Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Since 2013 there have been 155 homicides in Anderson County.
For the families of those killed by violence, the story does not end where the public account stops. After the police tape comes down and the last visitor carries a casserole into the kitchen, there are shoes beside a door, a prescription waiting at the pharmacy, a name still listed on the family phone plan.
Someone must decide what to keep, what to cancel, what to tell a child who asks a question no adult can bear to answer. Grief inhabits these ordinary tasks, making even the smallest decision feel like an acknowledgment that the person they love will not be coming home.
On Thursday, Anderson Area Crime Stoppers held a memorial on the square downtown to let those families know someone has not forgotten.
“A Vigil to Remember” is an annual event where those families can gather to share their experiences and to hear the names of those lost read aloud as electric candles are lit for each name.
For 49 years the non-profit Anderson Area Crime Stoppers has worked alongside law enforcement and provided an anonymous platform for citizens and the public to submit information on crimes.
“It could be information on a cold case or homicide or a stolen vehicle and they can submit their tip to us, and if that tip leads to an arrest, it may be eligible for a reward,” said Jamie Lazar, Law Enforcement Coordinator and Executive Board Member for Anderson Area Crime Stoppers.
Sgt. Kendall Cash, Public Information Officer Anderson County Sheriff's Office and member of the Anderson Area Crime Stoppers Board said the vigil was started as a visual of remembrance for victims of violent crimes and their families.
“It’s just a night to remember them, a night to make sure that in memoriam they're not forgotten,” said Cash. Cash said they want the families to know that Anderson County with the sheriff's office, the Anderson County Office of the Coroner, and the 10th Circuit Solicitor's Office will try to take care of the families, and show them that they will never forget their loved ones.
“This is the night to remember them together,” said Cash.
The families’ stories Thursday carried more than the circumstances of a death. They remember who took the longest to get ready, who called on the drive home, who could never finish a joke without laughing. As investigators assemble evidence and courts consider charges, those memories preserve a life that cannot be contained in a case number. What they ask of the community is room for that whole person — imperfect, loved and still present in the habits of those left behind — and an understanding that their need for support may last long after there is anything new to report.
