(COLUMBIA, S.C.) –  Oct. 6, 2020 – Attorney General Alan Wilson led participants through the 23rd annual Silent Witness Ceremony that was held today on the south steps of the State House in Columbia.

During this year’s virtual ceremony, Attorney General Wilson called the names of 36 women and six (6) men from across the state who lost their lives as the result of domestic violence in the previous year.

Volunteers held life-sized silhouettes representing victims as they stood on the State House steps. A bell was rung for each victim as their name was read aloud. An additional 43rd silhouette represented the potential unknown victims.

“It is important that we commemorate the lives of those lost to domestic violence to both honor the victims and shed light on this terrible crime,” said Wilson.

“We must recognize that we are contending with a cycle of violence in our state,” said Wilson. “When an individual is victimized, others are often witnesses to the violence, including children. We need to continue to try to prevent domestic violence while also best positioning law enforcement and prosecutors to hold perpetrators accountable.”

During the ceremony, Attorney General Wilson made special remarks to highlight the problem of violence against women. He noted that South Carolina, for the first time in two decades, was not reported in the top 10 states for men killing women. South Carolina ranked 11th in the latest national report.

A statistical breakdown for each county is available at http://www.scag.gov/criminal-domestic-violence-in-south-carolina.

2019 SILENT WITNESS VICTIMS

Margaret Blanding 18 years old Anderson County

Lisa Robinson 45 years old Anderson County

Lorice Richards 38 years old Berkeley County

Ebony Claire 37 years old Charleston County

De’Ja Dantley 23 years old Charleston County

Linda Gallman 70 years old Cherokee County

Mildred Motes 34 years old Cherokee County

Andrel McCrorey 21 years old Chester County

Latwanyept Stover 37 years old Chester County

Danny Thomas 39 years old Chester County

Jessica Purvis McFaddin 40 years old Clarendon County

Ida Mays 48 years old Colleton County

Jorday Nelson 29 years old Colleton County

Sarah Nelson 83 years old Dorchester County

Lynda Kay Shuler 54 years old Dorchester County

Karen Simmons Yarborough 63 years old Dorchester County

Bridget Tingen 46 years old Florence County

Aqua Barksdale 29 years old Greenville

David Edens 22 years old Greenville County

Erin Henry 25 years old Greenville County

Josephine Barton 66 years old Kershaw County

Kimberley Alger 66 years old Lancaster County

Victoria Sims 24 years old Lancaster County

Roselynn Cedeno 45 years old Lexington County

Jennifer Lynn First 37 years old Lexington County

Joanie Leigh Youmans 42 years old Lexington County

Wanda Reeves 38 years old Marion County

Leroy Williams 60 years old Marlboro County

Crystal Hood 41 years old Newberry County

Robert McWaters 46 years old Orangeburg County

Tracey Gillespie Nix 59 years old Pickens County

Ariana Johnson 31 years old Richland County

Brittany Johnson 31 years old Richland County

Nivia Johnson 38 years old Richland County

Christina Martin 45 years old Richland County

Raekisha Masslieno 38 years old Richland County

Jamaine McFadden 47 years old Richland County

Cynthia Ohans 26 years old Richland County

Tiana Perry 23 years old Richland County

Angela Faulkner 47 years old Spartanburg County

Quanisha Fernanders 23 years old Spartanburg County

Sharee Bradely 29 years old Sumter County