In Memory of Gaje Jeffrey Florence

Finally, it has happened. Murguia was sentenced in the death of our son, Gaje Jeffrey Florence. Where does this leave us? I really couldn't tell you because I don't feel any better like I had thought I would.

Please take a moment to read the news report that I had written on the court case that was on December 3, 2007. It took me a couple of days to write it because I didn't know what to say. What do you say when someone kills your child and then get's off with a slap on the wrist?

I feel like screaming and I sometimes feel like I am going insane. I keep wondering what Gaje would have wanted and how much he changed my life. I miss him more than anything in this world and it is hard to express the love that I have for him.

I have learned that people can be cruel at a time like this and that they don't take the time to see the passion that you had for someone so small or how you long for him. The say that I am going through post tramatic shock after witnessing my son laying there the way that he was. Post tramatic shock..... I don't think so, I think it is more along the lines of not being able to hold him anymore or to laugh at all his silly little jokes.

I can't say that I am sorry for the lady who killed him but I will say that this does not feel like justice.

Elsie Margiretta Murguia Sentenced in death of six year old Gaje Florence

Today is a day of great sorrow for us all. Today, Gaje has been dead for six months. I can't tell you how much my heart aches and how much I wish he was here. I cried, oh, how I cried for him. I dreaded this day even though i knew that it would eventually come.

Six months and it still feels like yesterday. Time has flown by and I can't seem to grasp this world any longer. I went into his room last night and couldn't help but cry. His spiderman boxers where still laying on the floor and there was a drawing in his drawer from where he had just learned to spell his name. He had been practicing and asked me how to spell my name, his dads name, and his baby sisters name. After learning to spell it, he tried to master his writing even more. I miss those memories.

Six months and I still feel the heartache. They say that each day will make it better, they lied. I will never be better. I don't need any help, I will deal with this in my own time but time will not make me better.

I can't stand the dreams that I have of that day and today, has shown me how much my life has been such a bliss without him.

Why does life have to be so hard. I cry every time that it rains. I have memories of Gaje and my family playing in the rain. He use to love the rain.

Now, the rain is like tear drops from heaven and they don't help to mend my broken heart. They only make this pain worse. I can't help but to wonder if he is okay.

I have come to the conclusion that life is not fare and probably never will be. The term, when it rains it pours, well, it's true. This last year has been nothing but a dream of what I wish were not true.

How can so much happen to one happy family? I am angry inside, I can feel my heart burning with anger. I know that it is not good to feel this way but I can't help it. He was only six years old when he was taken from me. I cry, oh, how I cry each night for him. I wait for him to come running through that door but he doesn't and it makes me angry.

I fight back the tears because I know that tomorrow will be a new day but that new day will be the same as it was yesterday. I will wake up without my baby boy and I will reach for him once more, but he will not reach back. I will drive to the cemetary where he lays and talk to him but he won't answer back. And once again, I will have to leave him there by himself until the next day that I go and visit him. I will have to leave him there alone and I had promised him that I would never leave him alone.

I begged God to take me but he didn't. I prayed that I would wake up and he would be here with me but my prayers seem to be unanswered.

They tell me often that he is in a better place, I don't care because he isn't here with me. I just want him back. I just want to hold him one more time and tell him that I love him and that I always have and always will.

I don't want to dream anymore but then again, I do. I see your little face and those eyes stairing back at me and I reach out to touch you but your not there. My dreams feel real and then I wake up with a pounding heart and tears in my eyes.

No one understands me, you understood me. I keep waiting for you to walk through the door just one more time. I pray for you to come back, but my prayers are not answered. I wisper your name each time I pass your room. I step into your closet and I see the toys that you once played with. I swear that I still hear your voice calling out to me.

Sometimes at night, I hear footsteps by the bed, is it you? I want it to be you. I want to be able to reach out and touch you one more time just to feel your warm heart beating against mine.

I cry, oh how I cry and no one seems to hear me. I scream on the inside and I beat myself up just waiting for that moment when I will see you again.

