17 May 05
My heart hurts today. At what point can a life amount to a pile of trash on the side of the road for vultures to pick through?
After doing errands last night, we came home to see some people gutting the house two doors down. This was the same house that a woman was murdered in just last month. My husband went over to make sure everything was ok, and offer his help if needed. He found the father and the brother of the man accused of killing his wife just wandering around the garage, dragging things to the roadside or shuffling bags and boxes from one side to the other. It all looked aimless, distraught. They looked blank and didn’t know what to do. By this time, a few good neighbors were around and managed to talk them into giving the items to charity. So, off the brother and father went dragging things back from the curb to the garage.
We learned a lot from just a few short minutes with the family. But we learned even more going through their life left on the side of the road. In life we never knew them but for a fleeting wave as we drove by or went from house to car. We would see the kids playing outside on the ramp their father made them for skateboarding. We would see their dad mowing the lawn. We offered our pleasantries; but that was the extent of our social interaction with them. Until last night…
In a few hours time, we learned how Kelly Cannon Deming grew up. She was a military brat who was on the varsity Volleyball team. She graduated from a high school in Italy. She joined the Navy, and apparently met her husband there. We found all their banking information—new and used checks, W-2s, credit cards, and pay stubs. We even found the deed to the house. All in the trash, like it meant nothing. Though some of these papers were old, I’m sure Kelly found it important to protect their information in life…well, we will protect her information in death. We gathered all this up, and I am going to shred what I can. The memories we are going to package up and we are going to somehow get them to her family. I don’t think Kelly’s parents had the opportunity to stay after the funeral. I don’t blame them. It has to be so hard. But there are things I am sure they will want from their daughter’s effects. I don’t know the details and don’t know if they were even offered by the husband’s family. But from us, it was the right thing to do.
There were some tid bits of information that many people wonder about and no one ever finds out unless you are close to the family. Reporters never do a follow up and we are all left wondering. But now, I at least have some understanding. I don’t think that we need to go into detail here. But the main thing I wanted to find out was the fate of the two little boys. Know this; they will be adopted by their uncle on their father’s side. From what I understand, he is a good Christian man. And, at least, the boys will be together and with family. It will be a hard treacherous road for them. They are so young to have gone through something so traumatic. I pray these boys find peace. I pray both families find peace. And I pray that Kelly Deming receives her justice!
Kelly Cannon Deming was a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend. Her life was not trash for scavengers.
Kelly Cannon Deming, born 1966(?)—died April 1, 2005