For 10 years, she’s made a difference

Deepa Bharath

Ten years ago, the Biehls made a choice.

Peter and Linda Biehl lost 26-year-old daughter Amy to an angry

mob in South Africa. The Fulbright scholar and Stanford University

student was helping people register to vote in the racially torn

country when she was stoned and stabbed to death.

But the Biehls chose not to live in bitterness. They not only

forgave the four men convicted of killing their daughter, but they

embraced them and welcomed them to come and work for the Amy Biehl

Foundation Trust headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. A

commission granted the men amnesty in 1998.

Monday marked the 10th anniversary of Amy’s death. And in these 10

years, the family has lived Amy’s dream, her brother Zach Biehl said.

“We’ve tried to make sure Amy’s legacy is one of inspiration, not

tragedy,” the 26-year-old said.

Zach Biehl, who lives in Newport Beach, is following the lead of

his late father, Peter Biehl, who died suddenly last year at age 59

after complications from colon surgery. His mother runs the

foundation in South Africa six months a year. The foundation provides

about 1,000 children with daily after-school programs, including in

sports, music and art.

The foundation also runs a bakery in Cape Town that makes Amy’s

brand of bread and provides jobs in an area that has a 60%

unemployment rate.

Amy’s death dramatically changed lives, including his own, Zach

said.

“Every day when I wake up, it’s the first thing I think about,” he

said.

He still feels nervous when the phone rings because he remembers

the phone call he answered when his sister died.

“When something happens that’s happy, there’s still some sadness

because Amy’s not there,” Zach said. “I’m engaged, and I’ll be

married next year. But Amy won’t be there.”

Zach said he and his fiancee, Denise White, wanted to celebrate

Amy’s life.

“So on Sunday, we had dinner at Mi Casa -- her favorite

restaurant,” he said.

Ski Harrison, a friend of the Biehl family who helped set up the

foundation in 1994, said he credits the Biehl family for their hard

work.

“It’s just incredible to me that it’s been 10 years,” he said.

“It’s enlightening, interesting and exciting to see how much the

foundation has done in 10 years.”

Amy may be gone, but she is still “our teacher,” Zach Biehl said.

“She was published a lot and she made her thoughts very clear,” he

said.

The family seeks to fulfill her goals and desires, Zach said.

“There’s one thing we don’t want, and that’s closure,” he said.

“We want to continue to celebrate her.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at [email protected].