Memorial Wall
Click on photos to read the stories, or select a page below.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
~George Santayana
Twins Chris and Cru Kahui
died on June 18th, 2006
Chris and Cru Kahui were 84 days old when it happened. Someone close to them - someone who should have been protecting and loving them - either picked them up and hit or threw them against a hard surface or shook them violently. The boys suffered traumatic brain injuries, the result of severe impact forces to their tiny heads. They died later that week after all efforts to save them were exhausted. To this day nothing more despite an extensive investigation and trial it is still not proved how the twins sustained their fatal injuries or why.
Esmin Green
died on June 19th, 2008
49yo Esmin Green from Jamaica was living in NYC and working at a daycare, to support her 6 children in Jamaica. She was losing her job and about to lose her apartment, was struggling emotionally, seemed agitated, and her church pastor called 911. Mrs Green was waiting for treatment for nearly 24 hours in the psychiatric ER waiting room. At 5:32AM she collapsed on the floor. The hospital staff was present, but ignored Mrs Green till 6:35AM, when they nudged her with their foot. Help was summoned three minutes later, an hour after her collapse. Mrs Green was already dead; she died of blood clots caused by long period of inactivity. Security camera footage was released to the public; Mrs Green's oldest daughter, 31yo Tecia Harrison, said she couldn't watch it. "I haven't seen it, and I don't think I have the heart or mind to watch it because that's my mother there," she said. "That's the woman who gave birth to me 31 years ago. I cannot watch that."
lil brother james
died on June 20th, 2009
james i miss you so much you were always there for me even when you were feeling terrible you always put on a smile for me. i hope your in peace now away from all the evil in the world just like you wanted us both to be. missing you x
Samia Shahid
died on June 20th, 2016
Samia Shahid, a 28yo beautician from UK, divorced her first husband (the marriage was arranged by her family) and married someone else. Two years later she received a phone call, claiming that her father was critically ill in Pakistan. Her husband suspected it was a lie, but she flew to see her father anyway. Once there, Samia was raped by her first husband because he felt disappointed, as her decision to divorce him eliminated his chances of moving to the UK and becoming a British citizen. Samia ran out of the room, threatening to go to the British High Commission. Her father held her legs while her ex-husband strangled her with her scarf. The family claimed Samia died of a heart attack; local press agencies reported that she committed suicide due to depression over infertility. Samia's husband filed a complaint, and a few months later her ex-husband confessed to the murder.
Trisha Sadler
died on June 22nd, 2011
29yo Trisha from Pennsylvania, USA, was raised by a loving family who adopted her as a preschooler. She was a cheerleading champion, a giving volunteer, and a popular employee at the bank where she worked. Trisha was living with her boyfriend of nine years. He had multiple prior convictions for assaults, was violent with her before, and she was supporting him financially. Their neighbors called police because of the noise, and Trisha's coworkers noticed her bruises. Two weeks before her death, Trisha gave her co-worker a warning: If I don't come to work, call the police. He's said he's going to kill me.
When Trisha didn't come to work and the police arrived to her house, they found Trisha's dismembered body in garbage bags, and her boyfriend who barricaded himself in one of the rooms and was screaming, "You won't take me alive." He suffers from schizophrenia and pleaded "guilty but mentally ill" to first degree murder; that doesn't change his sentence, but makes him eligible for treatment in prison.
"She was the baby of the family," Trisha's dad said. "As with any girl in the family, your brothers are very protective of you, and the loss of their only sister has hit them very hard."
Nicola Raphael
died on June 24th, 2001
15yo Nicola from Scotland was bullied in school because she liked Goth music and clothing style. She was fearing for her safety, felt under the threat of physical assault, and spoke to school counselors about it - but didn't want to tell her mom. Nicola overdosed on her mom's painkillers. Her friend Ashley set up a website and email address and invited bullied children too afraid to tell an adult to write in with their experiences. "I was amazed at how many people wrote to me with their stories - and just how many people are being bullied," she said.
Daniel Christopher Benoit
died on June 25th, 2007
7yo Christopher from Georgia, USA, loved going to the beach with his grandparents, reading with his aunt, playing with his two German Shepherds, riding horses, and watching animals on TV. His mom was a professional wrestling valet and a model, and his dad was a professional wrestler. On June 22nd, 2007, Christopher's dad strangled him and his mom, and three days later committed suicide. Motives are unknown; according to medical examiner, "Benoit's brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient," possibly due to repeated, untreated concussions throughout his wrestling career.
