Slain SeaTac woman remembered at vigil
DES MOINES, Wash. -- Families have been torn apart by domestic violence; it's a silent epidemic, as survivors sometimes don’t know who or what to turn to when they find themselves in an unhealthy situation.
In just the last 30 days, we have reported on several domestic violence situations, one of them involving a 23-year-old woman who authorities say was stabbed to death by her fiancé with their 2-month-old child in the room.
A vigil took place in Des Moines for that young woman, who is not a statistic, but a memory to her family.
8-year-old Koreyanna Robinson paying tribute to her friend the only way she knows how.
“Me and her had so much fun together…”
She planned to play the ukulele, which she learned through lessons given by Adele Ah Chan.
“Everyday I would go up and I would play with her, with the ukulele and the baby, and we would have fun together.”
It was too difficult, so instead, the little girl sang. While Adele filled Koreyanna’s heart with music, Adele left so much more with behind.
“I lost my best friend.”
Adele’s life was cut short June 4. Officials say the 23-year-old mother was stabbed to death by her 59-year-old fiancé, Timothy Jackson, while their 2-month-old son was in the room.
Jackson had prior domestic violence incidents, just not with Adele.
There are resources and places that understand what victims are going through.
“The numbers of women and men who are essentially being tortured in their homes in our community is just staggering in many ways," said Susan Segall with New Beginnings.
Over just the last 30 days, those domestic violence numbers include a Camano Island woman shot and killed by her estranged husband in Everett, A woman shot and killed by her father in Renton over a baby-gate dispute, and a man who took his son’s life and then his own in Maple Valley.
It is important to understand that domestic violence has many forms. Segall says it can be hard for outsiders to understand how someone could end up in a situation where they are being abused.
"Abusive people don’t start abusing immediately. Often times those relationships start out with a high level of romantic attention and it's easy to get swept off your feet.”
And there are signs of abuse even before police need to get involved.
“If your partner is texting you 500 times a day and wanting to know your whereabouts at all times, and getting angry because you aren’t responding quickly," Segall said. “As the signs of abuse and as the manifestations of abuse get worse, and get more severe, then extricating yourself becomes more complicated.”
Both Segall and King County Sheriff's Sgt. Ryan Abbott say leaving can be easier said than done.
“It’s not something that most people just say 'Ok I’m good I’m gonna walk away.'" There’s usually a lot to it, because you obviously love the person a lot of times and you don’t want to give up everything you have.”
It wasn’t that easy for Adele either. So now, her family holds onto the memories of her— as they work to keep Adele’s memory alive. "Just keep playing the ukulele and thinking about her.”
There are several resources for domestic violence survivors across the Pacific Northwest. Below you will find links/numbers to use if you are in a situation where you are worried about your safety, or even someone else's well being.
New Beginnings: 206-522-9472-- New Beginnings
Domestic Abuse Women's Network: 425-656-7867-- DAWN
Lifewire: 425-746-1940-- Eastside Domestic Violence Program
WA State Resources: Help in WA
NATIONAL:
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 -- National Hotline