Arlington, Va., Dec 11, 2017 / 15:48 pm
An Arlington priest who was formerly a KKK member has written an apology letter and paid restitution to a family for burning a cross in their lawn in 1977.
Fr. William Aitcheson, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, Va. is a former member of the Ku Klux Klan and was arrested in 1977 for burning six crosses, one on the lawn of Philip and Barbara Butler. He was 23 years old at the time.
In a handwritten letter to the Butlers released on Friday, Aitcheson apologized for his "despicable act" and for the pain that it caused. "I also know that the symbol of the most enduring love the world has ever known must never be used as a weapon of terror," he wrote.
Besides the letter, the priest also sent the Butlers a check for $23,000, the original restitution owed them in 1977, and offered to pay their legal fees of $9,600.