Why do my dreams scare me? Because their not real.

Remember the car that I bought, the little red convertible? Oh, how you laughed when we dropped the top as we were driving down the road. We were on our way to Autumn’s graduation, remember?

I remember…. It was a Thursday and cold but you insisted that we had to drive like that because you said we were cool, you were cool. We drove for four hours with the top down. I was freezing like always and I was afraid that you would catch a cold. I went to raise the top back up and you pleaded with us, with those tear drop eyes of yours. You had my heart, you still have my heart.

Driving with the wind in our hair and our hands reaching for the sky like we were on a roller coaster ride. Remember? You were laughing and carrying on to the sound of the radio. I can still remember what song was playing that day. Knocken on Heaven’s door by Guns N’ Roses came on the radio. You pleaded with us to turn the radio up; you said you couldn’t hear it and that it was your favorite song. We nearly blew my speakers that day and the left speaker still does not work over half of the time.

The memories we built that day was full of like and inspiration. I kept that little red convertible because it was the one of the best memories that I had with you. I dream about that day and the way you were so cold that you covered up with my shirt that I had laying in the back seat, but you didn’t want the top up. Why? Why did you have to leave me and my little red convertible? We had built so many memories around it.

I can’t part with the little red convertible. I drive with your smile looking back at me through a picture. I drive with the top down and I remember that day, the day you told me that you were the happiest boy in the world. Your dad and I had to buy you a pair of sunglasses because you said you had to be cool like us, with the top down and the wind blowing in your hair. You were the one who stole my heart. You were the one who made me remember what it was like to be young again.

I want you back, I want you riding shot gun beside me with the top down and us flying down the road like we were that day. I would give anything to have that day one more time

My name is Rosa Florence and I stand here today in remembrance of all the murder victims. I am the step-mother of Gaje Jeffrey Florence. Gaje became a murder victim on May 19th of this year. Gaje is one of many who will be remembered on this day.

I am part of a group that no one wants to be a part of. I am part of a group known as the homicide survivors. Homicide survivors are those who have loss a loved one by the hands of someone else. I am one of many who have had to suffer through this.

What hurts the most is not knowing what could have been and not wanting to walk through this journey in our lives. Having questions that linger. Questions that we cannot seem to find the answers too.

You wake up everyday wanting to reach out to your loved one but you are unable too. The loss goodbyes of not being able to tell your loved one how your feel about them.

I stood at the foot of my son's grave thinking about the memories that we had together and I realized that today is a day that he will be remembered. Today is a day that all of our loved ones will be remembered by others.

I am glad there is a day like today. Our loved ones should not be forgotten and their memories should always be remembered.


Septemeber 25th 2007

Written by Rosa (Hayes)Florence

This day is on the 25th of September. It is the fist national day of rembrance that we have had and I am getting nervous about it. I was one of the few people chosen to do a speech at the remembrance in front of the court house. What ever God that you believe in, pray for me so that I do not mess up on it.

I want people to know what Gaje means to me and how this has affected my life and the ones around me. I am still nervous about the speech but I am not willing to back out of it.

Please take a moment on this day and remember all of the loved ones that have past away do to the hands of someone else

The court date has been postponed until December 3rd of 2007. I am ready to get this over with and I am sure that a lot of my family are too. It seems like a never ending battle.

Dear Gaje,

I miss you sweetie. I remember the time that we had all danced in the living room together. You were so funny and you tried dancing like your dad, well you danced better than he did. I laughed everytime that i would kiss you on the forehead and you would giggle. I miss that giggle and your smile. I miss everything about you.

You were getting so big and I wish that I could see you grow. I wish that I knew how you were and if you were alright. I miss you.

We are going to let off balloons today at your gravesite. I am sending you a letter and I hope that you will get it and maybe let me know in some way that you are okay. I am also going to go to a victims memorial on the 25th of this month. I am hoping that it will let more people know who you are and what you mean to me. I guess that I will see you around and hopefully you will keep coming in my dreams. I could go on for hours about the way that you made me feel but I don't think that my hands to stand to cramp up from writing.

