Coping with Homicide

Losing a family member to homicide is a devastating experience. Fortunately, Safe Horizon’s Families of Homicide Victims Program has been helping people cope with the murder of loved ones since 1979. Our experienced counselors help survivors manage with the emotional and practical issues that arise while going through the healing process.

One Family’s Experience with Homicide
At age 23, having just passed the entrance exam to enter the New York Fire Department and expecting his first child, Rory Forehand’s life was cut short when he was shot outside a concert two years ago. Before his death, Rory was on the path to adulthood, determined to make a life for himself and the family he leaves behind. Now, as his family copes with the untimely death of a loved one and the knowledge that their loved one’s killer is on the loose, they are supported by Safe Horizon’s Families of Homicide Victims Program.

While attending Safe Horizon’s support group, Rory Forehand’s family was able to connect with Jake Hill, whose sister, Helen, was murdered during a burglary at her home in New Orleans in early 2007. Their experiences are linked by a common bond: their loved ones’ murderers have neither been identified nor captured. After hearing the Forehands’ experience, Jake Hill, whose sister’s murder was profiled on America’s Most Wanted (AMW), was compelled to contact the show with Rory’s story. On February 14, 2009, AMW presented Rory’s story, reaching out to millions of viewers and in the process, compelling them to help find Rory’s murderer.

“Rory Forehand is not just another statistic,” Hill says.  “He was a human being who was loved by many people, the father of a child he never met, and the son of these wonderful people I have grown to love.”

Jake Hill and the Forehands have continued to lean on each for mutual support.  What started as a temporary support group to help cope with the pain of losing a loved one quickly developed into something much greater.  Group members have created a safe space to express their grief and begin healing, “Nothing is under the surface,” Jake says.  “Whether we’re joking or crying, everything is out in the open.”  

To Get Help
Every day, people struggle to shoulder the grief of losing a loved one to violence. For those in the New York City area, Safe Horizon’s Families of Homicide Victims Program can offer help and healing.  To learn more about the program, click here.

To read the full story on America’s Most Wanted, click here.

To watch the full episode, click here. The Rory Forehand story begins at 34:46.