The Gwinnett County couple who police say were brutally assaulted by their two sons earlier this month went on national TV Monday to deliver a message of faith and forgiveness.
Prosecutors and police claim that before the Sept. 5 attack, Christopher, 22, and Cameron Ervin, 17, cut a gas line at the family's home, drugged their parents with Xanax, placed a candle in their fireplace and waited outside for two hours for an explosion.
When that didn’t happen, prosecutors said the two went back inside the home, beat their mother, Yvonne Ervin, with a rifle, and repeatedly stabbed their father, Zachary Ervin.
The brothers, graduates of Shiloh High School, were arrested and charged with aggravated assault and arson.
According to an arrest warrant, one told investigators he had been planning the assault for years.
Monday, their parents were interviewed by Robin Roberts on Good Morning America.
Yvonne Ervin said she is “doing a lot better, both physically and mentally.
“God has really been good to me and helped my wounds to heal fast. I still have a couple of little scars here and there but for the most part, they’re healing really well.”
Zachery told Roberts he is also “feeling fine. God has truly worked a miracle.”
He said he didn’t know why he and his wife were attacked by their sons, repeatedly calling it “one bad moment.
“God will reveal in time, to us and to the world, get all the questions answered,” he said. “But for now, we just need to focus on healing.”
He said he has been in touch with his sons, who remain in the Gwinnett County Jail.
“We communicated to our sons that we love them unconditionally,” Zachary Ervin said. “We told them that we forgive them.”
Yvonne Ervin said the attacks were “totally out of character” for her sons.
“They’re not violent,” she said. “They’ve never gotten in any type of trouble. As teenagers, they have issues with cleaning their room and have an attitude sometimes when you tell them to do something — just like every family experiences. But nothing that would indicate anything like this.”
Asked what the consequences for their sons’ alleged actions should be, Zachary Ervin said: “That’s up to God to determine that. I just pray for mercy.”
“People don’t know our sons, so it may be easy for them to say, ‘Well, I can’t forgive,’” Yvonne Ervin said. “But I ask people to just take it personally. What if it was your child? What if it was your son? What if it was your relative? Your friend?”
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