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Six victims of domestic violence

The Union Daily Times - 10/15/2018

Oct. 14--UNION COUNTY -- Six people were represented but were not present at Tuesday's "Silent Witness Vigil" on the front steps of the Union County Courthouse.

They were men and women, black and white, different ages, and different backgrounds, but they all shared something in common that made them the subject of the Silent Witness Vigil which was held Tuesday to draw attention to the grim -- and all too often fatal -- realities of domestic violence.

They were all murdered by loved ones.

They each were represented by a wooden silhouette that stood at the foot of the steps to the front entrance of the courthouse, each of them bearing a plaque that told their story, a silent witness to the tragedies that befell each of them.

Each plaque began with the words "In Memory Of" and continued with the victim's name, their age at the time of death, their date of death, the story of their death, the name of their killer and their relationship to them, the fate of their killer, and, finally, a listing of those they left behind to mourn their deaths.

These are the people behind the silent witnesses who stood in their memory during Tuesday's ceremony.

Rosemary Michelle Lee, 21, was shot and killed on July 26, 2011 in Union County by her ex-boyfriend, Kerry Brown, during a picnic at Foster Park. Brown not only killed Rosemary, who was pregnant, but also her unborn child. He then shot and killed himself. Rosemary leaves behind her toddler daughter, family and friends.

Aretha Maria Fernandez, 31, was murdered on September 3, 2008 in Union County and her body discarded in Sumter National Forest by her boyfriend, Jamel Good. Good was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Maria leaves behind her young son, her parents, and her three siblings.

Kenneth Goins, 33, was stabbed to death on September 26, 2012 in Union County with a butcher knife by his fiance, Christina Oliver. Oliver was charged with murder and awaits trial. Kenneth leaves behind his family and friends.

Rebecca Tyler, 61, was shot to death on November, 19, 2015 in Union County by her stepson, Ashley Tyler. Tyler pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 42 years in prison. Tyler's girlfriend, Dabriada, pleaded guilty to delivery of weapons to a person during a violent crime and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Rebecca leaves behind her family and friends.

Darrell Glenn Edwards, Sr., 55, was shot in the head and killed on December 30, 2014 in Union County by his son, Allen Edwards, in his Jonesville home. Edwards is charged with murder and awaits trial. Darrell leaves behind his family and friends.

Catina Becham, 37, was shot and killed on October 29, 2010 in Union County by her boyfriend, Steve Littlejohn. Her two young children found her body the next morning. Littlejohn pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to five years with time served. Catina leaves behind her children, family, and friends.

During Tuesday's ceremony, the story of each victim represented by the silent witness was read by a participant. In addition to telling the stories of those victims, the ceremony also shared the grim statistics of domestic violence in South Carolina and across the United States.

Among the speakers at Tuesday's ceremony was Union County Sheriff David Taylor whose office has investigated many of the cases of domestic violence represented by the silhouettes. In his remarks, Taylor pointed out that domestic violence, including domestic violence that escalates to murder, is a major problem in South Carolina.

"South Carolina tops the list of deadliest states for women 21 years in a row," Taylor said. "One in three women and one in four men have been the victim of some form of domestic violence by an intimate partner. Unfortunately, domestic violence most often comes to our attention when it becomes deadly.

"In every year that records have been kept, South Carolina ranks in the top ten states in the nation in rate of women killed by men," he said. "In South Carolina, the femicide rate in which a woman is murdered by a man is over twice the national average."

Taylor pointed out that in homicides stemming from domestic violence "firearms, particularly handguns, are the weapons of choice. Over sixty percent of these victims were killed with guns. The presence of a firearm in a domestic violence incident increases the risk of the woman being killed by five hundred percent."

Nationwide and worldwide the story is equally grim with Taylor pointing out the following:

--Every 9 seconds in the United States a woman is assaulted or beaten.

--Around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during their lifetime. Most often, the abuser is a member of her own family.

--Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women -- more than car accidents, muggings, and rape combined.

--Studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.

--Everyday in the United States, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends.

--Ninety-two percent of women surveyed listed reducing domestic violence and sexual assault as their top concern.

--Domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the United States alone -- the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs.

--The costs of intimate partner violence in the United States alone exceeds $5.8 billion per year including $4.1 billion in direct medical and health care services and $1.8 billion in productivity losses.

--Men who as children witnessed their parents' domestic violence were twice as likely to abuse their own wives than sons of nonviolent parents.

Charles Warner can be reached at 864-762-4090.

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(c)2018 The Union Daily Times (Union, S.C.)

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