Janie was a co-worker and close friend of mine at LensCrafters for several years. She was brutally murdered last August. Her ex-husband Larry Jones is accused of the murder; Larry’s long history of spousal abuse and his abhorrant behavior against Janie is well-documented by friends and law enforcement alike. Unfortunately, the media has focused on her race and age rather than the facts- and his lawyer filed a motion yesterday to dismiss the charge. The motion hearing is set for January 16, 2014.

Once in a lifetime, we meet someone who is truly an angel- that was Janie.  Anyone who encountered Janie could tell you that it was almost surreal with how kind and generous she was towards everyone. She was humble about her community service with children. I had never known her to say a bad word about a person; she looked for the good in everyone, and believed in the power of forgiveness. Family and friends meant everything to her. A deeply spiritual person, she believed that God had big plans in store for each and every one of us. Ever the optimist, Janie encouraged us that in times of sadness and stress, to take a step back and breathe- to take care of ourselves, look at things from a different angle, and above all, to appreciate life.

Janie in no way, shape, or form allowed herself to be the victim of an unstable marriage. That is why she filed for divorce, and ultimately finalized it. She started her new life in the Bay Area with nothing, but quickly found roots. As always, she remained positive about the direction of her life, and the future.

I have lost two friends to domestic violence- and countless others have survived against violence against women. It comes at a heavy price, and they are all my heroes. I can’t do this alone, nor do I want to. So this is me asking for assistance on what to do next, to see that my friend receives justice. She did so much for other people, she did not deserve to die this way or have her memory tarnished. This could be anyone’s daughter, sister, or friend. She deserves nothing less than a peaceful end to this painful chapter in her life.

Lawrence Jones has a history of domestic violence and violence against others. Dismissing the charges would send a message that it is okay to hurt and/or kill women, and that our judicial system does not acknowledge the damage incurred from violence against women.