An impossible change?

From Murder Accused to Hope-Bearer: My Story

I am Reny George. Together with my wife, Teena, I run a home in Bangalore called Precious Children Home (renys-children.org), where we care for the children of prisoners and other children at risk.

The work we do today has won us many accolades. But would you believe that my first brush with massive media attention was not for doing good—but for being the prime accused in the most sensational murder case in Kerala, the Karikkan Villa Murder Case in 1980?

From being sentenced to life imprisonment in 1981 to receiving the CNN-IBN “Real Hero of India Award” in 2008, my journey has been nothing short of remarkable. But the story really began much earlier.

Starting Young: Smoking at Age Six

At six years old, I began “almost smoking”—fascinated not with inhaling but with blowing smoke out. Growing up in a village in Kerala, with both my parents working as teachers, I was the third of six children.

Soon, under the influence of an older cousin, I graduated to full cigarettes. To pay for them, I began stealing small amounts from my father’s purse, eventually moving on to larger sums. What began as childish mischief grew into an exhilarating, secret habit.

When my father caught me and punished me severely, I felt only physical pain, not remorse. By then, smoking’s glamour was too strong. At school, I gravitated toward like-minded friends—skipping classes, smoking, gambling, and diverting money meant for fees and textbooks. Unsurprisingly, I failed miserably in my studies and gained a reputation as a troublemaker.

Gathering Speed Downhill: Drugs, Alcohol & Sex

During this time, my father left his teaching job and became a missionary. While I respected his calling outwardly, inside I longed for prestige and resented being a missionary’s son.

After my grandfather, a wealthy estate owner, took me in, I found new influences. Estate workers introduced me to illicit alcohol, and later in college, I embraced student politics, marijuana, and casual sex. To fund my lifestyle, I stole from my grandfather and even sold estate produce secretly.

My aggressive nature made me a leader in student agitations, but after a violent protest, I was expelled from college. Still, my grandfather shielded me from censure, while I indulged without a shred of guilt.

A Stranger in My Own Home

When my grandfather died, my parents brought me back to live with them in Madras (now Chennai). By then, I was a confirmed dropout but still mingled with college students. My boldness and charisma attracted the city’s rich and famous students. They supplied me with drugs and drinks, while I became their organizer and strongman.

At home, I grew more distant from my already broken-hearted parents. They begged me to come to church, but I mocked their faith and created my own philosophy: live king-size, party hard, and rely on no one.

Over the Precipice: A Cold-Blooded Murder

When my father transferred to Delhi, I sank deeper. With friends, I stole a car and drove from Delhi to Madras, scavenging and selling stolen parts along the way. Later, living with foreign students in Madras, I devised a plan to rob my wealthy relatives in Kerala.

But the robbery spiraled into something far worse. In a drugged frenzy, my friends and I ended up brutally murdering my uncle and aunt at the Karikkan Villa. The next day, their maid identified us to the police.

Sentenced for Life—But Unrepentant

Within 10 days, we were arrested and taken to Kerala. In 1981, I was sentenced to life imprisonment. Rather than remorse, I enjoyed my notoriety. Other inmates welcomed me as a hero. Our story was even made into a blockbuster film, and the money from it made prison life easier.

I had hardened my conscience completely.

Encounter with God: The Impossible Made Possible

In 1987, I was briefly released on parole. By then, my parents had endured years of shame and pain, yet they continued to pray for me.

A stranger invited me to a prayer meeting near the very place the murders had occurred. Though I went only to mock, something unexpected happened.

As people prayed, a verse pierced my heart: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?” For the first time, I saw the wretched person I had become. I wept, confessed my sins, and cried out for God’s forgiveness.

And then—miraculously—I experienced it. God touched me, cleansed me, and gave me a new heart.

A New Creation: From Killer to Pillar of Hope

From that day, everything changed. The cravings for drugs, alcohol, and tobacco lost their grip. Back in jail, it took months for fellow inmates and jailors to believe my transformation. Slowly, I became a peacemaker, even mediating between inmates and wardens.

As the Bible says: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”

While still serving my sentence, my father proposed me in marriage to Teena. At first she struggled, but after much prayer, she agreed. We married in 1992 during a parole, and God blessed us with a daughter.

Though some still doubt my transformation, I know this truth: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Today, my wife and I serve children of prisoners and children at risk at Precious Children Home, living testimonies to God’s power to redeem even the darkest life.

(As narrated to Abraham Thomas)