Frank and Elaine Rasmussen say it was only God's unconditional love that enabled them to forgive Karen Brown for killing their grandson, Bill.
Their response has been a lonely ray of light for Karen who has suffered much since Bill's death two years ago.
In July 2004, Bill Aquilina attacked and robbed Karen Brown, a security guard collecting the takings from the Moorebank Hotel. Suffering from a fractured skull and in shock, Ms Brown shot Bill dead after he re-entered his car.
Bill began living with the Rasmussens, who reside in Ingleburn and attend Denham Court Anglican Church, just before his 18th birthday and stayed with them for eight years.
They accept Bill's actions, but consider them out of character. "It was terrific when he was here," Frank says.
"He was a gentle soul. He loved pottering around, building things, and he loved animals. After the dog was de-sexed, the doctor said we should stay with it for a while, to keep it quiet. When we woke up the next morning, we found Bill asleep with the dog on the lounge."
When they first heard the news, the Rasmussens were in disbelief and blamed Karen for Bill's death. But as Karen's trial for murder and manslaughter progressed, they realised that they needed to forgive her.
"After the funeral when she was charged, I wasn't very good to her," Frank says. "But at the trial in the Criminal Court, the doctors and psychiatrists said that the beating that she had got was fairly serious. She wouldn't have known what she was doing."
"What really hit me was praying the Lord's Prayer: forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us," Elaine says. "Every time I said it at church, I felt God speaking to me: "Take this bit in, you're not listening!' All that time I'd been feeling dreadful, and I realised why. I was asking God to forgive me for my sins, but I wasn't forgiving."
They apologised for their earlier animosity, and in the closing days of the trial, Elaine approached Karen at the Darlinghurst court and hugged her. "She looked shocked," Elaine says. "We just sat there and talked for a while. She's such a beautiful person."
Karen was acquitted of both murder and manslaughter in August. When the verdict was announced, the Rasmussens thanked God.
Frank says defence barrister Tony Bellanto was amazed.
"He said he'd never seen a result like that where the two opposing parties were so friendly with each other," he says.
The ordeal of the robbery, shooting and the trial has been difficult for Karen.
She told the Sunday Telegraph she has been haunted by nightmares and is struggling with alcoholism and hundred-thousand dollar legal debts. But she says that the Rasmussens' forgiveness and kindness has been a ray of light into her life.
"It does make me feel really good, actually," she said. "It's a real sad situation and I really feel for them" I really do. I just wish I wasn't the one who took their grandson off them."
Some people the Rasmussens encounter can barely contain their disbelief when they hear the story.
"I've had quite a few non-Christians ask how I can be nice to her," Elaine says.
"I just ask them how God could be so nice to me, when I wasn't being nice to her. God's never failed me or let me down, even though I wasn't being the person I should have been."