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
June 26th, 1987
Torture seeks to annihilate the victim's personality and denies the inherent dignity of the human being. The United Nations has condemned torture from the outset as one of the vilest acts perpetrated by human beings on their fellow human beings. Torture is a crime under international law, regardless of whether a State has ratified international treaties in which torture is expressly prohibited. The systematic or widespread practice of torture constitutes a crime against humanity.
UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment entered into force on this day.
Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu
died on June 26th, 2006
8yo Sofia from Western Australia had mom, dad, and two older siblings. On June 26th she was at a local mall with her uncle and 14yo brother. Sofia went to the bathroom and never came back. Her brother found her dead body just 10 minutes later. Sofia was sexually assaulted and killed in the bathroom stall by a mall employee who has been investigated for a similar assault on another 8yo girl three years prior.
"As a family we talk about Sofia maybe once or twice a week," her father said. "We talk more as if Sofia is still around somehow more than what happened. She would have turned 18 (last year), she would be driving now, legal now. You also get strength from situations like this and we feel stronger now ... we also feel that Sofia has been helping us." Sofia's school established an annual scholarship in her honor, and The Chapel of the Innocents in their church.
Aiwa Matsuo
died on June 26th, 2004
15yo Aiwa from Japan was murdered by her classmate (female). The girl lured Aiwa into her apartment, beat her, strangled her to death, and then decapitated her corpse. The reason she had her own apartment at 15 was because she attacked her father with a metal baseball bat, prompting him to move her into her own apartment. She had several medical text books, used to hurt small animals, posted photos of Aiwa's body on a message board, and told the police "I wanted to kill someone." Her father apologized to Aiwa's family for his daughter's mental health, and hanged himself two months later.
Julie Parkin
died on June 27th, 2017
39yo Julie Parker, primary school teacher from from UK, discovered that her husband had a sexual interest in a child and had made indecent videos. She confronted him, he packed his bags, but then "snapped" and stabbed her to death with a kitchen knife. "She was so sad when she found out what I really am," he said. "I should have killed myself. What is wrong with me? There is something wrong with me." His browsing history included "Cambodia child abuse," "teacher sexually assaulted," and "teacher viewing porn." Her browsing history included "what to do if you don't feel loved enough in your relationship", "top five signs your husband is demanding and controlling" and "fight for your marriage when your husband is emotionally distant from you".
Theodore Meyer
died on June 28th, 2014
Mr & Mrs Meyer from Oklahoma, USA, had been married for over 70 years and had three children, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. At the age of 91, both Mr and Mrs Meyer suffered from dementia, and were cared for by their 63yo son. On June 26th, 2014, the son returned home intoxicated, and beat Mr Meyer with his cane, causing multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Mr Meyer died two days later. Mrs Meyer survived her husband by two months.
Linzi Ashton
died on June 29th, 2013
25yo Linzi from UK had two children and worked as a bar maid. "Everybody loved her," the father of Linzi's daughter said. "She was devoted to the kids, she was everyone's friend, she put everybody first and she was a one-off." Linzi was involved in an abusive relationship for the last nine months of her life; she filed two police reports against her boyfriend, one for rape and the other for physical assault. Linzi withdrew both complaints and the relationship continued, until her boyfriend beat her to death; she suffered 108 separate injuries during the attack.
Shafia Family
died on June 30th, 2009
Mohammad Shafia had two wives, Rona (on the photo) and Tooba, and seven children. The family went from Afghanistan to Pakistan, then to Australia, then to United Arab Emirates, and finally to Montreal, Canada. Rona felt trapped in an abusive marriage, and feared for her life. Tooba, the second wife, allegedly said to Rona, "You are a slave, you are a servant." She and their husband held on to Rona's IDs and passport, so Rona felt she couldn't flee from them. She was also worried about her legal status, because she came to Canada as a domestic servant, on a visitor's visa, and was introduced as an aunt, not a wife.
On June 30th, a car that belonged to the Shafia family was discovered submerged at the nearby canal, with four bodies found inside: Rona Amir Mohammad, and three teenage daughters of the family, 19yo Zainab, 17yo Sahar, and 13yo Geeti. Mohammad Shafia, his wife Tooba Mohammad Yahya, and their 20yo son Hamed, were found guilty on four counts of first degree murder each. The remaining three children (a boy and two girls) were placed with social services, and a publication ban was placed on the case, to not disclose their names.
