The family members and friends of murder victims participated in a candlelight vigil on Wednesday night at Plaid Community Church in Jenkins Twp. Following the lighting of each candle, the stage lights, center, were turned off.
Sam Zavada | Times Leader
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The family of Robert Curley, who passed away on Sept. 27, 1991, hold candles during the Wednesday night vigil in memory of murder victims. The candlelight vigil was held at Plaid Community Church in Jenkins Twp.
Sam Zavada | Times Leader
Plaid Community Church Pastor Stan Oschman comforts Donna Walling on Wednesday night at the candlelight vigil honoring murder victims.
Sam Zavada | Times Leader
A table featuring the pictures and names of murder victims was featured at the center of Wednesday night’s candlelight vigil at Plaid Community Church in Jenkins Twp.
Sam Zavada | Times Leader
Donna Walling, the organizer of Wednesday night’s vigil of remembrance for murder victims, spoke to the victims’ friends and family members at Plaid Community Church in Jenkins Twp.
Sam Zavada | Times Leader
JENKINS TWP. — Friends and family members of murder victims gathered in memory of their loved ones on Wednesday night. The typically outdoor event was held inside the Plaid Community Church due to rain.
Donna Walling, the event’s coordinator, is the mother of Jamie Walling, who passed away as a result of murder on Oct. 15, 2000, just weeks shy of her 22nd birthday.
For the past nearly 24 years, Donna has been left to wonder what might have been in her daughter’s future. In a speech delivered to the vigil’s emotional attendees, she also considered how her own life might be different in an alternate, brighter timeline.
“I wonder, in my case, would I be a grandma?” asked Donna Walling, before getting choked up.
Still, she persisted through her remarks to a captive crowd, all of whom have been impacted by the loss of a loved one through murder. Following Walling, others stood up to share stories and poetry regarding their experiences as survivors.
Plaid Community Church Pastor Stan Oschman did his best to comfort the community members in attendance, offering the church’s support on Wednesday night and beyond.
For the vigil portion of the remembrance event, candles were passed out to the mourners. They passed the light around the room, igniting the candle of the person standing to their right, until each mourner’s candle was lit. At that point, the church lights were dimmed, and the hall’s sole illumination was the shine of the candles.