Remembering crime victims

Friday, April 26, 2013
Vernon County Sheriff Jason Mosher, left, and Nevada Police Chief Graham Burnley carry the banner and lead the way for a large crowd during the annual Crime Victims Walk from the office of Dr. Warren Lovinger on South Ash Street to the Nevada Square. The annual event was held Monday to kick off National Crime Victims' Rights Week.Photo by A. Bruce Photography

Crime victims relatives and advocates as well as community leaders and law enforcement officials joined together on Monday for the annual Crime Victims' Walk from Dr. Warren Lovinger's office on South Ash Street to the Nevada Square.

A crowd of several dozen people followed Nevada Police Chief and Vernon County Sheriff Jason Mosher as they carried the banner proclaiming this week as Crime Victims' Rights Week. Many carried posters or signs demanding justice for their loved ones. Family and friends of James Besaw and Belinda Beisly were among the crowd.

Several uniformed deputies walked with the group. When the crowd reached the Square, many of the walkers observed a moment of silence and laid a flower at the Victim's Memorial on the south side of the courthouse before going inside and up to the second-floor courtroom, where a ceremony honoring victims was held.

After arriving at the Nevada Square, participants of the 2013 Crime Victim's Walk, which took place Monday, paused for a moment of silence and to place a flower at the Crime Victim's Memorial on the south side of the courthouse lawn before going into the courthouse for the formal ceremony.

The ceremony in the courtroom began with the presentation of the colors by the Nevada Police Department Honor Guard. A prayer was offered by the Rev. Terry Mosher and Erin Townsend and Allison Cheaney provided music for the night, singing four songs. Vernon County Presiding Commissioner Bonnie McCord and Nevada Mayor Seth Barrett read the proclamation for Crime Victims' Rights Week.

Martha Sander, executive director of the Council on Families in Crisis, said the annual ceremony is held to raise awareness and hopefully help more victims. Lots of victims still need assistance.

"Crime victims have rights," Sander said. "The (Vernon County Domestic Violence) Task Force believes this is an important way to create awareness of crime victim's rights, remind the community of services that are provided, and provide support and comfort to families that have lost loved ones because of crime."

This year's ceremony was a little different than past events. Victims' family members used to speak during the ceremony, but the task force decided to bring in a guest speaker this year, said Martha Sander, executive director of the Council on Families in Crisis.

Keynote speaker Mary Young has been working with crime victims for 24 years. She is a nationally certified legal assistant and certified crisis responder. She has been recognized as Advocate of the Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a National Crisis Responder of the Year by the Missouri Victims Assistance Network, and this year, received the Award of Excellence from the Heuer Foundation.

Jeff Besaw, of Nevada, carries a sign calling for justice for his son, James E. Besaw, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver May 12, 2012. The case is still open and anyone with information is urged to call the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Troop D Headquarters at 417-895-6868 or the Vernon County Sheriff's Office at 417-283-4400. Sarah Haney/Daily Mail

Young currently serves as the executive director of Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment, in Lebanon, an organization that assists victims of domestic violence. Young has spent several years working for MOVA, providing direct services to crime victims in rural Missouri.

During her speech, Young reflected on the work of advocates in the crime victims' rights movement. Sanders said she recalled some of the early years in the 1980s when victims had no rights and no input to court cases. She pointed out that Missouri was one of the leading states to grant constitutional rights to crime victims.

Young shared some personal stories of crime victims she had known and stressed how important it is to find ways to help them cope with the aftermath of crime. She also reminded crime victims and family members in the audience that the reason victim services have advanced so much over the years has been the tenacious efforts of victims to put their lives back together and to teach advocates and responders how to help them.

Young stressed accountability and holding people responsible for their actions. Without accountability, there can be no justice, she said.

Although crime victimsnow have rights, much work still has to be done in that arena. Currently, there is no penalty for failing to grant those rights and many victims still don't know about advocates and the services available to them.

When Young finished, Sander conducted a memorial service for 48 people whose deaths were either the result of a criminal act in Vernon County or their family lives in Vernon County. As the PowerPoint presentation showed a picture of each victim, Sander read their name and age. Townsend and Cheaney then sang "Cry out to Jesus."

Sander read a story titled "Written In Stone," by Fran Southern. The story helped audience members empathize with crime victims and understand the long-term impact of crime on victims and their families.

Southern, a retired probation and parole officer, lost her daughter, Dana Southern Sisk, to domestic violence in 1997.

The ceremony concluded with a closing prayer and a candlelight memorial as Cheaney sang "Homesick."

Sander said tears flowed freely as family members wept for the loss of their loved ones.

Participant Sarah Haney was there because her best friend, James Besaw, was killed last year just outside Nevada -- by a hit-and-run driver who has not been identified or prosecuted. She said she was glad she could take part in the walk.

"We were able to support those who were crime victims and honor the memory of someone who lost their life," she said.

For more information or to receive services, call the Council on Families in Crisis at 417-667-7171 or the 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-800-398-4271.

All calls are confidential.

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