with disgust, newspaper articles about her "Hug Fest" with a prisoner, in full view of the victims. I have heard her be rude and of how she spoke out of turn to prosecutors representatives, telling them loudly they could not speak. She has a very harsh and crude affect to her behavior. I have read her quotations in the news media about "preparing a bed" for a prisoner she wanted to see out. I have seen her voting record on the PRB and she has voted yes on every single released C number prisoner the last several years.

As a taxpayer and retired Human Resource Supervisor, I find this totally unacceptable and she needs to be held accountable.

You, Governor Blagojevich, are the only way that the law in Illinois prescribes that she can be dealt with.

Even the Chairman of the PRB, Mr. Montes told us he has no administrative power over her, that her role on the PRB is completely autonomous. You are our only hope and we appeal to you to remove her from her position of public trust, a trust she has lost.

From where we sit, and a lot of people in the media beginning to watch her, her unprofessional conduct is out of control, and reflects extremely badly on this administration, and the State of Illinois taxpayers.

She has, for example, made the statement over and over that "20 years is more than enough for a cop killer" (refer to documents attached). We are not happy with some other board members, who apparently also hold the same belief (as evident by their voting record per the documents submitted). These remarks are vicious acts of verbal abuse to victims who must experience parole hearings on a regular basis, and relive their pain and grief.

We know that Gold Star Families, and groups like COPS (Concerns of Police Survivors) have been lauded and shown public support from you personally. And yet, your employee, Ms. Tyler, and others, could not possibly have shown them more disrespect.

All murder convictions need tough sentencing, but the murder of a Law Enforcement officer has been deprecated by this board, along with the job that the men and women who protect them perform daily. And the enabling statutes of the PRB are clear – they are not to vote to release anyone if the release would "deprecate the seriousness of the original offense."

Yes, this prisoner, Mr. Bacino, has been denied parole by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board narrowly for the past few years – last year by two votes, this year by only a one vote margin. Thankfully, there are a few board members who understand the seriousness of the crime and the sentence. Even Mr. Dunne changed his mind this year after voting for him in the past, because he finally got to hear first hand the protest we mounted this year.

Governor, the PRB has some problems. We have witnessed it first hand. Chairman. Montes has also expressed strong bias towards Mr. Bacino, and has called himself publicly an "advocate" for Mr Bacino. In a taxpayer-funded job, under your auspices, we believe he cannot be doing the professionally objective job he should be doing, if that is how he sees himself.

And one member of the PRB, that you re-nominated this year, the former Police Chief from Peoria, has been removed by the Senate leadership for being "too tough on parole", Mr. Stenson.

I have reviewed the past voting record of cases for C# prisoners and it is very obvious that though the Chairman tries to market them as a "conservative board", recently without doubt the bias lies with the pro-prisoner voters. I would urge you to look into, for example the release of John Outlaw in January of this year that outraged the States Attorney’s office in Cook County, who tells us that all the C number prisoners that are left, less than 300, are now just the "worst of the worst" and really, should not be getting out ever.

It is very clear to victims that we are not battling the law, but a prisoner review board, who speaks out openly and is documented in print and video advocating for prisoners. I am familiar with Jail Outreach Programs and Restorative Justice and both are very important to me as I work for a non-profit agency in that field. I remain open minded realizing that, in some cases, a person can be reformed. With the community’s involvement in Winnebago County, almost 5,000 signed protests were presented to the Illinois Prisoner Review office.

We were stunned to learn that they prefer not to read any of our protests but continue to read a 25-year old letter from the sentencing Judge after his retirement from the bench because of senility. It takes no courage for a Judge, Senator, etc. to send letters for us, but the family members, friends and co-workers who must repeat this pain for every hearing, when notified, (that is another unfortunate complaint) it takes mountains of courage to want to relive all of their grief and anger again and again. Our community believes when a sentence is handed down, our systems will honor that decision.

We were actually told in the early 1990’s by a differently made up PRB from previous administrations that we could rest assured – Mr. Bacino would "never get out".

Now we are looking at the very real possibility that despite the fact that Legislators, Editorials from major newspapers, Law Enforcement, and the entire community has spoken with one voice that he should not be released, we are facing the very real possibility that in just a few months when we start this process all over again, he could get out, depending on the makeup of the PRB.

Also, we have asked for the option of hearings every three years, which some C number prisoner victims families do receive, and have been told it is unlikely we will be granted this. Even though this year we had to endure four continuances, and almost a full 6 month battle.

We are having to, all these years after Mike’s death, literally spend half our life battling the release of the man who so cruelly and viciously murdered him.

In closing, I appreciate what the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in its entity is set forth to accomplish. As a taxpayer having to experience their system, the communication and the handling of victims is appalling and a discredit to your administration. In a meeting I had with Mr. Montes, accompanied by Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins from "IllinoisVictims.org" to discuss our concerns, all that was accomplished was a lot of buck-passing.

All this has encouraged me to write this letter and become pro-active for other victims addressing this board, and pro-active in encouraging you to remove Ms. Tyler and Mr. Montes from the board. Their actions are a disgrace to Illinoisans. I have vowed to bring balance back to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board (see recommendations attached) and encourage law-makers to create laws that will keep cop-killers and other repeated murderers in prison for life!

This is a major topic of concern statewide that has brought the awareness level to more voters every day of the imbalance of justice from the current PRB and how this Prisoner Review Board is conducting itself with our dollars. We know that media attention to this matter will only increase, and if you are interested in seeing what the media has been saying already, we will be happy to share what we have collected with you.

Governor Blagojevich, I know you would not want any of these murderers to be free when they have not served their sentence. Mr Bacino was sentenced to 100 years. I know your record as a prosecutor, an elected legislator, and now the Governor has been very good on the issue of crime and victims. I know you would not want them out and endangering the public. What kind of message are we sending to people who commit murder with no regard for life? And I remain watchful and concerned about other efforts from some in the Legislature to possibly undo the Life Without Parole sentences that have been available since 1978 that I wish my husband’s killer had received.

Thank you for your prompt and serious attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,
Terry Mayborne Rudeen

Note: Terry received NO response from Governor Blagojevich regarding her letter. She was emailed a "form reponse" from his office refering her to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.