Published: December 01, 2008 10:03 pm      

Crime victims remembered with ‘Tree of Angels’

More than 100 people packed into the conference room at the Texas Prison Museum Monday night to commemorate the 13th annual Walker County Tree of Angels, an annual holiday monument to victims of violent crime in the county.

The event was hosted by Walker County Judge Danny Pierce and Walker County District Attorney David Weeks, and was attended by the families of more than a dozen victims of violent crime, as well as law enforcement personnel from every agency active in Walker County, including the Walker County Sheriff’s Department, the Huntsville Police Department, the Huntsville Fire Department and the Texas Rangers.

In a corner of the room, flanked by two small Christmas trees, were photos of each of the victims-people of all ages, all walks of life-each with its own small candle waiting to be lit by someone close to them.

The evening began with a welcome and proclamation by Pierce, who brought with him the regards of the Walker County Commissioner’s Court.

Pierce then introduced young Ally White, who performed the inspirational song “Our Hope Endures,” an expression of hope amid darkness. White’s voice penetrated the quiet energy of the room, setting an emotional tone that would carry through the rest of the ceremony.

After an invocation by Pastor David Valentine, Weeks addressed the crowd.

“I don’t know that it ever gets easier,” he said. “But tonight, I’m greatly appreciative of your attendance here in support of all those who have suffered so much pain.”

Angie McCown, victim services director for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, then gave a keynote address in which she offered inspiration from her own experiences as both a counselor to victims and as someone who has suffered the loss of a loved one.

“As long as I’ve been doing this, I don’t know if I’ve ever found the right words to say,” she said. “When I was six years old, my mom’s little sister, my aunt, was killed by a drunk driver, and I remember being six and attempting to celebrate the Christmas season that first year after she was killed. So I know how difficult it can be to celebrate when a person you love is not here with you.”

McCown then related a story of an experience she had with a six year old whose father, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty.

“We would ask the kids to draw pictures of how they saw their parents in heaven,” she said. “And we would get pictures of Dad sitting in an easy chair watching football on a cloud, or of Mom baking cookies, but once this one child came to me and said: ‘Miss Angie, I don’t know if I should share my picture.’ So I said: ‘Whatever you do is OK with me. Let me see it.’ And he showed me the picture and he explained: ‘This is my house and this is a picture of my Dad coming home that night. That’s the picture I wanted to draw, because I don’t want to think about him in heaven. I want to think about him the way I wish it would have happened.’ So over the next few days we talked to him about heaven and about angels, and by the end of the week he could think about his father in heaven. So I hope that by being a part of this, you can find some peace like that.”

McCown then read a short piece on the nature of angels, and gave her thoughts on the presence of angels around the families gathered in the room.

“I believe tonight you are in the presence of many angels,” she said, pointing to the law enforcement officers standing around the walls. “I know that you have suffered significant loss and significant pain, but I know that there are people around you who would give anything they could to take that away.”

When McCown’s speech concluded, Weeks began announcing one by one the names of the “angels” represented on the table of photos and candles.

For each photo there was a procession, for each life a candle lit, as family members walked to the table, often accompanied by a law enforcement officer. While one lit a candle, the other hung a small angel on the tree in honor of their loved ones.

The room was silent as each candle sparked to life. Some wept, some prayed while others merely sat in silent reverence.

Following the lighting of the candles, a memorial slideshow was introduced in which each of the victims was seen, accompanied by the Brooks & Dunn hit “I Believe,” a song about finding peace in the loss of a loved one.

After the last photo faded, five words appeared on the screen that brought still more tears: “We Will Never Forget You.”

After every candle was lit, Weeks again rose to the podium for an emotional moment of his own.

“We wanted to make a special presentation tonight, to someone who knows all of these stories,” he said, indicating the candlelit photos on the table. “He’s been with the DA’s office for 25 years, and he’s done so much for this community that no one knows. His name is Jay Griffin, and he’s our chief investigator at the DA’s office.”

Weeks then introduced Huntsville Chief of Police Jean Sanders to speak about Griffin.

“Jay has always treated everyone with respect and a graciousness that’s hard to explain,” she said. “Jay Griffin is the consummate humanitarian. He will give, assist, and mentor without instruction, and for that I am glad to call him my friend.”

Griffin then accepted his award, a plaque in the shape of the state of Texas, with a few humble words of thanks.

“I just thought I was going to be here to light the tree,” he said. “My family is not here tonight, but I do want to say something to my extended family – all the great law enforcement people in this county who make this system work. I appreciate you all and thank you so much.”

Weeks then concluded the ceremony by decorating the tree, reminding all in attendance that the ceremony was not about grief, but about hope.

“Each of these ornaments and each of these candles is a story of lives unfulfilled, of promises broken,” he said. “But they are a story, too, of redemption and triumph over all the evil that the world throws at us.”