KARK

Families of murder victims come together on the steps of Arkansas State Capitol

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Family members who lost a loved one to violence gathered at the State Capitol Sunday afternoon for the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims.

The local chapter of the organization Parents of Murdered Children brought the group together. Families were invited to bring a framed picture of their loved one and to share their stories.

Bilenda Harris-Ritter said that the event isn’t just to help the families, but to help them find resources.

“This is an organization that is there for people who have had a loved one murdered, and need someone to comfort them or to help them find resources,” Harris-Ritter said. “It can be a child, or someone else in your family.”

The group Parents of Murdered Children began in 1978 in Cincinnati after a couple were forced to deal with the violent death of their teenaged daughter.

The local chapter of the group offers free monthly grief support meetings for anyone affected by homicide or struggling with grief due to homicide.

For more information check out ParentsOfMurderedChildren.org.