Local News

DeFede: Reyka Family Still Coping With Loss

MIAMI (CBS4) ― Six months have passed since Broward Sheriff's Sergeant Chris Reyka was killed outside a Pompano Beach Walgreens. It was a shooting that outraged the community. But as the search for his killer continues, his family struggles to cope with their loss.

"In the beginning, it was very difficult. As time goes on reality sets in a little bit more and you go to do things that normally he would be a part of, or you see something that would remind you of him. You just miss the day to day and the celebrations, the holidays, the birthdays and the valentines that he would normally be here for," said Kim Reyka.

Kim Reyka wears her husband's wedding ring on a chain around her neck and a pin with her husband's badge number over her heart. Soft-spoken and reserved, she talks about how her four children have dealt with the loss of their father, each grieving in their own way. During an interview with Kim, CBS4's Jim DeFede asked if she reserved her anger only for the man who killed her husband or does she also get angry at Chris, for choosing such a dangerous profession.

"I get angry sometimes, thinking why did you have to be such an active police officer, but it was the only way he knew how to be. He was the same way at home," said Kim.

A Marine like his father, Sean Reyka said he was in his barracks in Pensacola when his mother called him with the news that his father was killed.

"The first month, month and a half, that I was here was the hardest. You can't drive down a street without memories. You can't go anywhere. After the first week, I couldn't even stay in the house. I stayed at a best friend's house for about a month. Staying here at night was too hard, I couldn't sleep," said Sean Reyka.

Sean Reyka said when he did sleep, his dreams would sometimes turn to his father.

"I was dreaming that I got a call from him and he was at the hospital and he was like 'no, I was only hurt, they made a mistake.' And I was like 'I knew it, I knew it, I knew there was no way you could be dead, I just knew it.' And then I woke up and I realized it was only a dream," said Sean Reyka.

Sean credits his mother with keeping the family together.

"She's been nothing but strong and even though I'm supposed to be there for everyone, truly she's been the one who's been there for everyone," said Sean Reyka. "And then she went through her incident with her melanoma cancer and the whole time she was strong about that."

Weeks after her husband was shot, Kim Reyka discovered that a mole on her right hand had turned cancerous. She underwent surgery to have it removed and doctors have been closely monitoring her to make sure it doesn't spread. Like everything else she has had to deal with it, she takes it hour by hour, day by day, and always with thoughts of her husband.

"You get through it. You know he's here. He's just not physically here," said Kim Reyka.

As investigators seem to be closing in on those responsible, Kim Reyka said it is important that the gunmen are caught, but she is torn about whether they should die for their crimes.

"I haven't quite decided that," said Kim Reyka, "it's hard, it's very hard."

Indeed, neither Kim nor Sean neither are consumed by thoughts of vengeance.

"Getting angry at him, or getting upset or anything like that isn't going to help at all, it isn't going to bring my father back. Finding him, hurting him, even if he went to court and he was killed by lethal injection, it's not going to bring may father back. If anything, I'd hope he's learned from his mistake. I hope he's learned he's done something wrong. Maybe he can change his life, so if he's never caught, hopefully he's a better man for the experience now knowing what he's done," said Sean Reyka.

"That's an incredibly forgiving attitude," said DeFede, "I don't know that I would have that same sort of view that 'hopefully he's a better man now'."

"Well like I said, that came a lot from my father and mother. The first thing my mother said when I got home was 'you can't be angry at the guy because it's not going to bring your father back', and it isn't. He's already done enough damage to the family," said Sean Reyka.

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