THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 3, 1995 TAG: 9511010169
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REBECCA A. MYERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Judith Shepherd remembers ten years ago when Deborah Smith, a cab driver, was driving her and her children to a doctor's appointment.
``We got to talking about Thanksgiving,'' recalled Shepherd. ``She asked me what I was going to have, and I was, like, `I don't know. I don't have any groceries.' ''
While Shepherd was in the doctor's office, Smith made a trip to the grocery store to purchase a turkey, greens, potatoes and sweet potatoes for her new friend.
``She was just that way,'' said Shepherd. ``She would give her last dollar to help someone else.''
But Shepherd lost that friend last Wednesday when Portsmouth Police responded to the city's 31st homicide of the year.
Smith was found stabbed to death Oct. 25 in her home in the 4300 block of Deep Creek Blvd. Police believe she was killed by her estranged husband, James E. Smith, who stabbed himself the next day when a sheriff and deputy tried to take him into custody in Tazewell County.
In Smith's memory, Shepherd will hold a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at the foot of High Street in Riverfront Park.
``I'm doing this to show support for all women who are involved in domestic abuse, to let them know there are places they can go,'' said Shepherd.
Shepherd knows help is out there because - unlike Smith - she is a survivor of domestic abuse.
``I don't feel like I'm a victim anymore,'' said Shepherd, ``so I would like to be able to help some of the ladies understand that they can get something done too. . . .
``Basically, I'd just really like to be able to show women that there are places they can come to for help,'' she said.
``If there might be one that we could reach then that would be one who wouldn't end up murdered.''
On Sunday, a 41-year old woman was shot to death in the 700 block of Lanier Crescent. Police said the shooting apparently followed an argument with her husband, who then turned the gun on himself.
Shepherd didn't know the woman, but feels her pain nonetheless.
``It's getting so out of hand,'' she said.
Shepherd doesn't know how many people to expect at the vigil so she is asking that those attending bring their own candles.
``I'm on a fixed income,'' explained Shepherd, 53, who is on disability.
She has invited administrators and clients from the HER (Help and Emergency Response) Shelter for battered women and Response Sexual Assault Support Services and has asked members of various city councils and numerous churches to attend.
She said she feels a certain amount of ``guilt'' for her friend's death.
``Evidently Debbie had been abused all this time, but we didn't know it,'' said Shepherd.
``The way we feel is she was trying to protect us by not telling us. That's what her mom and her friends here feel.
``We felt so helpless because we didn't know and she didn't tell us.''
KEYWORDS: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DOMESTIC ABUSE MURDER STABBING by CNB