LUMBERTON, NC (WBTW) – It was an emotional evening at First Baptist Church in Lumberton as families gathered for a candlelight vigil to keep their fallen loved ones’ memories alive.
But for law enforcement on hand, the event was just as much about preventing future crime.
The event–now in its ninth year–is sponsored by families and friends of murder and homicide victims support group. The vigil honors those lost to murder, domestic violence, and drunk driving.
And while the event is geared toward remembering, the Sheriff says it is important to fight these types of crimes in the future.
“We do everything in our power to prevent homicides when we have them,” said Robeson County Sheriff Ken Sealey. “We put everything we got to the and try to solve them, try to help the families and keep then notified of what’s going on.”
In 2014, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office said it investigated 34 homicides, and 27 in 2015.
“Our call volume runs about 5-6,000 calls a month,” said Sheriff Sealey. “We get out and do the best we can with what we have to work with.”
For the families, Thursday’s vigil was another chance to remember good times–as well as grieve with others who know the pain of losing a loved one to crime.
“We have to embrace all of the victims in Robeson County,” said Kim Lindsay, who’s nephew was murdered in Robeson County a few years ago. “The only way we could find some goodness in his death, this was it.”
At the end of the service, each person was handed his or her own candle–charged with continuing to light the world even in the face of tremendous loss.