Kenny Pierce
died on July 1st, 1990
Too a little brother I never got to share my life with whose existence was ignored until death came upon you from ignorance and lack of compassion. To a brother I often cry out of pain and the shear sadness of missing you and the day I get money I will be the one to get you an official memorial site and stone with your name. I love you and I miss you so much. Blessed be
Sarah Payne
died on July 1st, 2000
Sarah was an 8yo UK girl murdered by a convicted sex offender who served two and a half years for abduction and sexual assault on another 8yo girl in 1995. The case influenced the campaign for Sarah's Law, that would allow controlled access to the Sex Offenders Register, so that parents with young children could know if a child sex-offender was living in their area.
Nina Hilt
died on July 2nd, 2005
2yo Nina (originally named Vika) was adopted from a Russian orphanage by a Californian couple. At first Nina hoarded food and ate so little that her parents took her to a doctor, but in a few months overcame these difficulties. She also struggled with potty training, and preferred non-verbal communication (English being her second language at the age of two), but enjoyed physical activities and games (click on her name to read about her "Monster Walk"). On July 1st, Nina's adoptive mother beat her to death. "I hurt Nina," she told the police. "I choked her and I hit her and hit her... She was not behaving and not listening and just crying. I was so angry so angry. I got up to her bedroom and I said stop it, stop it! I dropped her on the floor and I kicked her." She then put Nina back in bed and continued punching her on the back with a closed fist. She could not say how many times she hit Nina or if the child cried. "Since I brought Nina home we never bonded," she explained. Nina died the next day of blunt trauma to the abdomen. The woman pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Decarol Deloney-Cain
died on July 3rd, 2013
54yo Mrs Deloney-Cain from Illinois, USA, worked as a flight attendant for United Airlines for 28 years and had a husband, three children, and two grandchildren. When her 17yo daughter told her she was pregnant, Mrs Deloney-Cain told her she wanted her to get an abortion. The teen wanted to keep the baby so as to be together with her boyfriend as a family. They argued about it for a few days, and then the teen and the boyfriend murdered her by luring her into the basement, putting a pillow case over her head, and repeatedly hitting and stabbing her. They had two friends help them dispose of her body, and paid them with cash the teen withdrew from her mom's credit card. The next day they pawned mom's computer and bought an engagement ring. The teens were caught a few days later and eventually pleaded guilty to murder.
Kati Earnest
died on July 4th, 2009
5yo Kati from Texas, USA, was killed by her mom's boyfriend. He hit her, spanked her with a toy boat she made in Sunday school, punched her with his fist, and repeatedly stepped on her with his whole body weight as she was lying on the floor, as per his orders. His relationship with Kati's mom was short, but very violent, as were his multiple prior relationships.
Zina Linnik
died on July 4th, 2007
Zina was a 12yo girl from Washington, USA, who was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a stranger, registered sex offender. She was watching the Independence Day fireworks behind her home, when her dad heard a scream, ran to the back, and found one of Zina's flip-flops and saw a van driving off.
Muhtahina Jannat
died on July 5th, 2011
Ruma (family nickname of Muhtahina) was 16 when she married her older husband. She liked reading, took college courses and driving lessons, and he wasn't happy about it. He abused her for 13 years. On one occasion he kicked her in the stomach after a c-section and her stitches came apart. Ruma tolerated the abuse while she was the only victim, but when he started hurting the children too, she sought help. They were having a long divorce/custody dispute, during which a judge told Ruma she was "being silly" when she said she feared for her life. Ruma's husband strangled her with her scarf.
Jack Garcia
died on July 5th, 2015
Jack was a 9yo boy from California. He was smart, but stubborn and uncommunicative. Mom used to put him on timeout, and his school felt he was doing better. In spring of 2015 Jack's mom met a man online, picked up Jack, and moved with him to Maryland, to stay with this new boyfriend. She didn't enroll Jack in school, stopped the timeouts, and instead allowed her brother (Jack's uncle) and her boyfriend to discipline Jack in ways that prosecution described as torture. Four months later Jack was dead: his uncle and stepfather beat him, handcuffed him, and tied him to a chair with a bike chain, because he ate a piece of a birthday cake that belonged to his new stepsister.
