Not in Vain

About the Book

After the tragic murder of our oldest daughter by her husband, I was compelled to do something to help other victims of domestic violence. I have been forced to be an advocate against a horrible crime that I did not know existed. Not wanting my daughter’s death to be in vain, I have had a God-driven force to tell our story and hopefully reach the law enforcement agencies to make them realize how horrible domestic violence is, and that they should take domestic violence calls seriously and as a crime, not just as a disturbance. My hope is to reach other victims and to help all communities understand that we can stop domestic violence if we work together. Shortly after our daughter’s death, I realized that if I could tell our story and could get it published, I could help other families from going through the horrible senseless pain that our family has endured. Right away, the title came to me—Not in Vain. I was not sure what God wanted me to do with it until I started reading my journal, my notes, and listening to my tape recordings of the events. It was at that time I realized that this man not only murdered our daughter; he almost killed my whole family. After years of separation and pain, our family did survive. Everything changed in May of 2004. Our lives changed forever.

About the Author

Jan is a wife, mother, and grandmother. Her simple, calm, safe life was hurled into a nightmare overnight. After the murder of her daughter, she became a strong advocate against domestic violence and decided she needed to tell her story, hoping to save others. She is involved with the New Mexico Survivors of Homicide in her hometown, and a volunteer for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate, for children). She has traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and to Washington DC speaking out against domestic violence. Being dedicated to helping other victims, she has appeared on radio shows and a national TV talk show.