*"I will go down in history as the man who robbed Rosa Parks," lamented 40-year-old Joseph Skipper, who blamed a severe drug addiction on his decision in 1994 to break into the Detroit home of Rosa Parks, beat her and steal her $53 in cash.
Skipper pleaded guilty at his trial and apologized for taking advantage of our national treasure, all the while hoping that he could one day sit face to face with Parks to express the extent of his remorse and regret. But those hopes were dashed last Oct. 24 when Parks died at the age of 92.
"I'm sorry that she died. I was hoping to get out in time to tell her I was sorry. I have to draw strength from God," Skipper told The Detroit News in a prison interview published Sunday.
After the attack, Parks was treated at a hospital and moved into a high-rise apartment building.
Skipper, currently serving an eight- to 15-year sentence at the Alger Maximum Correctional Facility in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, said he cried at the news of Parks’ death, and dreams of one day earning redemption.