Published June 4, 2006
[ From Lansing State Journal ]
84 yrs old..........
Kirby, advocate for crime victims, dies
Daughter's 1986 murder led mom to help others
By Eric Tingwall
Lansing State Journal
From the moment her daughter was found dead in a Delhi Township park, Muriel Kirby never stopped trying to find her killer.
The Lansing woman shared that determination with others over two decades, supporting grieving families, educating journalists and advocating for victims' rights.
Kirby, 84, died Friday at Sparrow Hospital.
"Those of us who she helped will always remember her," said Bernadine Bennett of Lansing, a member of the local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children that Kirby started in 1989.
"Prior to that people just didn't talk about those things," Bennett said. "We took in people who had been involved in murders as many as 20 years before who were still having problems."
Kirby's transformation into an advocate began after her daughter, Jeanette, was found dead on June 12, 1986.
The 35-year-old had gone jogging in what's now known as Burchfield Park, southwest of Holt. She was found dead there two days later; she had been raped and stabbed.
In the years afterward, Muriel Kirby pushed detectives not to give up. She appeared at press conferences to renew publicity.
She even got the governor's office involved.
She persisted alone after her husband, Paul, died in 1999.
And in 2002, she sat in court, day after day, as prosecutors laid out their case against a 45-year-old Holt man named David Draheim.
He was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving 60 to 90 years in prison.
"It has been 17 years now and I'm so angry David Draheim could take a life as precious as Jeanette's and throw it away," Muriel Kirby said after the trial.
Kirby's fight for justice gained national attention. In 2003, her experience was featured on A&E Television Network's "Cold Case Files."
The struggle took its toll, though, said Bonnie Bucqueroux, coordinator of the Victims in the Media program at Michigan State University, where Kirby often spoke to journalism students there about being sensitive when doing interviews.
Kirby pushed on because she wanted to give to others.
She spoke to students, for example, because she knew the media could help victims and their families.
"She was a woman of tremendous courage," Bucqueroux said.
"Her biggest concern was not just seeing that her daughter's murder was avenged; she wanted to know that the community was safe."
Kirby, a nurse for more than 30 years, also volunteered in Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office and at Lansing City Hall.
"She really wants to be remembered for being that kind of person that you could turn to and she would help you in any way she could," said her son, Joe Kirby of Lansing.
[ From Lansing State Journal ]
84 yrs old..........
Kirby, advocate for crime victims, dies
Daughter's 1986 murder led mom to help others
By Eric Tingwall
Lansing State Journal
From the moment her daughter was found dead in a Delhi Township park, Muriel Kirby never stopped trying to find her killer.
The Lansing woman shared that determination with others over two decades, supporting grieving families, educating journalists and advocating for victims' rights.
Kirby, 84, died Friday at Sparrow Hospital.
"Those of us who she helped will always remember her," said Bernadine Bennett of Lansing, a member of the local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children that Kirby started in 1989.
"Prior to that people just didn't talk about those things," Bennett said. "We took in people who had been involved in murders as many as 20 years before who were still having problems."
Kirby's transformation into an advocate began after her daughter, Jeanette, was found dead on June 12, 1986.
The 35-year-old had gone jogging in what's now known as Burchfield Park, southwest of Holt. She was found dead there two days later; she had been raped and stabbed.
In the years afterward, Muriel Kirby pushed detectives not to give up. She appeared at press conferences to renew publicity.
She even got the governor's office involved.
She persisted alone after her husband, Paul, died in 1999.
And in 2002, she sat in court, day after day, as prosecutors laid out their case against a 45-year-old Holt man named David Draheim.
He was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving 60 to 90 years in prison.
"It has been 17 years now and I'm so angry David Draheim could take a life as precious as Jeanette's and throw it away," Muriel Kirby said after the trial.
Kirby's fight for justice gained national attention. In 2003, her experience was featured on A&E Television Network's "Cold Case Files."
The struggle took its toll, though, said Bonnie Bucqueroux, coordinator of the Victims in the Media program at Michigan State University, where Kirby often spoke to journalism students there about being sensitive when doing interviews.
Kirby pushed on because she wanted to give to others.
She spoke to students, for example, because she knew the media could help victims and their families.
"She was a woman of tremendous courage," Bucqueroux said.
"Her biggest concern was not just seeing that her daughter's murder was avenged; she wanted to know that the community was safe."
Kirby, a nurse for more than 30 years, also volunteered in Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office and at Lansing City Hall.
"She really wants to be remembered for being that kind of person that you could turn to and she would help you in any way she could," said her son, Joe Kirby of Lansing.
