Thanksgiving 2004, my mother, Yolanda “Jeanenne” Ballard was brutally murdered in Maywood, IL. She was raped and strangled to death. She was  only 40 years old. The Maywood Police Dept. has refused to investigate the murder, because of the neighborhood she was found in. I've even had an officer at the police station tell me: "Of course we're not investigating. What do you expect, look where we found her."  We couldn't get anyone to pay attention to her case. Why doesn't her life matter? The police are supposed to protect and serve. It shouldn't matter where she was found. I asked to speak with the officer assigned to my mother's case, and I was told there was no officer assigned to her case. They claim they turned her case into a cold case because the lead detective moved out of the state. Whenever we attempt to reach out to the police department they are extremely disrespectful. The producers of a television show have decided to feature my Mom's story on their show, in hopes that someone will come forward with information about what happened to her. The police department is refusing to cooperate with the show. Imagine that this was YOUR mother. Since the murder, my life hasn't been the same. I wouldn't wish this amount of pain and torture on anyone. I mean, this wasn't an acquaintance, friend, or even a cousin. I'm talking about my mother, the very person that gave ME life. For the past 10 years I’ve had to live with the nightmares and the thought of what she went through. I do not think the murderers got away with what they did to my mother. I do believe the man upstairs will punish them, and his punishment will be more effective and severe than any human being’s on this earth. But I know that we can't rest; because if we do, that would only make it easier for the murderers, the Maywood Police Dept., and the community to forget. As the saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind." Somebody out there knows something. Someone who has information about the murder could possibly be paying attention to our efforts. She knew so many people and so many people loved her. Her attitude was "If I have it, you have it". She would give her all, even if it was her last, to a stranger. I just want justice for my mother. She has 9 grandchildren who will never get to know her, because someone chose to take that away from them. I want my children to have a reason to believe the justice system works. Please sign this petition asking that the police department re-opens my mother's case. This happened in a very small town, so I'm sure if they do a thorough investigation, we will get some answers.

Halloween of 2009 my little brother was killed by a stray bullet in Chicago, IL. The loss of my family members is painful, but I believe that whoever it was that hurt them was once someone's child. Everything starts with children. I believe children decide what our world will be like. If they are brought up with anger in their hearts and minds, they are bound to commit violent crimes as they get older.

We have decided to start an organization in honor of my mother. We call it: "The YJB Movement." My best friend actually came up with the idea remembering an essay I wrote in high school about my views on the death penalty. In the essay, I stated that if you were to murder a murderer, you would be doing them a favor. They probably wouldn't care if they died. Now, if you locked that same murderer in a room/cell for the rest of their life surrounding them with an abundant amount of pictures of the victim(s) all over the place, they are bound to go crazy from guilt. With theYJB Movement that's exactly what we're trying to accomplish. By volunteering in the community and spreading the word about our motivations regarding the “YJB Movement”, we can can help make a difference in others' lives, as well as bring more attention to my mother's case.

We want to help poverty ridden communities and assist them with their needs in dedication of my mom, Yolanda. We want to educate people about what happened, and assist them so that maybe we can help save at least one person’s life.

The "YJB Movement" is a movement created to raise awareness about the importance of supporting our youth by providing them with the tools they need to become responsible, successful young adults in their communities. We strive to make a difference in as many young lives as possible. The YJB Movement will offer mentoring, private tutoring, clothing, & financial assistance to young people in need. We will offer free consultation for young people who wish to pursue a career in entertainment. We also hope to acquire enough funds to build a magnificent center that will house adolescents who need guidance, support, & life skills that will help them both socially & professionally. They will receive free education plus room & board, get mentoring & tutoring, participate in recreational activities, & receive continuous training on performing arts development. Our mission is to provide a safe haven for youth to explore & cultivate their talents, promote leadership & positivity, build character through self esteem by teaching self worth, & encourage our youth to become a productive member of society. 

It hurts me that my family is gone, but I really want to focus on making a difference in the lives of the people who are still on this earth. There will be something positive to come from this tragedy. Many people mistake pain for weakness, but there's SO MUCH strength in pain. The pain that we feel from there being no resolution for our mother's murder pushes us to not only accomplish the things that she personally wanted us to accomplish, but to accomplish the things that she was robbed of and didn't get a chance to do herself. This has been very difficult for us. But nothing good comes easy. We truly believe in our vision. We plan to do great things & work extremely hard to make a difference.

Please help us make the Maywood Police Department pay closer attention to our mother's case. She deserves justice and we deserve closure.