Credits: Thank You
Letter To Survivors
Guide Contents
To One In Sorrow
Dear Survivors,

Let me begin by personally extending to you my very deepest and most sincere sympathy. I empathize with the depth of your pain and heartache, for I, too, am the survivor of a homicide victim. On February 10, 1991 my son, Daniel, was robbed and murdered by three men one month before his twentieth birthday. When notified of Danny's death, I naively assumed he had been killed in an automobile accident, and that in itself was devastating.
When I proceeded to ask questions about the "accident," I was informed that Danny had been murdered. In an instant a numbing coldness that can only be likened to ice water rushing through my veins consumed my entire body. It was an aching coldness unlike anything I had ever before experienced, and which no external stimulation could warm. At that moment my family was labeled with a title we had always thought was reserved for "other people;" we became homicide survivors.
I can say with absolute certainty that nothing in life ever prepares us for the death of a loved one through murder. Though most survivors have experienced other losses through illness or accidents, all unarguably acknowledge that murder brings with it many additional complexities and anxieties which compound our loss and prolong our period of recovery. The human psyche refuses to accept the notion that another human being could make the conscious and deliberate decision to end the life of someone we love.
The days, weeks, and months immediately following the murder of my son are a blur of anguish, stress, anxiety, and disbelief. At no other time have I ever experienced so many intense and debilitating emotions simultaneously: pain; heartache; sorrow; emptiness; anger; fear; frustration; loneliness; confusion; depression. Dan's murderers robbed our family not only of the joy of his life, but of control over our lives as well. Our feelings of helplessness only intensified as we participated in all legal proceedings: arraignments in District and Superior Court; pre-trial conferences; suppression of evidence hearings; two trials and one plea-agreement. In talking with other survivors in Massachusetts and throughout the country, I came to realize that our family was fortunate to have had so many competent and compassionate people working on our behalf to ensure that Danny's murderers were brought to justice.
Yet there were still times when we felt completely isolated and as if no one was listening to us, responding to our needs, or understanding the depth of our sorrow or the full impact of our loss. Our questions seemed to be constant, with each answer leading to yet another question. It was out of these never-ending questions and our frustration at wanting and needing answers that we were not always readily available to us that the idea for this book was conceived. We wanted other survivors to know that they are not alone in their grief, and to have a means through which their questions and concerns could be addressed in language they would understand.
While every precaution has been taken to ensure the accuracy of all information within the guide, because laws are constantly changing and policies and procedures may vary from county to county, please keep in mind that the information contained herein is meant to serve you as a general guideline. Each case is different, and thus all information should unquestionably be verified with the District Attorney, ADA, or Victim/Witness Advocate assigned to your case.
You will also notice that the pronouns "he" and "him" have been used throughout the guide when referring to specific individuals. This was done merely for the sake of simplicity and uniformity, and is not intended to be interpreted as a bias toward any particular gender.

While I deeply regret that you have a need for this guide, I sincerely hope that it will serve its intended purpose of assuring you that you are not alone, and making your journey through the legal system a little less frightening and a lot more understandable.
In my love for Danny,
Nancy Larson