In the years since his mother was murdered by her jealous ex-boyfriend, every milestone in Wade Hayslip's life has had a void, an achingly empty space where she should be.
There was dating for the first time, graduating from high school, and becoming the first in his family to go to college. Then there was getting married and having children of his own.
With each new life event, Hayslip has the same thought.
"I wish I had advice from Mom – that affirmation that she was proud of me and she loved me," Hayslip told USA TODAY.
Hayslip was just 13 years old when Charles "Chuck" Victor Thompson barged into his mother’s suburban Houston home and attacked her and her new boyfriend on April 30, 1998. Thompson fatally shot Darren Cain, 31, and Hayslip’s mom, 39-year-old Dennise Hayslip.
