After posting Caylee Anthony's picture on my blog yesterday, I let curiosity get the best of me. I wandered through Google and many random websites to find pictures and/or stories of missing African-American woman and children. Needless to say, I was completely moved by many stories that never make it to Nancy Grace or other prime-time television programs.
The most striking story of all was about the serial killer Henry Louis Wallace.
Mr. Wallace was a young black man born in South Carolina that went on a killing spree in the early 90s in East Charlotte, NC. He managed to kill over 10 young Black women, all under 25 years old. As I read the trial transcript, read the memorial websites for each of the victims, and read the commentary from websites like TruTV---I grew angry. One of the victim's mother mentioned how this man managed to kill so many women without interruption from the police: they were black and working class.
Undoubtedly, after reading the court transcripts I had difficulty getting to bed. I was horrified that this happened in my life time and I never heard the story. As my night went on, I was really anxious and upset over the details that I'd poured over. Naturally as I counselor I thought about the psychology behind the story and put a lot of time into trying to figure this guy out. At the end of the night/morning, I was exhausted and afraid that I cared too much about the case. This case had such an impact on me because these women have many similarities to me--young, black, with working-class roots.
I could go on and on about this case forever, but I decided to share this blog because I want to give voice to those who we never hear or see on television. It is a shame to know that if you are not white and are not part of the middle class, your tragedy may never be shared to assist in search for missing loved ones or their kidnappers/murderers.
So today, I want to recognize the victims of Mr. Wallace. They were:
Tashanda Bethea
Sharon Lavette Nance
Caroline Love
Shawna D. Hawk
Audrey Ann Spain
Valencia M. Jumper
Michelle Stinson
Vanessa Little Mack
Betty Jean Baucum
Brandi June Henderson
Deborah Slaughter
Please visit You Tube to watch the various memorial videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg9I8qLEdhM
Please pray for their families.
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3 comments:
I just stopping by to say thanks for bringing this horrible serial murder case on the blog. People seem to forget the Black victims of serial killers or missing/murdered women of Color in general. When the Henry L. Wallace murders first came on national TV for several days after his arrest in March 1994, I was outraged because the victims were pretty, young Black women like me. I was only 22 years old back then and that made me feel that the police and the community didn't do enough to solve the murders. Had the police in Charlotte done their job in questioning him in the Caroline Love's disappearance, eight women would have been alive today. Think about it.
If you like to read more about the H.W. case, please read my article, Crimes Against Black Women at La Reyna's Journal.
May the women rest in peace.
Stephanie B.
You're welcome La Reyna. Thanks for all that you do involving this case! I saw your screen name in several places and wanted to make sure you knew that you are appreciated...even for those who are not family members or friends of the victims.
I will definitely visit your journal again.
To MsBlake,
Sad to say, someone at YouTube removed the video tribute because of a so-called copyright. That's not fair because someone uses a song, they have a claim to it, therefore the video owner cannot use it. The reason why I say this is because the video tribute is the only way for people to know anything about the young Black female victims of serial killer Henry Louis Wallace.
La Reyna
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