Remembering Heather Sedivy

 

A Promising Future

Heather Sedivy was born on September 21, 1968. She was born into a very close-knit family including her parents and grandparents, as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins. A few years later, she would also become a big sister. Heather was the pride and joy of both her mother and father. She was always full of energy and was very athletic. By the time she was five years old, Heather was already aspiring to either be a future gymnast or a dancer. She took lessons in both sports regularly. She also took diving and swimming lessons and was on the school baseball and gymnastics teams. She even learned to play pool and was quite the “pool shark.” Although Heather had many talents, she always had one dream since she was very young. She wanted to be a mom. Heather babysat regularly and always had the dream to be the mother of three beautiful children of her own.

By the time Heather was in high school, she found her passion in life. Heather got a part-time job working as a dental assistant and knew that the dental field was her professional calling in life. She loved to help people and this gave her the opportunity to help people while doing something she enjoyed. Heather decided to go to Lakeland Community College and become a dental hygienist. She thought that would be the perfect job because it would allow her to work part-time so she could also be a devoted wife and mother. By 1992, Heather Sedivy was on the verge of making all her dreams come true. Sadly, Heather’s dreams would never be fulfilled.

A Controlling Marriage< In 1989, Heather Sedivy married Michael York with the goals of being a loving wife and starting a family. Early in the marriage, everything was fine, however as time progressed, Michael York began to let his true colors show. He became very controlling of Heather with each passing day. Heather did everything she could to make York happy, but York’s control issues became worse and worse. By March of 1992, Heather was very sad about her failing marriage and was planning on asking Michael York for a divorce. Michael York’s obsession with Heather was more than Heather could bear any longer. After making several attempts to work things out, Heather decided she wanted to move on and have a life with someone she could trust and who could trust her. Michael York was not going to let that happen. He was extremely jealous and was not going to lose complete control of Heather. He was determined not to let her leave him. Heather had stated that Michael had told her on one occasion “If I can’t have you, nobody can.” Unfortunately, no one could have known the extent York would go to keep Heather under his control. On August 2, 1992, Heather told Michael she was moving out and going to live with her mother. That evening, Michael went to Heather’s mother and pleaded with her to talk Heather into going home so that he could talk things out with her. He acted so sweet and concerned that Heather’s mother told Heather that Michael needed to talk to her. Heather’s mother could never have realized that York was starting his plan to kill Heather. A Violent Murder Heather returned home to try to talk to Michael York. At some point, Heather decided to go to bed. Michael York waited until Heather fell asleep and was unable to defend herself. After Heather fell asleep, he covered her head with a sheet and began to beat her in the head with a hammer. The viciousness and brutality of the murder is unbelievable. Michael York savagely hit Heather 25 times in the head with the hammer. He smashed her eye, fractured her skull and left an impression with each hammer blow. Michael York completely disfigured Heather’s face. This was his plan. He wanted to destroy Heather’s beautiful face and kill her because she was no longer HIS. He wanted to punish her and cause her pain.

There is no doubt that Heather fought for her life. The signs were all there in the autopsy photos. Although Michael York covered her head with a sheet so she couldn’t see where the blows were coming from, she still put her hands over her head to defend herself. He then smashed her hands, too. Her fingers were all broken and mangled, one nearly completely severed. The mortician could not remove the look of terror from her face. Heather’s mother stated, “I see this look every day, and I will never forget it and it will always haunt me.”

Life In Prison

Michael York openly acknowledged he killed his wife. That fact, combined with the evidence, enabled a jury to find him guilty of murder. Judge George Martin sentenced him to life in prison for killing Heather. At sentencing Judge Martin told Michael York, “What you did was too horrible and violent. It can’t be comprehended by any person”. To this day, Michael York has NEVER shown remorse and has never said he was sorry. At the trial Judge Martin asked several times if he would say something to the family, Michael York refused every time.

A Mother’s Plea: No Parole

We believe that Michael York will kill again. He does not value life other than his own. He seems to perfectly fit the definition of a sociopath. York has proven himself a cold, calculating murderer. He is being watched in prison, so we are certain he is fooling everyone into believing he is reformed, but we know better. Michael York is evil to the core and can never be rehabilitated. Based on the facts, we are truly afraid that if Michael York is paroled, he will either come after our family or another woman who scorns him.

Michael York is alive and able to lead a reasonably normal life, but Heather is in a dark box in the ground. I am forever broken-hearted and miss Heather every day. Our entire family has been devastated by this murder.