Hello. My name is Russell Godwin. I'm still one of the cameramen for the Steve Wilkos Show as of 2013. I can remember that day working as a cameraman for the Steve Wilkos show, receiving $8.50 per hour, including take-home pay which was pretty sweet. Of all the guests on Mr. Wilkos's show, one that was disturbing, that still makes my blood run cold and leads him to take matters into his own hands.
This guest made every child molester, deadbeat parent, baby killer, rapist, abusive spouse, and hardened criminal look harmless. It was a chilly November night in Chicago, and I was looking forward to it being Friday and going home to my wife and daughter. The one thing I had on my mind was taking them out to dinner and watching some movies we ordered through Netflix. Now before I continue with this guest, I want to let everyone know on behalf of Mr. Wilkos, executive producers Jerry Springer and Rachelle Wilkos, I would like to say that because the police didn't do anything about this felon, Mr. Wilkos resorted to vigilante justice.
The topic of the episode was called "I Gave You Drugs, And Erased Your Life." It dealt with a psychopathic young man who gave powerful narcotics to random women for monetary gain and rob them blind not only of their material possessions but their memories and lives. Not killing them, just robbing them of their freedom and stealing their virginity. I will give you a transcript of the episode which is below...
[The guest appears as an emaciated Korean-American young man between 20-25 years old, up to mid-30s, with long raven hair, a black hoodie, black sweat pants, and sneakers]
Anthony: Well, Steve, in 2009, I robbed an ex-girlfriend of mine of money she was saving towards getting a vehicle and used her as my sex toy. The truth of the matter is, I felt bad about it afterward.
[Anthony gets a weird look from Steve]
Steve: Um, because of what you told me, I'm gonna have to ask you to stand up.
Anthony: Yes, sir.
[Steve moves chair away as Anthony stands up]
Steve: You know, of all the guests I had on my show, you are by far, the most polite and cooperative.
Anthony: Thank you.
Steve: So, Anthony, you called in the show, correct?
Anthony: No, sir, my mother did.
Steve: Your mother?
Anthony: Yes, sir.
Steve: Is your mother here in the building?
[An unrecognizable Korean-American woman speaks off-screen, the camera pans to her, revealing the woman to be in the audience]
Unknown: That would be me.
Steve: And you're Anthony's mom-- Nara?
Nara: Yes, Mr. Wilkos.
Steve: Mom, may I invite you up on stage?
Nara: Certainly.
[Nara is led up on stage by one of the security guards of the studio]
Steve: I'm going to get you a chair so you can sit, okay?
[A stagehand brings Steve a chair for Anthony's mother to sit in]
Nara: Thank you.
[Nara sits to make herself comfortable while her son stands]
Steve: Okay. Mom, you called the show, spoke with my producers, and from what you told me, you're here to clear your son's name?
Nara: Yes, Mr. Wilkos.
Steve: Can you tell me more about this, please?
Nara: Yes. Anthony had stolen money from an ex-girlfriend of his. The money she was saving toward getting a vehicle, to feed his habit.
Steve: Right.
Nara: On many occasions, he would give her Sherm-- that's embalming fluid mixed with marijuana, and he would also have a friend mix in cocaine with the pot to create another cocktail. After what happened, he called me up that night, crying, and said he felt guilty for what he had done and was scared of going to the police.
Steve: Why is that?
Nara: My son has the mentality-- and I don't mean to speak badly of him, because it's true. He has the mentality of a 5-year-old child. He doesn't know what he's doing half the time, and his mental illness is to blame. So when I explained that to the local police department, they left Anthony alone.
Steve: I understand where you're coming from, and you are a real nice lady and a devoted mother. I can see that no parent would want to see their child convicted of any crime, let alone in jail, and your devotion is unsurpassed. Any parent who loves their child that much would go to great lengths to keep them from being sentenced.
Nara: I know my son has done some horrible stuff in his time, but I still love and care about him nonetheless. People may hate him, but deep in his heart, he's still a good boy.
Steve: If all mothers were like you, Nara, I think the world would be a better place. Mom, if I may, I would like to continue. So we're gonna send you back stage.
Nara: Okay.