Published June 4, 2006
[ From Lansing State Journal ]
84 yrs old..........
Kirby, advocate for crime victims, dies
Daughter's 1986 murder led mom to help others
By Eric Tingwall
Lansing State Journal
From the moment her daughter was found dead in a Delhi Township park, Muriel Kirby never stopped trying to find her killer.
The Lansing woman shared that determination with others over two decades, supporting grieving families, educating journalists and advocating for victims' rights.
Kirby, 84, died Friday at Sparrow Hospital.
"Those of us who she helped will always remember her," said Bernadine Bennett of Lansing, a member of the local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children that Kirby started in 1989.
"Prior to that people just didn't talk about those things," Bennett said. "We took in people who had been involved in murders as many as 20 years before who were still having problems."
Kirby's transformation into an advocate began after her daughter, Jeanette, was found dead on June 12, 1986.
The 35-year-old had gone jogging in what's now known as Burchfield Park, southwest of Holt. She was found dead there two days later; she had been raped and stabbed.
In the years afterward, Muriel Kirby pushed detectives not to give up. She appeared at press conferences to renew publicity.
She even got the governor's office involved.
She persisted alone after her husband, Paul, died in 1999.
And in 2002, she sat in court, day after day, as prosecutors laid out their case against a 45-year-old Holt man named David Draheim.
He was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving 60 to 90 years in prison.
"It has been 17 years now and I'm so angry David Draheim could take a life as precious as Jeanette's and throw it away," Muriel Kirby said after the trial.
Kirby's fight for justice gained national attention. In 2003, her experience was featured on A&E Television Network's "Cold Case Files."
The struggle took its toll, though, said Bonnie Bucqueroux, coordinator of the Victims in the Media program at Michigan State University, where Kirby often spoke to journalism students there about being sensitive when doing interviews.
Kirby pushed on because she wanted to give to others.
She spoke to students, for example, because she knew the media could help victims and their families.
"She was a woman of tremendous courage," Bucqueroux said.
"Her biggest concern was not just seeing that her daughter's murder was avenged; she wanted to know that the community was safe."
Kirby, a nurse for more than 30 years, also volunteered in Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office and at Lansing City Hall.
"She really wants to be remembered for being that kind of person that you could turn to and she would help you in any way she could," said her son, Joe Kirby of Lansing.
[ From Lansing State Journal ]
84 yrs old..........
Kirby, advocate for crime victims, dies
Daughter's 1986 murder led mom to help others
By Eric Tingwall
Lansing State Journal
From the moment her daughter was found dead in a Delhi Township park, Muriel Kirby never stopped trying to find her killer.
The Lansing woman shared that determination with others over two decades, supporting grieving families, educating journalists and advocating for victims' rights.
Kirby, 84, died Friday at Sparrow Hospital.
"Those of us who she helped will always remember her," said Bernadine Bennett of Lansing, a member of the local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children that Kirby started in 1989.
"Prior to that people just didn't talk about those things," Bennett said. "We took in people who had been involved in murders as many as 20 years before who were still having problems."
Kirby's transformation into an advocate began after her daughter, Jeanette, was found dead on June 12, 1986.
The 35-year-old had gone jogging in what's now known as Burchfield Park, southwest of Holt. She was found dead there two days later; she had been raped and stabbed.
In the years afterward, Muriel Kirby pushed detectives not to give up. She appeared at press conferences to renew publicity.
She even got the governor's office involved.
She persisted alone after her husband, Paul, died in 1999.
And in 2002, she sat in court, day after day, as prosecutors laid out their case against a 45-year-old Holt man named David Draheim.
He was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving 60 to 90 years in prison.
"It has been 17 years now and I'm so angry David Draheim could take a life as precious as Jeanette's and throw it away," Muriel Kirby said after the trial.
Kirby's fight for justice gained national attention. In 2003, her experience was featured on A&E Television Network's "Cold Case Files."
The struggle took its toll, though, said Bonnie Bucqueroux, coordinator of the Victims in the Media program at Michigan State University, where Kirby often spoke to journalism students there about being sensitive when doing interviews.
Kirby pushed on because she wanted to give to others.
She spoke to students, for example, because she knew the media could help victims and their families.
"She was a woman of tremendous courage," Bucqueroux said.
"Her biggest concern was not just seeing that her daughter's murder was avenged; she wanted to know that the community was safe."
Kirby, a nurse for more than 30 years, also volunteered in Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office and at Lansing City Hall.
"She really wants to be remembered for being that kind of person that you could turn to and she would help you in any way she could," said her son, Joe Kirby of Lansing.
Family Members
Spouse
Children
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