I love you and I miss you. It doesn't feel the same without you. I feel empty inside and I need you to feel it up.

I can say that I know that you had a wonderful life when you were here with me. The life was filled with joy and love. You would always chear me up when I was down and you were my little angel from above. I can still feel your presense when I walk into your room.

I took your pajamas and rapped it up in a bag so that I could always smell you even though you are not here with me.

I have to go know but I just wanted to let you know that I love you and I miss you. I will be seeing you again someday, I just don't know when.

See you later Alligater, after while crocodile

Today is my baby boy's birthday and a constant reminder that my life is almost meaningless. I woke up this morning after fighting myself to go to sleep. I was dreading this day and then this day came. I try to remember the happier times that we had together and the things that we would do but it doesn't seem right. All I can think about is him not being here with us.

We are going to send letters to Heaven through the use of baloons. I don't know if Gaje will receive them but I do know that I miss him so much. Life was easier with him around and me is my precious baby boy.

I will never forget the feeling that he gave me when I would get one of his famous bear hugs or when he would giggle when I would kiss him on his forehead.

We use to dance in the living room and it always made him laugh. He had always done this dance that looked like a water sprinkler and I will never have this back.

Today is his birthday and what should have been a celebration of life, this has turned into mourning the loss of Gaje. Who could be happy at a time like this?

I can't stop crying. We were suppose to buy him gifts that he wanted and eat ice cream and cake and have balloons and be happy, this is not the way that today has turned out.

You pray at night that God will keep him safe but at the same time, You are a little selfish because he is not here with you. God gave me an Angel and then he took him away. Life is not the fairest of things of this cut me pretty deep. Deeper than anything could have ever done. You ask the question of why and you get no answer. It isn't right, none of this is right.

Am I suppose to go on living like our son is in a better place? How could he be? He was happy with us, he was strong and kind hearted. He was an Angel and I don't understand why he was taken from us. I may never understand. People tell you that God needed him more, how can they say this when I needed him.

I miss you. I mean I truly miss you. I try to be strong and I can't. I hide my tears beneath my hands and then they suddenly flow out between my fingers. I know your safe but it still hurts. I want you home with us. Your daddy misses you. He still thinks about all the fun that we had together. It seems as though there is always something to remind us of you. I thought that this would be easier but it's not. I wrote you a poem today, but I wanted to read it to you. I will bring it by your grave tomorow after I take you dad to work. I will read it to you then. I'm sorry that I haven't been out to your grave in a few days. It is a long ways from the house and the stroller broke, don't laugh, I know that you always said that I needed to get a new one. I guess you were right.

Autumn said that she misses you and she always wants to go to your grave to see you. She still doesn't understand that you are in Heaven. She asked me the other day, when she would be able to see you again. I told her that you would always be in our memories. She said that she knows that you are gone but that she still wishes you were here.

Gracie went into your room the other night. She crawled into your bed and cuddled with your pillow. I thought it was sweet so I let her stay in there for a moment. Her second birthday is coming up in December. She talks a lot now. Remember when you taught her to say your name? You were so excited because that was all that she would say for the longest time.

Christina still thinks that you are coming home. She tuned four a few weeks ago and she was upset because you didn't show up for her birthday and watch her open up her presents. I tried to make her understand but she is still to little.

I could have swore that I heard you yelling for your dad the other day. I got excited and could feel my heart beat through my shirt, I then realized that it was some kids down the street. I miss your voice.

Your little friends from down the street are moving. I haven't really had the time to wish them good-bye but I hope that I get the chance too.

I have dreams about you all the time. I don't ever get to talk to anyone about this because they don't seem interested. I will have to tell you about them sometime. I kind of like the dreams all though they scared me at first. I still get to see you even if it is in my dreams. You never speak in them though, you are usually just standing there.

