PHOENIX — As the holiday season approaches, Arizona families affected by unsolved homicides and missing persons cases gathered outside the state Capitol, setting out empty chairs for their loved ones.
Organizers called the silent protest the Empty Chair Project.
“We need people to understand this is when we feel it,” Karen Dana said. “You know, the holidays, that chair, that empty chair.”
Dana’s cousin, Loretta Lynn, was murdered in Mesa back in June 1988. Almost 40 years later, their family still has no answers.
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Each chair represented a person whose family is still awaiting justice. Place settings, stones, pictures and name cards filled the table.
“We are going into holiday season, and for us, we don’t have the same feelings about holidays as, you know, other people do,” Brenda Gilliam said.
Her daughter, Destiny McClain, was shot and killed in Phoenix while ordering at a food truck in 2021.
Gilliam’s push for justice for her daughter has turned into a passion for advocacy.
“It’s an emotional visual to have to see this,” Gilliam said. “But I’m grateful for the families that were willing to be out here with us to stand with us.”
Families shared with ABC15 a sense of comfort in having this group that understands what they’ve been through.
“Other people that I’m here with, there’s horrific murders that happened to their loved ones, and nobody understands that,” Kristy Stanford said. “That pain doesn’t go away.”
Stanford told ABC15 her husband, Detrick, was shot and killed outside their apartment complex in Tempe back in December 2020.
The holidays are now especially tough for her family.
Together, everyone at the event called for more resources and attention for cold, unsolved and missing persons cases.
These families are now supporting each other as they hope to get those long-awaited answers.
“I’m hoping by me speaking out that somebody sees his face, hears his name and remembers something that can help solve his case,” Stanford said.
This was the first Empty Chair Project event, and organizers hope to hold additional events in the future.
They also want to meet with state leaders and become an official nonprofit.
People honored at event included Detrick Stanford, Savannah Walker, Rachel Hansen, Alyssa Romine-Olson, Destiny McClain, Loretta Lynn, Alissa Turney, Nick Cordova, Daniel Robinson and Josiah Briscoe.