[Nara is led off stage by studio team members, presumably to the green room]
Steve: You know, it's a damn shame that a woman-- a loving mother like yours, would give birth to a piece of crap like you. And, you being inhumanly polite, being all nice and buddy-buddy with me... something isn't right. From the looks of things, it sounds to me like you came into the studio high.
Anthony: I was extremely nervous and had to smoke a joint, man.
Steve (strictly): Alright, first off, you don't call me "man," man. You call me "Steve," damn it. I ain't one of your stoner buddies, pal.
Anthony: I'm sorry. It won't happen again.
Steve: That's what I like to hear. So anyway, your mother told me that you gave your ex-girlfriend Sherm. And you know, if it was real embalming fluid, she-- your ex-girlfriend, would have been dead.
Anthony: It was liquid PCP.
Steve: And this was in your possession?
Anthony: No, sir. I got this from a friend of mine, who also helped me brew a cocaine/pot cocktail.
Steve: You were unaware of the health hazards of this while you were giving it to her?
Anthony: I wasn't at the time, I was high and wasn't thinking straight.
Steve: So you had no regard for her life and decided to give these narcotics to her anyway?
Anthony (yelling): I never said I wanted to kill her!
Steve (now angry): BUT YOU CONTINUED! DID YOU NOT CARE IF SHE ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL?! IN THE GUTTER? LAYING DEAD SOMEWHERE?!
Anthony (screaming): IT WASN'T IN MY NATURE TO KILL HER! I LOVED HER!
Steve (more bitter): OH YEAH, A REAL KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR GIVING HIS FARE MAIDEN DRUGS THAT WOULD'VE EVENTUALLY KILLED HER! IF YOU LOVED HER, YOU WOULDN'T BE DOING THAT!
Anthony: I STILL CARED ABOUT HER EVEN IF I WAS HIGH OR NOT!
Steve: If that was my daughter and I found out what you had done, I would've made sure your ass paid for it! I WOULD'VE GONE TO YOUR CRAP SHACK MYSELF AND BEAT THE LIVING HELL OUT OF YOU! [cooling down, still angry] And I sure as hell wouldn't be the one to let you off the hook because mommy or daddy didn't want to see their little boy suffer.
Anthony: My father never cared about me, so even if it mattered that I went to prison, or a FUCKING DETENTION CENTER, I DON'T GIVE A SHIT!
Steve: Let me tell you something, Anthony... If you were my son, and thank God you're not, I would've made sure your ass went to rehab and stayed there. Prison would be too merciful a fate for you.
Anthony: More power to ya.
Steve: When we return, we're gonna read the results of your lie detector test. We'll be right back.
[Audience applauds, cut to commercial break]
I felt so much anger and hostility coming from Steve, almost as if he wanted to kill Anthony himself. If I were in Mr. Wilkos's shoes, I'd put the stoner loser out of his misery, too. During the commercial break, Anthony noticed me and tried to engage in conversation with me during the break. Something I did not want to be a part of. This is what transpired...
"No hard feelings?" Anthony asked.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I replied.
"Come on. You're still not upset over me stealing from Stephanie are you?"
Stephanie is my daughter's name. Anthony did not know she was related to me.
"Well, let's see. After your little meat puppet ass bandits, Johnny and Alan promised me I would be the new lead singer of Hell's Asylum, them stealing and ultimately plagiarizing lyrics I wrote, I say I'm perfectly fine." I was sarcastic. But he was too fucking oblivious to notice.
"As long as everything is okay. Sorry I didn't introduce myself to your aunt, I did not mean to be rude that night." Anthony said.
"Are you high or just brain dead? Everything I said was true, and you're trying to let bygones be bygones? Piss off."
I was so irritated. He left a very irritable aura in the studio. It wasn't visible on their faces, but I can tell that besides the production staff, producers, and security guards, the studio audience wanted to put Anthony out of his misery. They wanted a piece of him like a pack of rabid bulldogs wanting to tear a steak to shreds. I, myself, wanted more than anything to see him in the obituaries. But right now, my being behind the camera helped me maintain my composure. Here is part two of the transcript.
[Steve Wilkos Show logo fades in, transition to the stage]
Steve: Welcome back. We're gonna view the results of Anthony's lie detector test. But first, let's bring Nara-- Anthony's mom, back out.
[Nara comes back on stage, the audience applauds]
Steve: Thanks for coming back out, Mom. I trust you were comfortable in the green room?
