Revenge seemed like the obvious path.
Tina Crawford’s world was shattered in 2014 when her only son, Ira Hopkins, was killed during a senseless robbery on his 35th birthday. Overcome with grief and rage, Crawford initially yearned for retribution—an eye for an eye.
However, by the time the two men responsible for Ira’s murder were sentenced in a Delaware courtroom, Crawford had begun to consider forgiveness. At the hearing, she addressed the judge, saying, “I have forgiven the people that have done this to our family because my God tells me to, but what they did was wrong and hateful, and they must pay with whatever you decide.”
One of the perpetrators, 18-year-old Jy’Aire Smith-Pennick, who had participated in the robbery but did not fire the fatal shots, received a 20-year prison sentence. What followed was an extraordinary story of reconciliation and transformation.
After the sentencing, Crawford discovered she knew one of Jy’Aire’s aunts and later met another. The three women stayed in touch, and soon Crawford extended an olive branch to Jy’Aire himself. She invited him to write her a letter, which eventually led to phone calls. Through their conversations, she learned about Jy’Aire’s troubled past: homelessness during much of his youth, the loss of his mother at 14, his father at 17, and his stepmother at 18. These hardships had driven him to the streets, where he began selling drugs and ultimately took part in the robbery that claimed Ira’s life.
Over time, Crawford became a source of support for Jy’Aire during his incarceration. She encouraged him to pursue education and self-improvement. He earned a high school diploma, followed by an associate’s degree. He also became a certified peer specialist, counseling fellow inmates and even preventing suicides. Jy’Aire wrote a public apology letter to Ira—a powerful step in his journey of redemption.
Seven years into his sentence, Jy’Aire appeared before the Delaware Board of Pardons in October 2024. Dozens of supporters attended to advocate for his release—including Tina Crawford herself. Speaking before the board, she acknowledged her pain: “That man hurt me. He took something from me… I lost a son.” Then she added something remarkable: “But in the process, I gained one.”
The board unanimously commuted Jy’Aire’s sentence. A few months later, he walked free.
But their story didn’t end there. Together, Tina and Jy’Aire are now working on a nonprofit called the IRA Foundation, named after her late son. The organization aims to equip at-risk youth with practical skills like carpentry, photography, music production, and more—offering them opportunities that could steer them away from destructive paths.
In an extraordinary turn of events, Tina Crawford and Jy’Aire Smith-Pennick have come together to honor Ira’s memory by helping others avoid similar tragedies. As one CNN article perfectly summarized: “Jy’Aire says he will protect Tina until the breath leaves his body. The son without a mother is now watching over the mother without a son.”