Safe Voices holds vigil for Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October 8, 2024
By Joe Charpentier at the Sun Journal — Read full story here
Domestic abuse survivor Shannon White, left, speaks Monday about her past experience at the Safe Voices vigil at Dufresne Plaza on Lisbon Street in Lewiston. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Joe Charpentier/Sun Journal
LEWISTON — Jennifer Bailey was the kindest and most incredible person anyone would ever want to meet, Kerry Smith said of her friend at the Safe Voices vigil Monday night at Dufresne Plaza.
Jennifer and her mother, Lisa Bailey, were slain early Sunday morning outside their home in Bath by estranged father and husband Michael Bailey, police announced Sunday evening.
Smith said she knew she had to come to Dufresne Plaza and stand side by side with those closest to the evils of domestic violence to share the Baileys’ story at the observance Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“I’ve had so many people talk to me about little stories that they remember,” Smith said. She said Jennifer was so easy to talk to. “And her mom was the same way. Her mom was just the kindest person, and she was so caring for people.”
Smith said when she heard about the deaths Sunday morning, she thought of the Baileys and how there was an ongoing situation with Michael, Jennifer’s father and Lisa’s husband. As comments poured into social media, several claiming a man shot his daughter and wife, Smith said she immediately knew and traveled to Bath as quickly as she could.
“I got as close as I could to her house and I knew that it was her,” Smith said, adding that she went around the back of the house and watched as police took crime scene photographs of her best friend’s body. “I watched them load her into a body bag.” As the coroner’s van passed “I told her how much she was loved.”
Smith said her friend’s last moments echoed so much of what we hear all the time in the news about domestic violence that claims lives — Michael Bailey entered the home with a gun, chased the two women out of the house, shot them each in the back and went inside to kill himself.
“It’s just another example that I never thought I would have to face about how widespread and common domestic violence is,” Smith said. “I want people to know that this is a real problem and that it could have been prevented. I want people to know that when the police were called on him twice in one day, it should have been checked at that point, whether he had a gun, it should have never happened … Situations like this are preventable and we need to work harder to make sure that they don’t happen anymore.”
“We must have our compassion turn into action, and that’s what this month is about for us … We really hope this is an inspiration for all of you to … help make a difference for survivors.”
– Safe Voices Executive Director Rebecca Austin
Many at the vigil shared pains they continue to endure long after the damage is done.
Liza Morgan brought a picture of her daughter, Natasha Morgan, to the vigil. Natasha was gunned down by her 1-year-old daughter’s father, Jaquille Coleman, in front of the child and in front of Liza at Liza’s Scribner Boulevard driveway in 2020.
Liza said just a year and a half after Coleman was sentenced to 47 years, one of the few things she could say was that it would never be long enough.
“Now, I’m raising my granddaughter,” Liza said behind tears.
Shannon White shared her horrors of a relationship in which she endured severe mental and physical abuse at the hands of a man who hid behind lies and substance use disorder to control her.
Joanna Stokinger, a longtime advocate who works at Maine Resiliency Center, shared how she lost her infant grandson during the pandemic at the hands of a service member who is approaching parole eligibility.
Rebecca Austin, Safe Voices’ executive director, said while many of these stories bring out the anger in people, it’s important to remember to lean on one another as the fight against domestic violence continues.
“We gather every year as a way of remembrance and a way of honoring survivors,” Austin said.
She said Safe Voices has helped over 2,300 people this year.
“We know that is just the very tip of the iceberg of those who need us in our communities,” she said. “We can’t stop at awareness, though. That’s only part of what we need to do. We must have our compassion turn into action and that’s what this month is about for us … We really hope this is an inspiration for all of you to … help make a difference for survivors.”