Nara: Yes. Thank you very much.
Steve [calmed down]: I understand you didn't want to hear anything being shouted to your son and I figured that the green room was the perfect place. I did this for you because you are a wonderful lady, and the world needs more moms like you. We're now going to read Anthony's lie detector results.
[Steve gets envelope containing lie detector result papers, opens the envelope]
Nara: Win or lose, I will still love you, son.
Steve: Anthony, you have a wonderful mother. Don't take her for granted. [reads the page] Here are your results. Anthony, you were asked during your relationship with your now ex-girlfriend Stephanie, did you sleep with other women? You said no. You were asked during your time as an audio mixer for the now-defunct death metal band Hell's Asylum, did you embezzle money up front to feed your drug habit? You said no. You were asked when Stephanie was under the influence of drugs, were you planning on letting your best friend rape her? You said no. You were also asked did you plan on killing your ex-girlfriend if she threatened to turn you in to the police. You said no. And the results of your lie detector test is... You did not tell the truth.
Steve: High or not, YOU WERE PLANNING TO KILL HER! SHE LOVED YOU AND YOU RUINED HER LIFE!
Anthony: I didn't ruin her life! I MADE TOO MANY DUMB DECISIONS! BLAME MY FATHER!
Steve: I'm getting so sick and tired of you playing the blame game! YOUR FATHER'S PROUD OF YOU! I'VE HEARD TOO MANY EXCUSES! GET THE HELL OFF MY STAGE!
[Thunderous applauds from the audience as Steve orders Anthony to exit his stage. The camera cuts to Steve talking to Anthony's mom backstage]
Nara: I am so sorry about my son, Mr. Wilkos.
Steve: You do not have to be sorry, Mom. I know this must be difficult for you to accept the fact that Anthony has done something wrong. But one thing you have shown is endless love and devotion through a difficult time. I pray that things will work out for the better, and as far as I'm concerned, the only thing you have to worry about, the one thing you have to focus on is the love for your child. I have never seen a parent love their child so much and you've shown that tonight.
Nara: I appreciate that. And as I mentioned to my son before, that win or lose, I will still love him.
Steve: Listen, if you need anything else, you call me and I will help you any way I can.
Nara: God bless you, Mr. Wilkos. [hugs Steve]
[Steve hugs back, credits roll]
As the credits rolled and the show went off the air. Everyone was ready to leave. It was already 11:30 at night, and the audience members going back home. Some who took a trip to Chicago returned to their hotels. Nara went back to her hotel room after Anthony said he would meet her there. Before I left for the night, I headed into the green room with one of the camera men to have a beer. God knows I needed one after the night I had.
A few minutes later, as I was about to get a ride in the limo with Steve, his wife Rachelle, and Jerry Springer himself, we noticed that the parking garage that we were in was almost pitch black except for the gleam of the city lights beaming through the openings of the levels. As I stood trying to figure out what was the cause of the lights flickering on and off and ending up pitch black, I smelled a lingering stench. It smelled like fried cat shit. I knew that smell. It was pot. Was someone getting stoned after dark? A homeless man perhaps? Steve got a text on his cell phone which read:
"YOUR WIFE IS GONNA LIKE THE COCKTAIL I'M GONNA GIVE HER."
That was Anthony. Was he asking for a death sentence? Provoking Steve Wilkos on stage was one thing, but doing it when the show goes off the air, that's a dance with the devil.
"Where is he? WHERE'S THAT RAT BASTARD AT?!" Mr. Wilkos asked, screaming at the top of his lungs. His face looked beet-red and there was a vein on his forehead that was about to explode. I have never seen Steve this angry not since the Devil Mom segment. This was personal.
"What's wrong, Steve?" Jerry Springer asked, with a look of concern on his face. He could tell something was wrong, and he's been really good friends with Mr. Wilkos for a lot of years.
"Remember tonight's guest?"
"yeah, that Anthony kid. What about him?" Springer replied.
"Look what the little shithead SENT ME!"
Steve showed his phone to Springer.
"Oh my God."
"If that asshole lays a hand on Rachelle, I'M GONNA MAKE SURE HE'S PUSHING UP FUCKING DAISIES!" Steve shouted. He pounded the trunk of a random car out of anger. He looked like an executioner ready to perform his brutal task. His wife Rachelle tried to calm her husband down, but all to no avail. He was going to defend his wife one way or the other. Just then, another text message appeared on Steve's phone.