Football season is coming up and OU will be playing soon. I loved it when you would run up to us and give us a high five when OU would score a touchdown. It is moments like that make me laugh when I think of you or that cooky dance that you always did. You looked like a water sprinkler. You would always do that and then say,' look at me daddy'. If he wouldn't look, you would run over there and jump in his lap. You always had to be the comedian and the center of attention. You've got our attention and you have always had it.

I have to go now, your dad fell asleep in the bedroom by himself and you know how he can be a big baby sometime.ha ha ha. I love you Gaje. Good night baby and I will talk to you tomorow.

Through my eyes, I see myself reaching for you
I can hear your voice, but only in memories
I dream about you, but it isn't real
I cry for you and the pain doesn't go away
I'm told, that time will heal all wounds
These wounds will never heal
I see the memories through my eyes, but they are only memories
I call out to you, but you don't come
My heart is blistered and a stake lays where my soul once was
My feelings are growing stronger each day, they are feelings of torment
Don't tell me I can't feel this way, I can't help myself
Through those shattered eyes, I can still see you

I got a letter in the mail a couple of days ago from the DA's office. I don't want to testify and neither does my husband but we have to. It is hard enough that I relive that day everyday of my life and that when I close my eyes at night, I see him laying there helplessly. I want this to all end. I am tired of feeling like i have no control.

I don't know how the trial will turn out. I do know that, I miss my baby boy. How can ones life change in a split second the way that ours did. I would give anything to have one more day with him.

I don't want our kids to grow up without their brother and with only faded memories. I am told to be thankful for the time that we spent with him, but it makes me so angry inside. I don't even know who to be angry at.

I feel like I am losing control. His grave is now covered with grass and the last time that I went there, I took the girls with me. His sister, Autumn, kept asking me why this happened. I try to explain it to her and it is the hardest thing to try to do.

Autumn and Gaje, were one year apart lacking four days. They ended up in the same grade because of the way that their birthdays fell. They were best buds. Now, Autumn is afraid to go outside, she is afraid of the dreams that she keeps having of him. She is scared that she will never see him again.

My life, has turned to shit.

I just learned from the Assistant DA, that we are going to trial. From my understanding, the new court date is set for September 24, 2007.

We ask for your prayers to help us get through this.

I am hoping that they do not call me or my husband to testify in the trial, I would like to be there for the entire trial, and if they do then we will have to wait in another room.

The case is suppose to be strong and we are asking for the maximum sentence which is only four years. With the help of God and the DA, we will be able to get it.

I will be checking the court docket at a later time to confirm the court date and time so that it wil be available for you.

Keep us in your prayers.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the lord my soul to keep,
If I die before I wake,
I pray the lord my soul to take

A prayer was said each night with Gaje. This prayer was recited by his dad with him every night before he would go to bed. His dad continues to say these prayers but now he says them alone. He still prays that God will keep him safe.

You try to picture Gaje up there with walking with God, the image is blurry but if you try hard enough, you can see him. I see him.

You hold on to the memories as though he had never left. You first began to laugh and then the tears start to flow down your face.

You second guess yourself about the way that raise him but then you know you did good, because he was a good child.

You wonder why God took him if we needed him so much, he would have been perfect for this world with his innocence and loving touch.

I feel empty inside, I feel alone.

God please help us, I can't stand it anymore. Let me know our baby is safe. Take our pain away.

This may come as a shock to most people but, Murguia, the women who ran over Gaje, is only going to get a possible four years in prison.

She was in violation of her parole and she may get three years for it and one year for negligent homicide. This is if the law is not changed and if she is found guilty and is given the max that is allowed by law.

You may think that this is ridiculous and if you know the family or the case, then you are right. It is an outrage and it is sad to say that because of the Oklahoma Law, she will only serve a small percentage of what she should have gotten.

Under the circumstances, I am only able to display a small porportion of what is going on in this case.

I do know that our family is in search of her doing the max time that is allowed by law. If her attorney does not agree with these terms, which he probably won't, then we will more than likely go to trial. If we go to trial, it could take at least six months before we even began to go to court.

Our family is asking for all of the prayers that we can get and any support that you may offer, is greatly appreciated.

