In 1990, young Ian Manuel was living in the poorest, most violent housing projects in Tampa, FL. Manuel was barely a teenager when he fell in with the wrong crowd and made a decision that changed his life forever.
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One night, while out with his friends 13-year-old Manuel decided to approach Debbie Baigrie and rob her at gunpoint. Baigrie was a new mom and was out with her friends for the first time since the delivery. Manuel pulled out a gun and demanded she “give it up” before opening fire on the unsuspecting mother of two. One of the bullets struck Baigrie in the face and nearly killed her.
Manuel escaped capture that night, but was arrested days later on an unrelated case. While in custody, Manuel admitted to the attack on Baigrie.
At his hearing, the judge said, ‘Mr. Manuel, we’re going to make an example of you,'” Baigrie recalled. “They sentenced him to an adult prison … To me, that was heartbreaking.”
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Nonetheless, 13-year-old Manuel was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Nearly two years to the day after his incarceration, Baigrie recieved a call from her would be murderer that changed her life forever.
‘Miss Baigrie, this is Ian. I’m just calling to tell you I’m sorry for shooting you, and I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas,'” he said.
Baigrie was shaken to the core.
“I was shaken by it because (the attack) was still so fresh at the time,”she said. “But he called to apologize. I found it unusual and rare, especially from somebody that young.â€
From that day on, Baigrie and Manuel began exchanging regular letters that blossomed into the most unlikely of friendships. Baigrie was struck by how smart Manuel was, especially considering the then 13-year-old was not able to finish high school.
In 2010, the Supreme Court threw out life sentences for juveniles and Baigrie began advocating for an early release for Manuel. 6 years later, this past November, Manuel, now 39 was freed from prison based on time already served.
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After his release, Manuel and Baigrie met just blocks from the location where the fatal shooting took place and shared a lengthy embrace.
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“Ian and I got out of the cars and we hugged for two minutes,”Baigrie, 54, told TODAY. “It was like a long lost reunion. It was so nice.â€
They ended up at a pizza joint nearby and caught up on life and future plans.
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“I got to do something that I had only dreamed about for so many years,” Manuel said. “I got to kiss her on the same exact spot that the bullet either went in or came out.”
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Manuel is doing his best to make his way back into society, but he knows that Baigrie’s support gave him the best start possible in his new life.
Check out more about this unlikely friendship in the video below.
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