Today, on the 35th anniversary of the deaths of my parents, Loren and Jody Edwards, I visited the Crime Victims Oak Garden in San Diego, where an oak tree has been dedicated as a memorial to them.
Creek that runs adjacent to the oak garden.
At the risk of sounding maudlin, recognizing the anniversary is important to me not only because I miss them, but because the FBI investigation into their violent deaths never went to trial. Their deaths, officially, remain a cold case. They never got the justice I believe they deserved. I hope that one day this will change.
That’s why I, in part, wrote a book about the case, Dare I Call It Murder? — A Memoir of Violent Loss, which I had planned to release today, but complications arose and it has been delayed. With any luck, it will be out next month.
The Crime Victims Oak Garden is peaceful place, belying the tragic fate of victims of violent and criminal deaths that it represents.
Rock of Remembrance at the Crime Victims Oak Garden.
Besides the dozens of oak trees planted in memory of those victims, it has a Rock River of Remembrance to recognize many more sad cases of violent loss. It is a place where Survivors of Violent Loss go to remember and pay homage to their loved ones.
At the tree dedicated to my parents, I played a few fiddle tunes I thought they would enjoy, including the Spellbound Waltz, which I composed in the their honor.
See my earlier post about my parents’ deaths and my book.
Larry,
So glad that you too find the peace that I sense at the Oak Garden.
I will be following your blog, let me know how I can support you.
With a big hug,
Casandra