Murder Victims' Families Find Help, Hope, Empathy

Antelope Valley Press (Wednesday, February 8, 2006)
By Marissa Widdison, Valley Press Staff Writer

 

LANCASTER - His daughter was shot multiple times.

Her daughter was tied to a chair and strangled.

On Satruday afternoon, a handful of men and women sat in a small Antelope Valley boutique and shared stories that are every parent's worst nightmare. Although their experiences are differed in specifics, one thing was common: Each had lost a loved one to murder.

"Twenty-two years ago, there weren't a lot of places to go. Murder was a real dirty word," said Lee Bertha Pickett-Allen as she got the session started.

Pickett-Allen's son was gunned down more than two decades ago, an innocent young man caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting.

Since then, Pickett-Allen has helped build Justice for Homicide Victims, a nonprofit organization based in Malibu that helps family members of murder victims cope with the trauma of the horrific experience. Last weekend's gathering marked the fifth monthly meeting of the Antelope Valley branch.

The location of the gathering might seem odd unless you understand the history of the small boutique near Avenue K and 15th Street West.

"Hidden Treasures" is a nonprofit, upscale resale store owned by Justice for Homicide Victims. That's where the group met Saturday, sitting on donated sofas and chairs, surrounded by shelves of wine glasses and racks of clothes.

The session featured two representatives from the Districts Attorney's Office of Victim-Witness Assistant Program who explained how they help victims and families get what they need, whether it be psychological counseling or help with paperwork.

The program is active in all 58 California counties, funded by fines and tickets collected from convicted offenders.

Cheryl Ajirogi, a Lancaster area representative for the district attorney's program, nodded sympathetically as group members took turns sharing their stories Saturday afternoon. As a victim advocate, she is all too familiar with the trials that can make the courtroom a living hell for these mothers and fathers.

One woman, for example, described how family members of the defendant - a man accused of murdering her son at a local mini-mart - threatened her in the courtroom.

"They should have informed you of the program," said Vicki Carter, the other representative from the DA's office. "If anyone goes into a courthouse, they have a right to say, 'I want my victim's advocate.' "

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Before the end of the meeting, Ajirogi and Carter handed out packets of information to members of the group. One sheet outlined the rights of a victim. Another described common psychological or emotional symptoms associated with crime trauma.

Although Ajirogi deals with victims of all kinds of crimes, and sometimes gets a dozen new clients each day, she said she makes time to sit down with each family individually. "I will try to hook you up with whatever resources are at my disposal," she said.

Group members were grateful for the information. But some wounds heal far from the courtroom and are understood only by fellow victims. As the meeting wore on, the real strength of the Justice for Homicide Victims group seemed to emerge in a one-line summary: "I know how you feel."

"I felt like someone had dropped me in the pits of hell and I was just in limbo," said Pickett-Allen, who added that she had encountered plenty of insensitive people over the years who told her to "get over it" and "move on." "No one will ever be able to know that feeling unless they've been there," she said.

Notably present at Saturday's meeting was Marcella Leach, one of the founding leaders in Justice for Homicide Victims. Her daughter, Marsalee, was murdered in 1983 by an ex-boyfriend.

A week after the funeral, Leach ran into the suspected killer while exiting a grocery store. He had posted his $50,000 bail and was on the streets for the two years before the trial.

"I knew a lot of people that I thought were my friends who just disappeared," Leach told the group. "It changes your whole life."

Leach joined Ellen Dunne, whose daughter Dominique also was killed by an ex-boyfriend, to found Justice for Homicide Victims in 1984. In April, Leach was awarded the 2005 National Crime Victim Service Award from the United States Department of Justice.

Leach said a more meaningful accomplishment can be found at Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Whittier. A marble edifice erected by Justice for Homicide Victims is the first interactive memorial dedicated specifically to murder victims. Families can upload pictures, biographies and audiovisual narrations for display.

"We have to get together to show the world that someone cares. And to remind each other," Leach said.

The Antelope Valley Justice for Homicide Victims meetings take place at 3 p.m. the first Saturday of each month at Hidden Treasures, 43795 15th Street West. For details, call (661) 940-5501 or visit Hidden Treasures at www.jhvhiddentreasures.com