Memorial for murder victims spotlights resilience of human spirit

On Wednesday I attended a service in memory of several members of a family originally from Ansonia who were brutally killed.

It was the first anniversary of the tragic event in which five people and an unborn child were murdered in West Virginia. The suspect later committed suicide.

The service at Wakelee Memorial Funeral Home in Ansonia was certainly sad,  but it also was inspiring. As I sat near the grieving relatives I couldn't help but be in awe of their strength. The tragedy they have endured is unimaginable. A recording of the hymn, "Amazing Grace," brought many of them to tears.

I learned these brave young men, twins Jacob and Christopher Hudson, 18, and their brother Richard Hudson, 24, have been working hard to move ahead in life. They are going to school, working, and making every effort to deal with their tragic circumstances.

And it was clear to me that their father, Clifford Hudson, and their uncle, Eric Hudson, are extremely proud of them and their accomplishments.

Wakelee Memorial Funeral Home director John Stanley Zaleski presented Clifford Hudson with a medallion that contains the fingerprints of his two slain children, Katrina and Kevin Hudson, as well as the footprint of his unborn granddaughter, who was to be named Alexis.

Clifford Hudson said he was "ecstatic" when Katrina told him he was going to become a grandfather. 

Keepsake medallion features fingerprints and a footprint.

Zaleski said because “the gravity of the loss was so great,” he teamed with David Gordon of Meadow Hill Corp. in Illinois to create a special keepsake medallion for Clifford Hudson. The charm, imprinted with the victims’ fingerprints, is part of a line of charms called Thumbies, available through Meadow Hill, Zaleski said.

I wish all the Hudson family members the best as they seek to get on with their lives, while they work to keep their loved ones' memories alive.

Raw emotion is evident at anti-violence march in Ansonia (video)

Marchers proceed down East Main Street toward Veterans Park on Main Street.

ANSONIA - On Saturday I walked alongside more than 100 supporters of resident Shawn Venson in the second annual 'Stayin' Alive 25' community march downtown.

Venson lost his oldest child, Daryl Rhys Venson, 25, on March 9, 2011 when he was shot and killed in front of a convenience store on the corner of Hill Street and Root Avenue. 

No one has been arrested for the crime, yet Shawn Venson has said there were at least 15 witnesses.

As friends and supporters of all ages gathered at the corner to take part in the march, Shawn Venson said quietly that it was an emotional time. I'm sure that was an understatement.

At the rally at Veterans Park on Main Street, Shawn Venson said his "quest to live is stronger than ever." He said authorities are not doing enough to solve the murder and said he simply wants answers.

I didn't know Daryl but since the shooting I've gotten to know Shawn Venson, who happens to be a neighbor of mine. I can't begin to understand his pain.

We should all hope a witness does come forward and provide information about the slaying to police so the person who killed Daryl can be brought to justice.