City vigil remembers ‘09 victims of violence

By GEORGE MAST • Courier-Post Staff • December 31, 2009

Sister Helen Cole holds a vigil each year for Camden's homicide victims. On Wednesday, Dec. 30,. 2009, she lit a candle for Jamar Cruz, a 9-year-old victim.

CAMDEN

- Shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sister Helen Cole paused in prayer after lighting a red candle in the front of a Camden church.
Cole prayed for peace and for the family of 9-year-old Jamarr Cruz, who died March 31 after he was brutally beaten inside his Ablett Village home.

“We honor the brief life of Jamarr,” Cole said softly. “We ask that you give us hope and peace in the future. Help us to make choices that will help Camden to be a safer place to live.”

An hour later, Cole lit another candle at St. Joan of Arc Church — this candle for 24-year-old Tyson Maddox, who was gunned down April 24 in an alley off of MacArthur Drive.

In all, Cole will light 34 candles to remember the city’s 33 homicide victims so far this year and a 68-year-old man killed in a police-involved shooting. That death remains under investigation.

Every hour, Cole will light another candle and say another prayer with those gathered.

Except for the overnight hours, the vigil began at 5 p.m. Tuesday and will end at 5 p.m. today.

The vigil is something Cole has done the week after Christmas since 1995, the year 13-year-old Shaline Seguinot was raped and killed and the city’s homicide total hit a record at 58.

Last year, Cole stretched 52 candles across the front of the sanctuary.

While the number of victims is far fewer this year, Cole knows the pain is just as real.

“It’s still a tragedy for these families,” she said.

Each year, Cole sends a letter to all of the victim’s families inviting them to attend the candle vigil. Some come, but many do not. At times, homicide investigators, police officers, emergency workers and teachers drift into the quiet sanctuary.

MaryAnn Carrasquillo went to the church at 7 a.m. Wednesday to see Cole light a candle for her son Luis Garcia.

Garcia, 25, was shot and killed Feb. 22 after an argument spilled outside of a River Road bar.

Carrasquillo said the brief ceremony helped ease the pain.

“It helps to know that there are people out there who haven’t forgotten your family member,” Carrasquillo said. “It was something that I think was outstanding and very special to me.”

Cole said helping just one family through their loss makes the long days of prayer well spent.

“I think it’s important for them to know that other people really care this happened,” she said.

Homicide victims this year ranged in age from 2 to 74. Many were gunned down on city street corners during the early morning hours. Two were beaten to death and two others stabbed.

Thomas Marinelli, the oldest victim at 74, died Aug. 23 after he was beaten by an intruder at his Collings Road home.

Two months later, the city’s youngest victim, 2-year-old Enalla Banks, became the city’s 29th homicide victim when her throat was slit inside a Northgate I apartment.

Seven of those killed were 18 or younger, including 16-year-old Davon Jones, who was shot and killed July 24 when he went to pick up a friend at Ablett Village. Authorities said the teen was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Other victims had a troubled history, like Elisha Shedrick, who was paroled from a three-year drug sentence a week before he was shot and killed outside Northgate I on Nov. 25.

For Cole, the candles shed light on the violence that has laid siege to the city for years.

“When you see all of the candles lit, it’s like, wow, that is a lot of lives lost in our little city,” she said.

Reach George Mast at (856) 486-2465 at gmast@camden.gannett.com