CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- At first glance Henry Wallace may not look like the type of man who could terrorize an entire city.
But that was his charm, that s why he was the perfect human predator.
It s been 19 years this past March, and I still think about her everyday. Sometimes I tear up, said George Burrell, the cousin of Brandi Henderson.
She was one of Wallace s victims. Between 1992 and 1994 the serial killer murdered nine east Charlotte women. Burrell knew him and can t forget how he tried to console him.
The next day I'm watching TV with him, watching her death on the 5 o'clock news...he s coldly touching me and saying it's going to be alright. I'm sorry that happened, and he's the one who did it.
Burrell shared his memories with NBC Charlotte after watching our retrospective on 1993-- the deadliest year in Charlotte history with 129 murders.
He believes that had the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department s Homicide Unit been properly staffed Wallace s reign of terror might have ended much sooner.
I really believe the police have changed a lot of things, I believe they have more staff they are better equipped and that s just a time I don t want to forget, and I don t want people to forget it.
Wallace worked with all of the women at various fast food restaurants. Police were not able to explore those connections at the time because they only had 6 homicide investigators working 129 cases.
By comparison last year we had 52 murders and there are 31 investigators in that department.
Wallace has been on death row for so long some of the parents of his victims have passed away waiting for justice.
Henderson s mother died more than a year ago from natural causes. The parents of Debra Ann Slaughter are also no longer with us; she was the last victim.
Why is it taking so long I don't understand that part, were at the point where we know he did it, let s get it over with, so we can move on, as long as he is alive there is still something that is holding us, that were holding on to with him .
Burrell says he has learned to let go, but if Wallace is ever executed he want to be there.
You can't get angry, you can't and you have to forgive, you don't have to forget, but you have to forgive because if you don't it will eat at you, said Burrell.
