POMC unveils plaques to honor murder victims (With Video)
Published: Friday, August 13, 2010 Click here to view Video

The Pennsylvania State Police officer removing the swatches stopped, saluted the names, and moved on to the next plaque — a process he repeated 31 times.

The plaques bore the names of the loved ones murdered across the country over the last four decades — nearly 4,000 in all. Thursday night, 275 members of the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children gathered at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott to witness the unveiling of The Murder Wall, a collection of 31 plaques designed to honor the memories of the loved ones they’ve lost to homicide.

Throughout the 20-minute unveiling, parents, family members and friends in the audience sat quietly, the silence broken only by an occasional sniffle or murmur of support.

“The Murder Wall guards the memories of those we’ve loved so deeply,” said Nancy Ruhe, executive director of the national POMC. “This wall will survive forever to offer comfort and hope to these families. Every name on this wall cries out silently for awareness, prevention and, above all, justice.”

Ruhe said the idea for the wall was conceived nearly 15 years ago.

“We had heard of memorial walls for Holocaust victims, for (troops) killed in the Vietnam War, and we realized that there was no memorial for those murdered in the USA,” she said. “The first year, we filled two plaques. Today, we’re getting started on No. 32.”

Many of the names emblazoned on the plaque belonged to children from Delaware County. There was Aimee Willard, killed in 1996; Katelyn Rivera-Helton, killed in 1999; Deanna Wright-McIntosh, killed in 2004. Just outside the ballroom where the ceremony was held, photos of victims from across the country adorned blankets from Maine, Michigan and California; nearly 100 photos of victims from Delaware County filled another two blankets.

Attendees, many of them carrying photos of their loved ones and wearing rubber bracelets bearing their names, wandered slowly among the plaques and blankets, hugging, crying and sharing stories.

Laverne Flythe traveled from her home in Suffolk, Va., for the unveiling of the plaque. She wanted to see the name of her son, Dameyon Parrish Flythe, who was killed in a carjacking in 1997, just one day after returning home from a stint in the military.

“Words cannot describe how it feels to be here,” said Flythe, as she clutched a photo of her son. “It’s a chance to meet parents and siblings who know the pain you feel. It’s like a bond — we’re like sisters and brothers. It’s just awesome to know there’s a group like this to help you through it all.”

This year, the Delaware County chapter of POMC was selected to host the four-day national conference, which will include workshops, various speakers and a memorial service in addition to Thursday’s unveiling of the Murder Wall. The organization has also planned a bus trip to the Delaware County chapter’s Living Memorial Garden in Upper Chichester.

Kennett Square’s Bruce Campbell said he would have traveled anywhere to attend the event in honor of his son, Gregory, who was gunned down in 2006.

“I went to the conference last year, and I’ll be at next year’s conference in Milwaukee, too,” he said. “It’s not a matter of convenience, about it being here in Philadelphia. It’s about meeting people who are in the same position and learning how to deal with a system that tries to wear us down.”

The Murder Wall is a traveling exhibit, appearing throughout the country and displayed on the National Day of Remembrance on Sept. 25. The 3,720 names on the plaques also appear on the organization’s website.

Ruhe said the wall will serve as a tribute to those lost throughout the years — and despite the negative connotations some believe are stirred up by the phrase “Murder Wall,” the group never wanted to give it another name.

“Some people didn’t know why we’d attach our loved ones’ names to such an ugly word, but their names will be attached to that ugly word forever, whether we like it or not,” she said. “What’s important is that the memories left behind by each of them are beautiful. Those are what will survive forever.”