Blog Archives
The Journey to Justice
Today marks the end of one journey and the start of another for our family. Today Manuel Ray Villarreal was sentenced to 17 years in prison for his part in the stabbing death of Marcus Lynn Snowden. Although this sentence provides some relief we are still in a period of healing and will be for quite some time. We hope we have done the memory of Marcus justice, we hope we have provided everyone with some insight of how violence effects everyone because when lives are taken in such a violent matter, everyone suffers and everyone is a victim.
We will continue on the mission we have set forth and will now offer peer support to families who are dealing with the tragedy of losing loved ones to violence. If anyone would like to join us please feel free to message our page or fill out the contact form on our website; www.togetheragainstviolence.com
We also want to thank the all the first responders for the work they do every day, the Fresno County Sherriff’s Office, the Fresno County Office of the District Attorney, Kerman Police Department, Victim Witness Services, Central Valley Crime Stoppers and our family and community for all their love and support.
We also wanted to share a poem written by Marcus’ sister, Kendra Snowden. Her poem sums up a lot with only a few words and we thank her for allowing us to share it with you.
Two Young to Fall
Two people gone
One alive one dead
But not one got ahead
One lifeless
One soulless
Both young and intellectually unfed
The fight that ended both lives so they said
War against another all in vain
Now there are only chains
Chains on the soulless divided
Chains on the lifeless never to be reunited
Diversity a beauty and a beast
The separation between you and me
Like the serpent between God, Adam and Eve
Who are we?
Both the hearts stained blue
So sad alone and looking for the truth
Do not fear for our time should soon be here
Rise and fall
We do it all
One in the same so who’s to blame?
~ Kendra Snowden
Justice for Sarah Roberts
We wanted to revisit the story of Sarah Roberts, Sarah was a young mother from Kerman, CA and the victim of a random act of violence on New Year’s Eve 2011. Over six months have gone by without any arrests and leads are few and far between. Police believe she was the unintended victim, caught in the crossfire of a nearby shooting in Fresno, CA.
As with many other crimes this case remains unsolved due to of a lack of witnesses willing to come forward with information. Valley Crime Stoppers has issued a $2000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case. Anyone with information is urged to call Valley Crime Stoppers at 559-498-STOP (7867) or Detective Chris Serrano at 559-621-2452.
This crime is a reminder that anyone can be a target, there are far too many innocent victims to turn a blind eye. It is of the utmost importance to report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood. Many people these days allow apathy to take over and adopt the “I just don’t want to get involved” mentality. It is sad and dangerous, reporting a possible crime before it happens could mean the difference between life and death.
The habit of reporting crime and suspicious activity needs to be ingrained into the hearts and minds of our communities. Don’t ever hesitate to call police if you think someone needs help and make an effort to find out the non-emergency numbers for your local law enforcement officials as well. These elements are key in achieving peaceful communities
for you and your families.
Benefiting Valley Crime Stoppers
Valley Crime Stoppers is a non-profit organization, they rely on fundraisers and donations to be able to put forward reward money for information leading to the arrest and conviction of criminals. By attending the June Jam 2012, you can help this organization help families whose loved ones have fallen victim to violent crime. Together Against Violence
Benefiting Valley Crime Stoppers
fReE gRiEf cOuNsEliNg
In the aftermath of tragedy, we are left to deal with our grief, family and friends are the best people to be around. There are times though, when we are alone in our thoughts and those can be the hardest moments. We wanted to share this link with you, where you can go to receive free group counseling. This service is provided by St. Agnes Hospital. We encourage anyone who needs help to attend and to be comforted by the fact that you are not alone. Grief Support Group
Together Against Violence 