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Religion: religious/ethical turned manifestly non-religious
Name: unnamed old man at country store
Classification: supporting character villain
First Appearance: The Walking Dead #7 (Apr. 2004): "Miles Behind Us, Part 1"
Creators: Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard
Number of Appearances: 1
Enemy of: Tyreese, Julie, zombies
Occupation: retired
Gender: male
Soon after meeting Rick and his group of zombie apocalypse survivors, Tyreese told Rick a story which illustrated how drastically the recent events they had all faced can change a person. Tyreese told Rick: "A couple weeks after this all started... the first time we ran out of food, we made a run down to a country store about two miles from our house. We got there to find the place torn apart... It'd been looted three times over... But there were stray cans all over the place. It seemed safe enough so Julie, Chris and I split up... Looking the place over to find as much food as we could."
Tyreese continued his account: "There was this nice old man, gotta be at least sixty. He was always sitting in front of the store with buddies chatting away about God knows what... Nicest old man you'd ever meet. Always had a kind word to say. While we were separated, he got a hold of Julie... pulled her into a back room. Seems he'd been living in the place... We had no idea anyone was even there. The sweet old man... The first thing he thinks of when he finally sees other people... He tried to rape Julie. Had I been two minutes later when I found them... He'd have done it. I killed that man, Rick. I wanted to... But I didn't mean to. I beat on him... and he died."
Rick looked at Tyreese for a moment, and then said: "Jesus, man... Don't beat yourself up over that... You did what any father would have done in that position. I may be a cop... But I don't let rules blind me to what's right and wrong, especially in light of our current situation."
Tyreese told Rick: "I'm not beating myself up because I did it... I'm beating myself up because I don't feel bad about it. Yeah-- The end of the world changed him... But look at how it changed me."
BELOW: Tyreese expresses belief in the sanctity of life when he tells Rick of his concern about not feeling bad about killing the man who viciously attacked his daughter:
Tyreese: A couple weeks after this all started... the first time we ran out of food, we made a run down to a country store about two miles from our house. We got there to find the place torn apart... It'd been looted three times over... But there were stray cans all over the place. It seemed safe enough so Julie, Chris and I split up... Looking the place over to find as much food as we could. There was this nice old man, gotta be at least sixty. He was always sitting in front of the store with buddies chatting away about God knows what... Nicest old man you'd ever meet. Always had a kind word to say. While we were separated, he got a hold of Julie... pulled her into a back room. Seems he'd been living in the place... We had no idea anyone was even there. The sweet old man... The first thing he thinks of when he finally sees other people... He tried to rape Julie. Had I been two minutes later when I found them... He'd have done it. I killed that man, Rick. I wanted to... But I didn't mean to. I beat on him... and he died.
Rick: Jesus, man... Don't beat yourself up over that... You did what any father would have done in that position. I may be a cop... But I don't let rules blind me to what's right and wrong, especially in light of our current situation.
Tyreese: I'm not beating myself up because I did it... I'm beating myself up because I don't feel bad about it. Yeah-- The end of the world changed him... But look at how it changed me.
Source: The Walking Dead #7 (Apr. 2004): "Miles Behind Us, Part 1", pg. 14-15. Written by Robert Kirkman. Art by Charlie Adlard. See also: murder; sanctity of life; Rick Grimes; Tyreese; unnamed old man at country store