News : Emma's Mom: Let daughter's death be life-changing in every positive way

"I rebuked you,"� wrote a wise man. "And though my words made you grieve, your sorrow inspired in you a life of diligence, energy, zeal and carefulness."� Perhaps nothing better expresses Aimee Redlinger's prayers for those responsible for the accidental death of her daughter, Emma, than those words from the Apostle Paul (2nd Corinthians, Chapter Seven). Aimee plans to sit in court on March 23, and face the young man who was holding the .22 caliber rifle with its barrel pointed toward Emma, when the gun discharged, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015. Emma, struck in the head, never regained consciousness and died four days later. Aimee, likeother friends and relatives of Emma, plans to share victim impact statements at the sentencing of William Hines, Jr. Hines, now 18, did not appear in court this week, but signed a written plea of guilty to the charges of involuntary manslaughter, interference with official acts and harassment of a peace officer, which his lawyer filed in Benton County District Court on Thursday. Hines pleaded guilty to three charges: Involuntary Manslaughter, an aggravated misdemeanor; Interference With Official Acts, a simple misdemeanor; and Harassment of Public Officers and Employees, a simple misdemeanor. Vinton police say Hines was visiting a residence at 1207 W. 4th Street, where officers found marijuana present after responding to the report of the shooting. A door in the room where the shooting took place was covered with graffiti containing many references to marijuana and drug usage.Police also say Hines, and others present, gave false information to officers about details of the shooting during interviews that evening. The guilty plea and upcoming sentencing will bring two-year-old case to and end. Seeing the details the investigationin the news again is doubly difficult, says Aimee. First, it's a painful reminder of her daughter's needless death. Second, it makes it easier for others to forget Emma's life while focusing on how she died. "I have tried very hard over the last two years to keep the focus on Emma's life and legacy of love and compassion she left us with, rather than the tragedy of her death"� says Aimee. "Unfortunately when my beautiful girl's picture is once again on the news, that focus is shifted back to the horrific accident that took her from us and the painful memories of the days and months after."� 'Whimsical, spunky' Emma's family and friends remember a whimsical, spunky prankster who liked to hide notes in her friends' lockers and see how long it took to find them. Emma had been an honor roll student at VS Middle School, and earned a ride in a limousine for being one of the students who sold 10 or more magazine subscriptions on the first day of the fund-raiser in 2011. In a story she wrote as a 6th-grader for the Junior Journalist program, she said she her pets included a dog and a mouse, and her favorite food is potatoes, which she wrote that she would eat "any way but raw."� At the time of her death, Emma was a freshman at VS High School. One of Aimee's favorite photos of Emma shows her in the dress she wore to the Homecoming Dance. Emma was "whimsical"� like the grinning cat in Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland"� movie, said Aimee. T-shirts honoring Emma depicted the cat's smile and contained the words, "We're all mad here."� "Emma talked about getting that smiling cat on a tattoo,"� Aimee recalls. Emma loved animals, and often brought home strays, says her mother. Grave marker to be placed at Evergreen Cemetery Emma was laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery, next to her infant sister, Sarah who died in October of 2003 at less than one month of age; and her uncle, Joel, who died in a bicycle-automobile accident at age 14 in 1988. A new marker honoring Emma has been finished and will be placed during a private family ceremony this spring. See a story about the tree under which Emma is buried HERE. Jail time unlikely for teen holding gun Aimee knows that it's very unlikely that Hines will be sentenced to serve any jail time, and she is OK with that. "I don't want to ruin anyone's life,"� she says, adding that spending time in prison is not what she believes Hines needs. Benton County Attorney David Thompson said he would not be seeking jail time for Hines, who was 17 when the incident happened but was tried as an adult. While the judge has the final say, the defense and prosecutors have worked out a plea agreement that includes supervised probation, as well as requirements for work and/or education, and other stipulations designed to help keep Hines from re-offending. 'Our job is to love and forgive' The bottom line is that Emma's memory dictates that this life-changing event should have a positive impact on the lives of everyone involved, especially those who faced criminal charges after her death. After living with the worst consequences of bad choices, Aimee is praying for those involved, that their lives will consist of making the best choices from now on. "We are all human,"� says Aimee. "We are all equal; no one is above the others. It is not our job to judge or condemn, but rather to love and forgive. I continue to keep all those involved in my prayers and I hope you will do the same."� During Emma's memorial service a week after her death, Aimee calmly addressed Emma's grieving family and classmates and called for "forgiveness and accountability."� During the witness impact statements on the day of Hines' sentencing, says Aimee, she and others mourning Emma's loss will articulate to Hines the pains his actions caused. Sentencing will conclude case Hines' sentencing will bring to an end the case which has been in the court system for nearly one year. Several others who were at the scene of the shooting were charged in February of 2015, including Robyn Merchant (Winterroth), who was sentence in October to 46 months in federal prison for providing a weapon to a prohibited person, Dylan Winterroth, her teenage son. Federal authorities says the mother knew the son was using marijuana when she bought him the gun the day before Emma was shot. Dylan Winterroth, who was 17 at the time of the arrest, faced several drug and other charges and has been placed in the juvenile home in Eldora. Others charged at the conclusion of the investigation included: Chase Dean Merchant, Age 21, on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance - Marijuana (Serious Misdemeanor) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor) Jacob Duane Hissong (JUVENILE), Age 17: Offenses: False Reports to Law Enforcement (Serious Misdemeanor) Interference With Official Acts (Simple Misdemeanor) Harassment of a Public Officer or Employee (Simple Misdemeanor) Skyler Ryan Merchant, Age 33: Offenses: Possession of a Controlled Substance - Marijuana (Serious Misdemeanor) Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor). Both Chase and Skyler Merchants received suspended sentences and other consequences; Hissong's case was handled in Juvenile Court.