We, the undersigned residents of Ohio and supporters of justice and remembrance, respectfully petition the County Boards of Commissioners in every Ohio county to establish a permanent memorial wall and/or garden at or near their county courthouse (or other suitable public location) to honor all homicide victims from their county.

We further ask Ohio’s County Prosecuting Attorneys and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association to actively support, advocate for, and help coordinate these memorials.

Our Request

We ask that each county:

Create a lasting memorial wall and/or garden dedicated to homicide victims.

Add the names of new homicide victims each year on or around the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims (September 25).

Host an annual community event or candlelight vigil on or near September 25 so families, friends, and the public may gather, remember, and show support.

These memorials would serve as a visible, permanent statement that every life taken by homicide matters and that no victim or family is forgotten, regardless of whether the case has been solved.

Why This Matters

Some Ohio counties already lead the way:

Greene County maintains a memorial garden at the courthouse and displays names of homicide victims. 

Marion County has created one of the largest homicide victim memory gardens in the state at the Sheriff’s Office and holds annual gatherings on September 25. 

Allen County (Lima) maintains the Phyllis Neff Homicide Victim Memorial Garden with annual bricklaying ceremonies. 

Montgomery County holds an annual memorial service each December and keeps a public list of victims dating back to 1969. 

These efforts prove that meaningful remembrance is possible and deeply valued by families, yet many of Ohio’s 88 counties still lack a permanent public space where families can see their loved one’s name and know the community has not forgotten.

My sister, Robin Stone, and her unborn son were victims of homicide on August 27, 1991, in Guernsey County. Robin was 17 years old and seven months pregnant. Her case remains unsolved after 35 years. Like so many other families across Ohio, we have waited our whole lives for justice. Some cases may never be solved. But a permanent memorial tells every family: Your loved one has not been forgotten. Their life mattered. There is still hope.

A simple wall or garden costs relatively little compared with the lifelong grief families carry. It requires no new laws. It only requires the will of each county’s Board of Commissioners, working together with the County Prosecuting Attorney, victim advocates, local officials, and the community.

Call to Action

We respectfully urge every County Board of Commissioners in Ohio to establish a permanent homicide victim memorial wall and/or garden on county-owned property.

Every County Prosecuting Attorney and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association to publicly support these efforts, help coordinate best practices, and encourage counties that already have memorials to share guidance with those that do not.

All counties to commit to annual recognition on the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims (September 25).

By doing so, Ohio can become a model of compassion and remembrance. Every victim deserves to be remembered. Every family deserves to know their loved one will never be erased from public memory.

We the undersigned support this petition and ask Ohio’s County Commissioners, with the active support of County Prosecuting Attorneys, to make permanent memorial walls and/or gardens for homicide victims a reality in every county.

Thank you,
Jamie Edwards
Sister of Robin Stone