December: Reginald Lakeith Reese (AKA Sweet and Low):  A young man is brutally murdered, shot several times and his body left to lay in a vacant lot across from a ship yard.  No clues, no reasons, but lots of questions. Why?  Was this great loss necessary?  Indeed not.

November:  Jamie Lou O’Shasky (see October’s dedication)

October:  Tanner JayLee O’Shasky:  On a Memorial Day, a single mother, Jamie, and her new born son Tanner, had their life interrupted by the arrival of their ex-boyfriend/father.  This gentleman had a restraining order against him and he was there to take lil’ Tanner away.  By the time it was all over, even with a 911 call, the arrival police, the young man had seized control and shot both Jamie and Tanner in the head twice, killing them instantly.  It is said he left a suicide letter to his family, and he killed himself.  I’m sorry for the pain, the confusion, the hurt he felt, but we should never give into violence no matter how down we get.  Was killing his child and someone he had perhaps once loved worth it?  Most certainly not, for Jamie and Tanner’s family would certainly rather have them than a cold bullet or headstone to hold.

September: Christopher Michael Spivey (Chris):  A young man just starting out, in management training in McDonalds, somehow manages to attract a group of thieves.  After not showing up for work, they discover him laying across his bed, shot in the throat, and estimate at least three people performing the job. A burglary gone wrong?  Either way, murder, theft, it’s not right.

August: Sgt. James Lee Jacobs (Juvie):  A gentleman goes out to his car to find his tires slashed.  He calls for a tow truck and while waiting for it is approached by three gentlemen who start and argument with him.  Apparently they didn’t like his answers and responded with bullets instead of brains.  They shot him down in the street and left him there.  He was a patriot, a goal oriented, striving young man.  Why did you find it necessary to take him out with guns?  Senseless…stupid….

July:  Christina “Chris” Marguerette Libres McNeil:  A mother hands her child over to her ex-husband to spend the night as she is going to work.  Her worst fears, ones she’d never think of came to pass.  Notified by police the next morning, they take her to the ex-husbands apartment to i.d. her darling daughter, beaten, bruised, bloody, and void of life.  Autopsy confirms the worst, dad molested and then suffocated her.  Good sir, how could you do this?  Was your daughter’s life worth getting back at your ex, if that was the intention?  Was her mental and physical safety worth the act of …. You thought you were gaining?  She was an innocent and loving child worth more than you will ever know.

June:  Frank Thomas Olivieri:  Four days after his  26^th birthday, Frank went to an ex-girlfriends to pick up a cat.  There she had her two foster brothers lie in wait to beat Frank up.  After beating him with a metal baseball ball bat, fracturing his skull, they robbed him of 16 dollars, and when they left, she came out, poured gas and lighter fluid mixture on him and set him a blaze.  Guys, was he really worth only sixteen dollars?  Honey, was his life really the cure for what ailed you?  Where did this violence take you?  What did it give you?  It certain took a lot away from him and his family.

May: Aaron Jay Laws:  A very caring and hopeful soul that reached out to others in need, found his life snuffed out by one who couldn’t overcome his drug obsession.  He rented a basement room out to a newly, young, released inmate providing he stayed clean and sober.  Alas it seems the young man couldn’t resist, and when he went back to the dark path, was asked to move.  In protest, the young man snuck upstairs to Aaron’s bedroom in the middle of the night, found a revolver, killed Aaron, then with gasoline set the house a blaze to hide his foul deed.  Are the murder and drugs really equal to a man who gave you a second chance?

April: Marie “Mimi” Mrakitsch Beal:  No one is exactly sure what happened to poor Mimi.  She attempted to be a good friend, offering to rent a room to a friend and co-worker of her best friend's husband for a week until he relocated to another job in a distant state.  The group met later at a tavern for a light social gathering and when her friend and husband needed to leave, she said she stay behind to make sure their friend got home safely, even calling him a cab to get back to her house.  What happens next is a mystery: neighbors hear screaming, Mimi opens her door and runs to a neighbors house, stabbed 9 times and bleeding to death.  The friend of a friend, maybe, never meant to actually harm her, but with his faculties gone under the influence of alcohol, it’s surprising what one can do. Drink responsibly folks, booze isn’t worth a life.

March: Susan “Susie” Helms Gehring:  Upon returning to her former home with a friend to retrieve the last of her belongings and go to start a new life, away from the troubles and abuse caused by her [husband], Bobby.  She never made it out; both her and her friend were shot to death before Bobby turned the gun, a piece owned by his mistress, on himself.  Such a tragic loss.

February:  Larry Jaye Burnette, Jr.  Larry was the victim of a drive by shooting.  Nothing listed as the reason why, just a drive by shooting.  What game are we playing here folks?  An innocent young man, his life cut short simply cause he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time and someone who wants to have – fun? – decides it’s appropriate to play shoot ‘em gallery with real people. So unreal….

January:  Gary McElya.  Gary was shot in the head in a violent act of road rage, with his wife right in front of him.  A senseless act of violence, the loss of dear and good man, over what – a little driving time?  Not worth it people.  Not appropriate in any circumstance.