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Our immediate family, including some extended family and friends, returned to St.
Louis on Sunday, August 30th to mark the one year anniversary of Matthew’s murder.
The vigil was held in Carondelet Park which was one block north of where Matthew
and Jamie lived. Jamie did an outstanding job planning and coordinating the vigil.
We were all pleasantly surprised by the support and empathy of the local St. Louis
media. The story was covered by television stations including FOX, NBC, CBS, and
a talk radio station; they all did an excellent job covering the story. The vigil
was the lead story on both the 6 and 10pm news on the St. Louis CBS affiliate.
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Several people from Dean & DeLuca in Leawood, Kansas (where Matthew worked before
moving to St. Louis) made the trip out to Carondelet Park to show their support.
A couple of coworkers of Matthew’s at Trans States attended with their spouses as
well. Many people from Matthew and Jamie’s former neighborhood stopped by to show
support as well as a representative from the St. Louis Mayor’s office. The St. Louis
police department showed their support in that several officers who have been working
on Matthew’s case attended as well. The police also had at least one officer at
the park for the duration of the vigil. |
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From Left: Chris Sichra, the FireFighter who tried to help Matthew, Scarlet
Walsh, poster made from a handwritten quote Matthew put on Val and Tom's refrigerator
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Matthew’s story has now spread across the country and has been picked up by several
news outlets in other states. We are all very happy by this in that visibility is
crucial in spreading the word in hopes that someone who knows something will come
forward. |
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