When a life comes to a violent end, the work of Homicide Survivors begins.
Volunteers with the local nonprofit hope to relay that message to the public — and to celebrate community advocates who support their mission — at the second annual “Siempre con Nosotros — Always with Us” on Thursday, Feb. 7.
“The work that Homicide Survivors does is really important and there is not a lot of support out there for victims who have gone through this,” said Sara McDermott, who is helping to coordinate the fundraiser honoring community figures such as Rick Unklesbay, a prosecutor with the Pima County Attorney’s Office; KVOA news reporter Lupita Murillo; and Azhar Dabdoub, owner of Funeraria Azahares.
McDermott and her family learned of the organization in 2005 when her parents were hit by a drunken driver. Her father was killed instantly and her mother endured years of surgeries and physical therapy.
“They reached out to us, or we would not have known any sort of support exists for such traumatic events. They were able to come to our rescue, I guess you could say,” said McDermott. “I was 18 and a freshman in college and my brother was a freshman in high school and it was pretty bad. Homicide Survivors really stepped up and offered us advocacy and counseling services and made sure someone was always present in the courtroom during hearings and the trial. ... They were all-around great to us and have really become like a second family to me.”
Homicide Survivors is dedicated to meeting the crisis and long-term needs of families of murder victims through support, advocacy and assistance. The nonprofit helps survivors cope emotionally, stabilize economically and seek justice for their loved ones. It offers a range of free services, including grief and support groups, legal advocacy and financial assistance with funerals, travel and other expenses.
Despite the fact that the organization serves about 600 new homicide survivors each year and provides ongoing services to about 1,700 survivors annually, it is often overlooked as a possible source of support, said Executive Director James Gierke.
“People often don’t find out about us until they have specific needs and even then, they may not know that we are out here and amiable to help. When people think of homicide, they think of things that are obvious or reported in the news, but we do lots of work with people who are survivors of hit-and-runs and drunk drivers or vehicular homicide. It is helpful to know that we can be a resource for those people as well,” said Gierke.
Angie Smith, president of the board of directors, emphasized that Homicide Survivors also assists the families of those killed through domestic violence as well as unsolved crimes. In fact, almost 40 percent of the cases for which Homicide Survivors provide assistance are unsolved. Throughout criminal cases, Homicide Survivors is invaluable, according to Smith.
“My twin sister was murdered in 2011 and it is such a horrific, unimaginable experience. You want to talk to law enforcement and know what is happening and their job is to investigate the crime. We had a lovely detective, but law enforcement’s job is not to handle the family — advocates do that,” Smith said.
Smith said advocates — many of whom have legal backgrounds and/or are survivors themselves — can assist with everything from accessing dental and medical records and coordinating funeral logistics to navigating the judicial system and attaining information on life insurance policies.
“When you are devastated and in mourning and you feel completely inept because your mind is on other things, they are an incredibly valuable resource,” Smith said.
“We always say, ‘Who survives a homicide?’ But the idea is that we are there for survivors of the victims of homicide. By having this event and honoring those who have been strong advocates —whether through law enforcement or community advocacy — we bring the mission to the forefront and let people know there is a cadre of resources available.”
