ASHLAND – The eight women who have died as a result of domestic violence in Ashland County were remembered Tuesday night during a candelight vigil at Corner Park.
“It is nice to be able to have a time to remember, to share and to talk,” said Cynthia Hudnut, director of the Rape Crisis Domestic Violence Safe Haven Shelter, who sponsored the vigil.
As the victims’ names and stories were shared, family members and friends lighted candles to remember their loved ones.
The eight victims are:
- Barb Siler was killed by her husband, Brian Siler, in 2001.
- Marty Martin-Bursley was shot by her estranged husband, Glenn Bursley, in 1992.
- Lynn Jackenheimer was killed by her former boyfriend, Nate Summerfield, in 2012.
- Crystal Houchin-Cooper was killed by her husband Roy Cooper on May 25, 2003.
- Janice Smith-Spade was murdered by her estranged husband, George Spade, on July 14, 1972.
- Cathy Bucher-Middleton was murdered on April 2, 1991, by her husband, James Middleton.
- Rachel Kiser was killed by her boyfriend, Brian Emrath, on April 22, 2012.
- Billy Jo Campbell was killed on Nov. 6, 2014, by her boyfriend, Stephen Valentine .
During the vigil, Rebeccah, a domestic violence survivor, shared her story of domestic violence, drug addiction and human trafficking.
“Every day I have to start out telling myself that I’m a warrior, that I made it through all that I made it through,” Rebeccah said. “I’m not what happened to me, I’m what I choose to become today. And that’s what I feel a survivor is.”
She said she got married about 10 years ago and had what many thought was a great life.
“From the outside, it looked like the perfect life. I had two little boys, a house, two cars, two dogs, I owned my own business along with my husband. We had the perfect life,” Rebeccah said.
However, that was only an illusion. Behind closed doors, her husband was abusive and controlling. To dull the pain, she escaped through alcohol and then heroin. After she and her husband divorced, she lost everything and ended up living on the streets and being a victim of human trafficking.
“I’d have all the drugs I wanted at any point as long as I did what I was supposed to do,” Rebeccah said. “I just wanted to be silent. There are far too many silent sufferers out there. Not because they don’t try to reach out, but because they’ve tried and no one cares.”
She ended up finding her way to the Safe Haven Domestic Violence Shelter in Ashland. The first thing they did was to help her get clean and sober. She then moved in with her new boyfriend, who ended up being abusive and she ended up in the hospital after he had brutally attacked her. After the attack, she gave her statement to Ashland Police Officers Kim Mager and Brian Evans, a simple act which became a turning point for her.
“I could see in their faces that they really cared. They seriously cared about what I had to say,” Rebeccah said. “That was the moment where I felt that I was heard. I felt like a person again. I didn’t feel like I was a piece of property anymore.”
She said she is glad to be at a place now where she can help others, but she still has to work every day to improve herself.
“I don’t like when people say about us survivors, ‘Why don’t you just get over it,’” Rebeccah said. “It’s not something that you just get over. We have to work every day at moving through it, getting through the storm. You can’t just jump over the storm.”
City councilman Matt Miller reminded the audience that as the vigil was taking place, somewhere in the county, someone was probably a victim of domestic violence.
“Domestic violence impacts everyone,” Miller said. “The educated, the uneducated. The rich, the poor. The privileged, the not so privileged. And the reality is, it’s going on as we gather here tonight.”
The most important thing people can do, the councilman said, is to start speaking up on behalf of domestic violence victims and to pray for their safety.
Ciara Sheppard, daughter of Lynn Jackenheimer, told those gathered that she is going to the Career Center and studying to be a social worker to help domestic violence victims.
“I’m just glad I can be here today to support my mom and all the victims and survivors out here and I just hope we can stop the silence and keep going and saving lives,” Sheppard said. “I just hope you all stay strong and never let anyone control you. Be yourself. I never want to see anyone go through what I go through.”
