rangers to win the world series title. now back to escape from the past. two boys, famous, infamous for murdering their own father, boys who grew up in prison, where young offenders can harden into full-fledged criminals. so what became of derek and alex king? now, an exclusive interview, a chance to find out. tell me how you re doing. how am i doing? well, presently, i am fabulous. well, that s good. that s how alex king talks. troublesome memories, he steers clear of them, keeps it light. nearly two years out of prison, 19-year-old alex king is savoring the life he s found with the kind of family he never dreamed he d have. and he ll tell you he s a very different kid than the one who went to prison.
he read, he prayed, he studied. the boy whose education had been spotty at best was hitting the books in prison. his keen mind was finally engaged, and he earned his high school diploma. and on april 9, 2008, alex left prison in south florida to begin a life with the family of kathryn medico. it was a wonderful day. walking out of the gates was i was just kind of stunned. anything stand out in the first few days? weeks? the main thing, just being with family. which brings us to jacksonville, florida, and this neatly manicured suburb. it is here that alex king is settling into that new life of his. and from here, the chaos and poverty of his childhood and the crushing monotony of prison life must seem to be light years away. the adjustment was not instant, but in time, kathryn and alex
visit. derek was suddenly immersed in a very different kind of life, alex s life, complete with family and friends his own age. it all seems so normal. but given the underpinnings of this extraordinary reunion, it was anything but. what do they think about, talk about now? we started with a question about second chances, and both brothers agree they are deeply grateful to those who made that happen. i don t say i owe it to them, but i want to show them that all that effort wasn t in vain. and alex? well, he s been out a lot longer than derek, long enough to know that people outside his devoted inner circle, potential employers, for instance, don t always welcome a convicted killer. he s starting to wonder if he ll ever get that job. when i go in for that, all they see is the record. and a lot of people that i meet, that s the only thing that they seem to see.
random people waiting on the outside while the boys grew up in prison, from children to teenagers, to young men. this is a chance to really help someone change their life. derek has really had one of the worst lives of anyone that i ve ever heard of. i mean, he s basically been a prisoner since he was 6 years old. i mean, for two-thirds of his life, he s been a prisoner and not allowed to do to do anything. that has purpose and meaning. and now that he s out, i think that he s finally getting a chance in life that he never had at the beginning. all this attention and care to two boys who became famous by killing their father.
i knew that i wanted to act in this movie. brooks decided he would portray his own father. nothing excited me more than the possibility of really being able to do that as a tribute to my dad. please go tonight. the movie follows brooks and leslie s life. it picks up just after brooks life in the oklahoma senate, flashes back to their mission life in brazil. it portrays the american family at the heart of it. the words he remembers in his father s very last sermon, delivered, of course, by brooks as his preaching dad. see, the joy of life is poisoned by the resentment of past grudges. we have to get rid of the bad