"RUBY WILL LIKE MY NEW ORGANIC GREEN CANDY."
Ruby is Steve's 10-year-old daughter (born 2003). He had told me and everyone else on the set so many times that he would kill anyone who dared mess with his children. Especially his daughter. I, myself, know Ruby and Steve's son Jack. They call me Uncle Russell because I grew so close to the Wilkos family since 2003. I considered Jack & Ruby my godchildren and I felt the tension and animosity coming from Steve himself. The very thought of Anthony turning Ruby into a junkie at age 10, and subjecting her to white slavery made my blood run hot. I felt the adrenaline freeze in my body over the thought of poor little Ruby being drugged and molested by this fucking stoner prick.
"I swear to God, if you so much as lay a finger on my wife and daughter, I'LL KILL YOUR SORRY ASS!" Steve shouted, his voice echoing through out the parking garage. Anthony didn't respond. Steve's officer friend stood guard at the parking garage exit. He also called the Chicago PD to secure the area to make sure Anthony didn't escape.
Steve's cop friend, let's call him Jacob, explained that Steve had to carry out vigilante justice because Anthony had pretty much ruined Stephanie's life and stolen from her. Steve knew that because Stephanie is my daughter. And since 2009, I wanted nothing more than to hear him beg for his life. Leaving an apology on someone's Facebook page-- my daughter's Facebook page wasn't going to seal the deal and make sure everything was okay. Why my daughter forgave that sorry sack of shit and prevented me from killing him, I'll never know. This had to be done. He could not get away with this any longer. Anthony needed to die. That's all there is to it. Fuck giving a person a second chance and turning over a new leaf. This was personal.
"This is going to get ugly." Springer said. I agreed with him.
"WHY DON'T YOU COME ON OUT AND SHOW YOURSELF, YOU LITTLE PUSSY?! DO YOU THINK THAT MESSING WITH THOSE I LOVE, AND RUSSELL'S DAUGHTER GOING TO PROVE ANYTHING? YOU THINK IT'S GONNA PROVE TO EVERYONE THAT YOU'RE JUST LIKE A FUCKING 5-YEAR-OLD CHILD WHO DOESN'T KNOW ANY BETTER AND YOU JUST WANT TO BE LOVED AND ACCEPTED?!" Steve exploded into a violent, hate-filled tirade.
"Let's face it, Anthony. YOU HIDE BEHIND A BLACK HOODY JUST SO PEOPLE WON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT YOUR UGLY JET-LI-LOOKING MUG AND YOU'RE SCARED TO DEATH TO INTERACT WITH ANYONE. THE REASON WHY HELL'S ASYLUM BROKE UP IS THAT NO ONE WANTED TO BE AROUND YOUR GREASY, ANOREXIC, POT-SMOKING, COCK-SUCKING ASS! YOU CLAIM TO BE THE WORLD'S GREATEST AUDIO MIXER AND ROADIE FOR A BAND THAT NO ONE WILL SEE, BUT IN REALITY, YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A SCARED LITTLE BOY TRAPPED IN THE BODY OF A 29-YEAR-OLD MAN! YOU'RE A POSER! COME ON OUT, YOU FUCKING COWARD!"
A scream reverberated. It was the scream of a woman. The scream belonged to Steve's wife Rachelle. Steve raced up the stairs to the top of the parking garage to find his wife bound and only in bra and panties. She was going to be drugged and viciously raped. There was another man along with Anthony. He was a scraggly-looking young white male who appeared to be younger than Anthony, and smoking a cocaine-mixed joint to give him some courage. Anthony handed his friend an empty medical syringe. The kind of syringes you would get with an insulin kit.
"Steve," Anthony's friend called out, high "So glad you could join us. We were just having a little fun."
"Get away from my wife or I'm gonna blow your fucking head off."
"Relax, Mr. Wilkos," the friend responded. "Your wife is just fine. We're not gonna let anything happen to her."
"HELP ME, STEVE! HELP ME, PLEASE!!!!" Rachelle screamed. I saw visible goosebumps on her skin and she was looking very pale from the chilly night weather. It is a wonder she didn't succumb to hypothermia.
