Forgiving The Facebook Killer: Steve Stephens’ Ex Girlfriend Joy Lane Meets Godwin’s Children

Steve Stephens walked up to 74-year-old Robert Godwin and told him to say the name Joy Lane before he shot him in the head. The man known as the Facebook Killer asserted that Joy Lane, along with his alleged negligent mother, and a few other close friends were the cause for his killing spree. Steve Stephens claimed he killed 13 people in a 24 hour period but uploaded one chilling video to Facebook.

The beach whale standing next to him is Joy Lane or Joy Carr, check this out, she called him a "nice guy" #RobertGodwinJr pic.twitter.com/p87SR0xbbZ

— Darnell On Park Ave (@DarnelOnParkAve) April 18, 2017

Many on social media were frantic and worried while spreading any and all information on Steve Stephens’ possible whereabouts. In the midst of the manhunt for Steve Stephens, Joy Lane said she tried calling him but he did not answer his phone.

“I did try to call him — for all the people who were like, ‘Call him! Call him!’ I did. He didn’t answer.”

Although Joy has a different story, Steve Stephens said he was living with Joy Lane and couldn’t take the turmoil in their relationship any longer.

“She put me at my pushing point. Just killing m**** all because of this b**** Joy Lane. just couldn’t take it anymore… I was living with her, I woke up Friday, I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

Warning: The video clip below of Steve Stephens contains disturbing language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-lxzJJRJik

Joy Lane said the two had dated for several years and had at one point considered marriage. According to Lane, she and Stephens remained friends after their breakup. However, she asked Steve to seek professional help for a possible gambling addiction.

On Tuesday, Joy Lane spoke with an Ohio news station about how her life has changed since Stephens recorded himself killing Godwin in Cleveland, Ohio on Easter Sunday.

“I feel bad… The last thing that he would have said was my name and didn’t know me or why he was saying it. And that’s been difficult.”

Lane said she was upset with the fact that Godwin’s last words were her name.

“The hashtags Joy Lane, Joy Lane massacre, I don’t even know who Joy Lane is anymore, or how to pick up all the pieces of my world at this moment… I’ve got a lot of negative comments. Some even said he should have killed me.”

According to Lane, her last conversation with Steve Stephens was last Saturday. Joy Lane says Steve Stephens told her he would quit his job and would be moving out of the state of Ohio.

Robert Godwin’s daughters, Tonya R. Godwin-Baines and Debbie D. Godwin, reassured Joy Lane that Steve Stephens’ actions were not her fault. The sisters asked Joy Lane not to blame herself. The women seemed to have found some closure as they hugged one another and prayed.

Godwin Family Forgives Steve Stephens’ Horrific Act

Godwin’s children told Lane that the killing of their 74-year-old father is not her fault and that they hold no ill will towards her for what Steve Stephens has done.

“Each one of us forgives the killer, the murderer.”

The sisters said Godwin taught his children the value of hard work, how to love God and most importantly in this situation, how to forgive, as per CNN. The Godwin’s said, “They don’t make men like him [Robert Godwin, Sr.] anymore… He was definitely one in a million.”

All three women have come a long way in a short time after the Easter Sunday killing of their father. When Godwin’s daughter, Brenda Haymon, learned of Stephens’ death, she was busy planning funeral arrangements for her father.

“All I can say is that I wish he had gone down in a hail of 100 bullets… I wish it had gone down like that instead of him shooting himself.”

Godwin will be laid to rest Saturday, just one week after his last meal with his children.

Facebook Killer Steve Stephens Commits Suicide After McDonald’s Chase

On Tuesday, the nearly three-day manhunt for Steve Stephens came to an end after the killer stopped at a McDonald’s in Harborcreek Township, Pennsylvania. The location was 100 miles from the scene of the killing. As the Inquisitr previously reported, Steve Stephens cell phone pinged 100 miles from where Godwin was murdered.

Apparently, Stephens stopped for french fries and chicken McNuggets at McDonalds. Almost instantly, an employee recognized him, told their manager who proceeded to stall him in making the french fries while they called the police, according to CNN.

Stephens became suspicious of the delay and fled the parking lot immediately. Pennsylvania State Police troopers pursued him, prompting an officer to ram the car to disable it.

As his vehicle was spinning out of control, Stephens pulled his gun to his head and shot himself, according to police. Authorities had hoped for a different outcome that would provide more closure for those involved.

“We’re grateful that this has ended… We would prefer that it had not ended this way because there are a lot of questions, I’m sure, that not only the family, but the city in general would have had for Steve.”

Jackson, 47, said Stephens mentored foster kids at Beech Brook. The children’s mental health center confirmed his employment. They described Steven Stephens as a quiet guy with a good heart who’d never shown any signs of aggression.

[Featured Image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]