Violence Free Minnesota held their annual We Remember memorial for the known victims of intimate partner homicide in Minnesota.
According to WCCO – CBS Minnesota, the remembrance ceremony took place at St. Paul College Club were the names the 39 victims were read aloud and honored with a moment of silence. Violence Free Minnesota was established in 1978, it has evolved into a coalition comprising over 90 member programs dedicated to raising awareness, protecting victims, and combatting violence by challenging systems and institutions.
For more than three decades, the Coalition has been annually documenting cases of domestic violence-related homicides in Minnesota with the publication of its Homicide Report: Relationship Abuse in Minnesota. Their work is vital because state and federal agencies do not collect data on domestic violence or intimate partner homicides.
Maytong Chang, Advocacy Program Director at Transforming Generations, gave a speech and used the opportunity to raise awareness:
“Domestic violence happens in every community. It also looks different in each community because of cultural practices or beliefs. But, ultimately, domestic violence is about power and control. Killing an intimate partner is the ultimate and final act of power and control.”
Nineteen people of color were among the domestic violence fatalities in Minnesota in 2023. People from minority backgrounds, face unique vulnerabilities and challenges which stem from cultural, social, and systemic factors. It is imperative to provide specialized support, resources, and intervention strategies to close the existing gaps and ensure that all victims receive assistance and protection.
Today we join Violence Free Minnesota in remembering the victims and send our condolences to the families and loved ones of:
- Logan Gregory Barham
- Kyla Bianca O’Neal
- Messiah O’Nea
- Manuel Bernal Jurado
- Jennifer Yang
- Adrian Montano Medina
- Corrina Dawn Woodhull
- Madeline Jane Kingsbury
- Donshay Hardy
- Joshua Anthony Owen
- Manijeh “Mani” Starren
- Antonio Levar Moore
- Daniel Joseph Aldridge
- Sabrina Lee Schnoor
- Angela Marie McClelland
- Vickie Marie O’Brien (née Solmonson)
- Youa Vue Khang
- William Lamont Hudson
- Danicka Marie Bergeson
- Darisha Tela Bailey Vath
- Jean Harriette Mart
- Sarah Kathryn Patrick
- Betty Jo Bowman
- Mary A. Corneliusen
- Melanie Michele Jansen
- Hannah Nicole Parmenter
- Sarah Jane Carda
- Jianqin Zhang
- Kayla Rose Hulsey
- Justin Capri Boyland
- Shaqita Monique Thomas
- Ricardo Samuel Pena Martinez
- Savannah Ryan Williams
- Kesha Latrice Moore
- Meredith Marie Martell
- Jayden Lee Kline
- Kayla Marie Demarais