EVERETT — Last week Catherine Hix was in a near-empty courtroom taking notes for Jayme Biendl’s family as lawyers hashed out a trial schedule for the man accused of killing the Monroe corrections officer.
Days earlier,
Hix, the lead advocate for Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims, met with relatives and friends of David and Leslie Pedersen. The family’s worst and most unimaginable nightmare was unfolding.
Leslie “DeeDee” Pedersen had been killed in the couple’s Everett home. At the time, David “Red” Pedersen was still missing. Police eventually found his body in his Jeep down a deep ravine in Oregon. Red Pedersen’s estranged son and his girlfriend are suspects in the slayings along with two other homicides.
“Having handled dozens of murder and homicide cases in my career, I physically shudder to think about what would become of some survivors without the shelter, care and advocacy of Families and Friends (of Violent Crime Victims) as it carries folks across the ocean from anguish and grief, to recovery and a place beyond victimization,” Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Roe said.
Roe earlier this week sent out an email to police, doctors, lawyers, business leaders and reporters, asking them to attend the annual fundraising breakfast on Nov. 9 to support the non-profit agency.
The morning event is one of two major fundraisers for the 36-year-old organization that relies heavily on donations to offer services to victims and their families.
The agency provides a 24-hour crisis hotline and support groups. They also offer one-on-one advocacy sessions. The advocates also provide courtroom support and education about the criminal justice process.
In the past year, advocates and volunteers have taken calls around the clock from 781 people. They’ve provided nearly 2,000 hours of one-on-one sessions with an advocate and hosted four 10-week homicide support groups. In just the last three months, they’ve had 47 new clients.
“It’s the last thing you ever expect to touch you,” said Marge Martin, the interim executive director.
Her sister, Gail Jubie was murdered nearly 11 years ago by a stranger, who is serving a life sentence without a chance of release.
“We support people as long as they need us,” Martin said. “It doesn’t make a difference when it happened, we’ll be there for them.”
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
How to help
A fundraising breakfast for Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims is scheduled for Nov. 9 at the Tulalip Resort Casino. For more information about the breakfast or how to donate, go to www.fnfvcv.org or call 425-252-6081.
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