Families of slain gun violence victims seek justice, accountability at ‘Season of Remembrance’ event
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Families who lost loved ones to homicide gathered Monday night for the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office’s annual Season of Remembrance event, with many expressing frustration over finding justice for their loved ones.
The event, now in its 15th year, provides a space for victims’ families to come together and remember they are not alone in their journey through grief and the criminal justice system.
Monday at the Michael D. Rose Theater on the University of Memphis’ campus, families placed ornaments on memorial wreaths, each ornament holding memories of lives taken by violence.
Jacque Ford and Brandee Jones both lost their children and are still waiting for the killers to face justice.
“For the DA to tell us that she [son’s killer] gets to be free because they don’t have enough evidence to charge her makes it even worse,” said Ford, who lost her son in 2024.
Jones, who lost her daughter in 2022, said the suspect in her case has been missing for years.
“They originally took him [daughter’s killer] in on a small $5,000 bond. He’s shown up for one court date, has not been seen since, and he’s been running, and it’s been a little over three years,” Jones said.
District Attorney Steve Mulroy said the event provides an opportunity for families to get updates on their cases.
“We’re gonna have a number of victim/witness coordinators here all night with their notepads ready, and if families have questions on their pending cases, we’re gonna take their information down, we’re gonna see what we can find out about the status of their cases, and get back to them quickly,” Mulroy said.
Members of the grief support group “Moms on a Mission” attending the event are calling for more accountability in the Shelby County justice system over frustration with the sentencing of the suspects in their children’s cases.
”I do not appreciate Steve Mulroy getting on that podium and lying like he gives out long sentences," said Sharika Carpenter, who lost her son in 2021. “You don’t give out lengthy sentences. You give out plea deals.”
“I’ll never get my son back,” said Janice Walker, who lost her son in 2024. “But the court system allows a bond, so that his killer can spend Thanksgiving with his family, while my family missed my son.”
Mulroy said there were 178 homicide cases in Shelby County this year, roughly a third fewer cases than the year before. He said the downward trend is promising, but that number is still far too great.
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