Patricia Kearney
died on July 6th, 2016
On the evening of July 6, 2016, Patricia Kearney's siblings got an email from the boyfriend with whom she had spent years sailing across the South Pacific. "Dean here from Tonga. There is no easy way to say this…. Trish passed away in her sleep," he wrote. "She went peacefully." Though devastated by the news, the family found comfort in the knowledge she didn't have to suffer anymore. The 56-year-old had lived with an incurable nerve disorder that had worsened over time. Patricia was always a bit of a "tomboy," said her family and friends — adventurous and a free spirit. Even as she battled a medical disorder that causes numbness, tingling and muscle weakness, Kearney pursued passions like softball and scuba diving. Days later, the B.C. family's grief turned to shock. The boyfriend, Dean Fletcher, then 54, was taken into custody by Tongan police, accused of viciously beating Kearney to death.
Bernard Revell
died on July 6th, 2012
7yo Bernard from NYC, USA, was killed by his mom. She had 33 prior arrests and served two prison sentences: attempted robbery, attempted burglary, multiple prostitution charges. She discovered she had cancer, and killed "Little B." (as she called her son) to spare him the tough life she has endured since being dumped in the streets at about the same age, according to her lawyer. At first she tried electrocuting 7yo Bernard by dropping appliances into his bathwater, and when that didn't work she beat him with a hammer, and chocked him with her hands and belt.
Meah Weidner
died on July 7th, 2009
10yo Meah from South Carolina, USA, had mom, dad, brother, and three sisters. She played in the Carolina Miracle League, an adaptive form of baseball for children with special needs; Meah had cerebral palsy and was in a wheelchair during the games. "A smile was about all she could give you, but she loved playing," her coach said. "She required a buddy to help her hit, but really enjoyed it." Meah was killed by her mom's boyfriend, an EMT and a volunteer firefighter. He broke Meah's arm, shook her, and dropped her on head while her mom was at work. Meah's coach said Miracle League workers sometimes experience the death of a player because of natural causes, but the circumstances of Meah's death were tough. "It was a shock. You don't want to think abuse is going on... She needed protecting."
Elijah Strickland
died on July 8th, 2008
Elijah was a 3yo boy from Pennsylvania, USA, who was killed by his mom's boyfriend three hours after she left to work. The man claimed that Elijah's injuries resulted from CPR he tried to perform on the boy, but the jury found this argument unconvincing.
Alexis Rose McClain
died on July 9th, 2010
3yo Alexis from California, USA, was living with her dad and stepmom because her mom lost custody of her. The family moved to Kansas and then to a small town in Colorado, where the last murder was in 2004 and the last child abuse resulting in death was in 1970s. Alexis was abused to death, from October 2009 through July 2010, when she was admitted to a hospital with a crushed skull and was pronounced dead the next day. The indictment stated that her parents "engaged in a continued pattern of conduct that resulted in cruel punishment, mistreatment or accumulation of injuries that resulted in the death of the child". "We do give a voice to those who have none," said the District Attorney. "The child, when she died at the hands of her father, that was a gift to her, setting her free from the torture and abuse that she had experienced." Alexis' dad was sentenced to 48 years and stepmom to 12 years (plea bargain in exchange for testimony against her husband).
These are our tributes to those who have died as a result of child abuse, domestic violence, rape, religious abuse, or other types of abuse. Some of these people we knew personally, others we only heard of. Abuse is not a theoretical concept, it happens to real people, and costs lives. It's important to honor those we lost to abuse by telling their stories, so that the secret that killed them does not remain secret, and so that other lives might be saved, as a result of increased awareness.
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Copy-paste the code below to your site to display a name and a photo of someone who died through abuse on today's date; you can click on the photo to read their story. The widget is transparent, uses no javascript, and can be resized to fit your layout; proportions are 3:5.
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Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.
~ Socrates
~ Socrates
This page was last updated on February 11th, 2018
© 2008-2018 Fort Refuge. Please don't reproduce without permission.
© 2008-2018 Fort Refuge. Please don't reproduce without permission.
There have been times, (even tho we have not posted this) the fort has helped us NOT leave this world. There are so many good people and info and just the fact 'we' are accepted, and NOT judged has helped us! ~Kaven
