Families remember loved ones at Crime Victim Memorial

Apr. 24—The annual Crime Victim Memorial gave families the opportunity to honor their loved ones and bond with others who have shared a similar experience.

During National Crime Victims' Rights Week, the Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney's Office held a memorial ceremony at the Remington Nature Center.

"They can come (here) besides going to a graveyard or something, you know, where we all can get together because we're all family from that pain," St. Joseph resident Gloria Watson said.

Watson's son, Danny Watson Jr., and his fiancée were murdered nearly 20 years ago. She said it's an experience that no one understands unless they have been through it.

"When we went through it, we had nobody," she said. "And I wasn't going to let anybody else go through that like that, because it's hard. It's hard. It destroys you. You just can't do it by yourself."

After attending the annual memorial for years, Watson has gotten to know many other families who have lost a loved one to crime.

"I know all their birthdates, their passing dates, the victims and everything," she said. "I keep track of all that to help them. I make videos for them, you know, put them all together, and I really enjoy helping them, and they help me too."

Buchanan County Prosecutor Michelle Davidson attended the event, along with a victim's advocate and multiple sheriff's deputies.

"We have this every year, and we always get a very good turnout," Davidson said. "Not only do people come and bond, but these are families that we have worked with, usually through some of the most terrible times of their lives."

Davidson said the individuals who attended the ceremony have lost so much, but she gets to see them grow and become stronger.

"They become people that we want to connect with on a yearly basis and see how they're doing," she said. "And, you know, it's sad, but at the same time, just being able to come together, it brings a sense of peace to everyone."