"Tell you what, Steve. Just slide the gun over to me, and I'll let your wifoes without a scratch. How's that?" The friend responded.
"Don't make it hard on yourself, Mr. Wilkos," the friend said, "Just slide me the shotgun and you can have your wife back."
"Or how about this? I put one right between your eyes and I take my wife back?"
"See this, Steve? This syringe is full of liquid cocaine and liquid pot extract. You try anything funny, this shot will go right into your wife. It won't kill her, she'll just have a full-blown drug trip and have no memory of what happened."
Around the corner of the parking garage's elevator exterior, I grabbed a fire extinguisher that was on a wall. I wasn't going to put any fires out, no way. I was going to do something entirely different...
"That's right. Just hand me the shotgun and she'll go free. I promise you."
Steve slid the Mossberg 590 shotgun over to the friend, and in his drug-induced state, untied Rachelle. Rachelle ran into her husband's arms, crying, Jerry Springer taking his sport coat off and giving it to her so she can keep warm.
"I should warn you." Anthony's friend reminded Steve.
"What?"
"Your wife will be unable to sleep for the next 15 days."
"What the hell did you do to her?!"
"I gave her a meth pill."
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Just as Steve was about to go ballistic and beat the crap out of Anthony's friend, the friend picked up the Mossberg 590 shotgun and aimed it at Steve. And said these words...
"When I said I would give you her back without a scratch, I meant without any bodily harm done. Not clean. She went steady with my stash and loved every minute of it. Now, YOU back away before I kill you."
I snuck up behind Anthony's friend out of nowhere and hit him over the head with the fire extinguisher as hard as I could, knocking him out. If I had killed him, it wouldn't have mattered. I tossed the shotgun back at Steve. I knew what he had to do.
"Thanks, Russ," Steve said, reclaiming the shotgun. He looked to Anthony who still doesn't have a clue what the hell was going on're just having a little fun, and you kill him."
"YOU THINK I LIKE BEING THIS WAY?! DO YOU THINK I LIKE BEING MENTALLY ILL?!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING HALF THE TIME!" Anthony screamed.
"I'VE HEARD ENOUGH, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Steve approached him. He now had his shotgun pointed at him. "You know what, Anthony? I want to kill you so badly I can hardly contain myself."
"What good will killing me do? I'm pretty much sick to death of my life anyway." Anthony replied in a childlike tone.
"For one, you won't be able to sexually solicit and abuse women for money, and you won't be contaminating the rest of the world with your offspring. I feel sorry for your mother giving birth to a scumbag like you. Let me tell you something, pal. You kidnapping and drugging my wife isn't my idea of fun. You ruined a lot of women's lives. YOU STOLE FROM THEM! YOU RUINED STEPHANIE'S LIFE, DAMN IT! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!"
"What do you want me to do then?" Anthony asked, his child-like tone still present, but his face growing into a more psychotic look.
"I want to see you beg for your life... I want to hear you scream at me not to murder your ass and watch your brains splatter all over the asphalt of this parking garage floor. I really don't care about how much of a good boy your mommy claims you to be. I'm not gonna spare you. Not at all. None of your whores are gonna miss you because they didn't want nothing to do with you. Prison would be too merciful a fate for you... so I'm gonna see to it that you die. Goodbye, Anthony. GET THE HELL OFF THIS EARTH!"
Steve pulled the trigger of the shotgun, and at that moment, Anthony's brains were splattered everywhere and his head was blown clean off his shoulders. Anthony was dead. Steve held his crying wife Rachelle close, comforting her. Because of the meth she ingested, she had to seek medical care. No charges or arrests were made against Steve. His police officer friend had vouched for him and confirmed that since Anthony was never going to be captured by the police, Steve had to take matters into his own hands. I patted Steve on the shoulder, seeing him settle down from the stress he endured. I don't blame him. It's already 12:45 AM and I'm just about on my way home to see my wife and daughter. Like Steve, I, too, would kill anyone who would dare hurt my daughter. I have a feeling that Anthony's mom is going to apologize to the press and police for her son being mentally ill. I just know this is going to be on the front of the local newspaper.
If someone hurts your family or friends or ends up stealing the innocence of your child, or rapes your wife/girlfriend, and police don't do anything about it, that's why there is vigilante justice.