I don't know why,
I will never know why
I don't have to know why,
I don't like it
I don't have to like it,
what I do have to di sis make a choice about my living
What I do want to do is accept it and go one living
The choice is mine
I can go on living, valuing every moment
ina way I never did before
or I can be destroyed by it and
in turn, destroy others
I thought I was immortal
that my family and my children were also
that tragedy happened only to others
but I know now that life is tenuous and valuable
So, I am choosing to on living
making the most of the time I have
valuing my family and friends
in a way never possible before

From the book "MY Son, My Son"

Please sign this petition. The petition is to get the state of Oklahoma to toughen the laws for negligent homicide. Negligent is the act of being careless. If you are careless enough to get behind the wheel of a vehicle and to act in a dangerous manor then you should do the time that they give you. The sentence for negligent homicide is only one year. We are asking that the laws be changes so that the negligent homicide charge will carry out a longer sentence.

Please sign this petition, it would mean a lot to all of us here that knew Gaje as well as to those families who have been ripped apart by due to people being negligent while driving.

The petition will be sent out to the State legislature after I receive enough signitures. I am trying to get as many as I can before this lady is sentensed. Please help us before it is too late.

In memory of Gaje Petition

Thanks to all who have signed this.

Please do not ask me if I am over it yet.
I will never be over it.
Please do not tell me he is in a better place.
He is not here with me.
Please do not say at least he is not suffering.
I have never figured out why he had to suffer at all.
Please do not tell me you know how I feel.
unless you have lost a child.
Please do not ask me if I feel better.
This is not a condition that clears up.
Please do not tell me at least you had him for so many years.
What would you choose for your child to die?
Please do not tell me that God only gives us what we can handle.
Please just say that you are sorry.
Please just remember my son, if you do.
Please just let me talk about my son.
Please mention my sons name.
Please just let me cry.

Author Unknown

There was a few things that I needed to clear up. I am not the biological mother of Gaje, I am his step mother. I am married to his father, Brent Jeffrey Florence, who has full custody of him. I feel that I have played my role in Gaje's life. We all come from a very close family, who usually spent our time at my mother in laws house.

I would hope that the nasty comments would stop after this post. The Kiowa Tribe, which Gaje is a member of, did pay portion of the funeral bill. We are greatful for them doing this. However, there is still bills that keep coming in.

The funds that were set up, are going to pay for the hospital bill, funeral home, limo's, plaque, casket, clean up crew, and any other bills that are a result of this incident.

The Florence family, has taken it upon themselves to pay for all of these charges. We have been asking for your help to try to cover the bills. Whatever is left over will be paid for by our family.

I am not writing this post out of bitterness but out of anger that someone left me a comment exclaiming a few inappropriate remarks.

Please disregard any rude behavior on this blog. This blog is a dedication to our son Gaje Jeffrey Florence and I would appreciate it if everyone who wrote a comment that is inappropriate or meaningless, would refrain from doing so. If you feel the need to vent, then please leave me a message at r.florence84@yahoo.com and not on this blog.

I do not appreciate it and neither does all of the family and friends that come on here to pay their respects and to keep updated with all of the court procedings.

Thank you and I do apologize for having to write this post.

Okay, for those of you who have been wondering how to look her up on the computer under the court dockets.

So, I decieded to make this easier for all of you who care about this information.

I can only list certain information so listen up carefully.

The lady who ran over him is Elisie Margarietta Murguia and she also has an allience that she goes by, Elsa Margaret Ontiverras.
Her birthdate is 10/30/78.

To access the information on the court docket, you will need to go to and the court docket number is, CM-2007-1641. This is all of the information that you need to access this information.

If you look on there, you will also see that she was picked up as recentely as two weeks before the negligent homicide charge. The negligent homicide charge is still pending a court date.

The DA said that they are going to get the driving under suspension out of the way before they go to court for the negligent homicide. They want to do this to make it easier on everyone.

