My Wife Was Murdered By an Undocumented Immigrant

But I’m frustrated that Trump exploits stories like ours

Andy Ostroy
4 min readNov 1, 2018
Actress, director, and screenwriter Adrienne Shelly in New York City, 2001. Photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage/Getty Images

Twelve years ago today, at approximately 5:30 p.m., I walked into my wife’s office and found her dead in what appeared to be a suicide. And her death remained a suicide until five days later when her killer, a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant from Ecuador, was arrested.

It was unquestionably the worst, most unfathomably horrific day of my life, and there’s not been a day since where I haven’t grieved Adrienne’s tragic loss and her bright light that was so senselessly snuffed out. The pain and sorrow I feel is a life sentence.

Adrienne’s death reshaped me—who I am, what I believe in, and what I stand for. Including my thoughts about immigrants and immigration. And I am saddened by where we are as a nation today.

Let me be clear about a few things: I love my country and would do anything to defend and protect it. I am not for open borders. I advocate for strong border security. I believe immigrants should enter our country legally and that undocumented criminals should be deported.

And let me be even clearer about this: I hate Adrienne’s killer. I hate him for what he did to her. For so brutally extinguishing the life of a kind, beautiful soul. I hate him for…

--

--

Andy Ostroy
Andy Ostroy

Written by Andy Ostroy

Director, producer, podcaster, writer, resistor, non-profit-supporter of women filmmakers

Responses (37)