It was 2002 when Peggy decided to leave. She was in a relationship with a man that had spiraled into a mentally and psychologically abusive situation. In fact, Peggy did everything “right”. She notified the authorities of her situation, filed an order for protection from her estranged partner and even moved from New Mexico to California to start a new life. But just like many imperfect systems, there are gaps and grey areas that can leave our citizens vulnerable to predators. In January 2003, after employing a private investigator, Peggy’s estranged boyfriend was able to track her down. When he found her, he murdered her and then killed himself…
Debbie, Peggy’s sister, was devastated by the tragic loss. But sometimes the pain of losing our most precious loved ones inspires us to do things we never imagined. It’s not likely that we can create a world where tragedies like this don’t exist, but we certainly can try. Debbie’s advocacy for stalking victims eventually reached our nation’s capital and helped create the National Stalking Prevention month (January). This is a wonderful picture of Peggy. But Debbie doesn’t need a picture to remember the promise to she made in honor of her sister’s memory.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive situation, we have included some resources below:
The National Domestic Violence Hotline
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