We have also been informed that the court dates that are coming up are just for them to try to continue everything and that there is no sense in everyone going to these. They said that they would let us know when we need to go to court. As soon as I have this information, I will post it up on this blog for everyone to see.

I opened up a guestbook for Gaje. This guestbook is located on the right hand side of the blog and we would greatly appreciate it if you would sign it for us.

You can write a message to anyone in the family as well as to Gaje himself.

I have also added a picture album at the bottom of this blog for those of you who would like to take a peek at it.

I will be adding more stuff to this blog so make sure that you keep updated. If you would like to receive an email with updates to this blog, make sure to add your email address to feedblitz. The email updates are located on the top left of this blog.

With the help of Myspace.com and the friends and family that I have on there, we have been able to spread the word about Gaje and what his memory meant to us.

There have been numerous people who have posted links back to this blog and also links to the news columns so that people can keep updated on them.

Thank you to those of you who have been posting up the news on Gaje's trial as well as momentums about him.

Associated Content, a company that I work for, asked me to write and article for them so that they would be able to help spread the word about my son's death.

I worked for a long time on this article and through tears and anguish, I was able to come up with an article.

The article will tell you about the day that my son, Gaje Jeffrey Florence, died and what happened.

I would hope that you would all take the time to view it. It was edited by the Associated Content editors and the name of the article was one that they had come up with.

Please take the time to read it, it would mean a lot to our family. Thank you.

Oklahoma City mother recounts the death of her son

I received a phone call this morning letting me know that the court date was moved from June the 7th of 2007 to June the 12th at 9 A.M.

I hate that they moved it, I am ready to get this over with. I was warned that they would probably try to drag it out for as long as they could. I don't see why though, she can't get out of jail until her court date since she was denied bail.

I think that this is disgusting and that there should be better justice. I am thinking about starting a petition for Gaje so that no other family will have to go through what we are going through.

The court system is getting ridiculous when they allow someone to keep getting out of jail. Did it take the death of our son before this women is punished and then she is only getting a slap on the rist.

The punishment should be harder and more severe due to all that this woman has done and not only to us but to other families as well even though we are the ones who lost a child due to her wreckless driving.

I want people to hear us screaming out to the justice system and for the courts to take a stand and say that enough is enough. Don't they care that a little boy, my boy, was killed because the courts kept letting her out of jail?

Bail was denied for the women who killed our son after the judge decieded that she was indeed a flight risk. The women was quoted yelling at her friends to get her bonded out of jail and then she was out of there.

I do believe that if this women got the chance, she would leave the United States. She has been known to post bail and then not appear in court.

The judge made a wise decision on this.

The women who ran over Gaje Florence, did not show any remorse for her actions and her family has not given an apology for what she had done.

The laws should be changed so that no other family should have to go through what we have went through. The next court date is set for June the 7th of 2007.

On Saturday May the 19th of 2007, my little boy, Gaje Jeffrey Florence, was killed after being ran over by a truck while he played in his own driveway.

The details of this day, are still a puzzle to me. I could not have imagined this happening to our family. What possesed this woman to back into our driveway that day?

I was later told that she was visiting our neighbors when the women that she was visiting yelled at her to come back to her house. Instead of the women backing up, she backed into our driveway where she killed our son.

The women was charged with negligent homicide which is only a misdemeoner charge. She was also charged with driving under suspension. This lady had previous charges of driving under suspension as well as a previous hit and run charge. She also has a warrant out for her in New Mexico and has been known for not showing up for court.

This lady should have never been behind the wheel of a vehicle but the law kept letting her out of jail. If she is found guilty, this women may only face up to two years of inprisonment for negligent homicide.

This is not justice. Gaje should be at home with us and not dead. Dead.... this is such a hard word for me to comprehend.

With the help of Oklahoma City's news channel four, we have set up an account with Bank of Oklahoma to help pay for the cost of the funeral, hospital bill, and other charges as a result of this incident.

I want to thank all of you who have helped to raise money to help us with these expenses. We greatly appreciate your donations as well as the cards and food that has been sent to our families house.