Shrines to William L. Bennett (Lt. Col, US Army Ret., and his wife, Cynthia Bennett

These roadside shrines are to William L. Bennett (Lt. Col, US Army Ret.), 57, and to his wife, Cynthia Bennett, 55, near the intersection of Rocky Creek Road and Riverside Parkway, in the Landsdowne area of Loudon County VA.
Landsdowne is a relatively new, spacious, and prosperous development community near the outer rim of Washington DC's Virginia suburbs.
According to the Washington Post, on March 22, 2009, at about 5:30 AM, police responding to reports of a suspicious white van, found the body of Mr. Bennett along Riverside Pkwy, and his terribly injured wife Cynthia in a ditch nearby. Both had been beaten, he to death. Mrs. Bennett remains in critical condition in a hospital under sherriff's guard. No concrete details of why the attack occurred are yet known. Colonel Bennett was an Iraq war veteran and a contractor for the CIA. A large march and shrine-side vigil was held by friends, family and neighbors one week after the murder. A local choir sang the hymn " Come By Here, Lord." Mr. Bennett was remembered as a family man, an avid long-distance hiker, and a diligent worker.

Cynthia Bennet's shrine consists entirely of flowers.

To justice, and to healing.

Update: Loudon County authorities have arrested Darwin Bowman, 18, of Annandale VA, and a 17-year old male from Sterling VA. in Mr. Bennett's killing. The attack is believed to have been a random "robbery gone bad." Prosecutors are assessing whether Mr. Bowman will face a death penalty at his trial. Additional arrests are likely.

Mrs. Bennett is now slowly recovering from her injuries.

Tyson Eldridge's shoes

These sneakers hanging over a wire are in memorial to Tyson Eldridge, 26. They are in front of his home in the 300 block of 37th Street SE Washington DC. He was killed by a stab wound on August 20, 2007 in the 1300 block of Corbin Place SE DC.

There is another shrine in this block, not 200 feet from where Mr. Eldridge's shoes are hang spinning in the breeze.
see:
http://dcshrines.blogspot.com/2009/02/washington-monuments-both-kinds.html

When will we, as a species, as individuals, learn the clear wisdom of the Sixth Commandment "You shall not kill."

Tai Lam; downtown Silver Spring shrine

This particularly emotion-laden shrine to Tai Lam, 14, is in the 900 block Ellsworth Avenue of Silver Spring, Maryland. The memorial in this busy mall area was erected and maintained by his friends and classmates at Montgomery Blair High School because Tai, a popular student, liked to hang out there.

According to the Blair High School newspaper, "Montgomery County police arrested Hector Mauricio Hernandez, 20, of Takoma Park, for the murder of young Mr. Lam. Hernandez is a member of the MS-13 gang.
Lam, & two others, aged 14 and 15, boarded a bus in Silver Spring with a large group of friends on Nov. 2, 2008. The three boys were shot around 11 p.m. after a verbal exchange with a group of older men. When the bus stopped at Arliss Street. & Piney Branch Road, the older group exited the bus. One of them fired into the back of the bus, hitting Lam and two other boys, who attend Blair & Northwood High School.
Tai Lam died later that night. The other boys were taken to Georgetown Hospital in critical condition. Both have since been released."

It is the first shrine to a murder I have encountered in Montgomery County.

Triple Homicide - shrine to Erica, Eric and Dakota Peters

This shrine is in honor and memory of Erica Peters, 36 and her chidren Eric, 11, and Dakota, 10, who were killed March 21st in their apartment (2000 Maryland Ave NE, Washington DC ) apparently by the children's father Joseph Randolph Mays, who was arrested (he wounded himself- the murder weapon was a knife). A third child, who was also wounded in the crime, was placed with DC Child protective services.

The Carver Terrace neighborhood has been the scene of many bloody incidents. There is yet another older shrine to a murder viictim visible from the courtyard of this modest apartment building.

I met a man, Roland, 53, at the site. He lives in the building. His grandkids, whom he takes care of, woke him up to see the bodies being carried out. He said over & over "It hurt." The kids are afraid it may happen to them. They played with the Peters kids often. He prays for more police protection in the neighborhood, to end this danger. The grandkkids are having nightmares. He spoke of loss, fear... how do you explain this to children? He said that Ms. Peters was kind, friendly, and only went to her job, church, and took care of her children.

At his arraignment, the alleged murderer of his wife and children expressed no remorse.

Teddy bears and balloons. And broken lives.

Kevo RIP

Graffitti memorial to "Kevo" - on a bus stop in front of a Post office
at 2341 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington DC.

I could find no more information on Kevo or this shrine.

R.I.P.

Shrine to Jelani Slay

This shrine to Jelani Slay, 34, of Clinton MD, is in front of 5309 B St SE, Washington DC. Mr. Slay was shot March 6 2009 by an off duty police officer. According to published reports, "police said Slay, wearing a mask and brandishing a gun, tried to rob the officer in the 5300 block of B St SE.

Slay, who had a record of armed robberies and other crimes dating back to the 1990s, was hired as a Metrobus driver two months after getting out of prison, where he spent nearly 11 years. Court records show that he was charged with voluntary manslaughter after he fatally shot an armed man during a dispute on a D.C. street in March 1992. A grand jury declined to indict him in the case.

A month later, police said, Slay & 3 acquaintances robbed 2 D.C. men of cocaine, cash & a weapon. One of the victims was shot to death by one of Slay's accomplices, police said. Slay was charged with felony murder & several other offenses.

That summer, in a separate case, he also was charged with selling cocaine and illegal gun possession. In a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to reduced charges in the cases and, because he was still a teenager, was sentenced to probation. In April 1996, though, after he robbed two men at gunpoint in the District, he was given a prison sentence. He stayed there until January 2007.

Because Slay's last felony occurred more than a decade before he applied for a Metro job - he was in prison all those years - his criminal record did not disqualify him, Metro spokeswoman Candace Smith said."

But still, it's a tragedy. And someone cared enough to honor and remember him.

Ebony and Delores DeWitt; mother and daughter

This shrine to Ebony and Delores DeWitt, slain mother and daughter, is in the front yard of 9704 Cedarhollow Lane Largo MD, a quiet, well-kept suburban neighborhood. Their charred bodies were discovered in the remains of a burning car reported stolen from a nearby home.

The DeWitt's are the second grown mother-daughter pair to be murdered in this neighborhoood recently.
In January, Karen and Karissa Lofton were found shot in their home about half a mile away. According to the PG Gazette, this has "prompted police to assign more than two dozen investigators to those cases.

Connected or not, detectives say each set of killings is baffling in its own right. The absence of an obvious suspect or motive - an angry ex-boyfriend, a drug deal gone bad -- has made the slayings more unsettling for residents than any in years in Prince George's."

I was given permission by the family to photograph the shrine. They looked deeply mournful. I pray they get some answers, and some peace.

Peace.

Christopher Quattlebaum's Memorial

This shrine to Christopher Quattlebaum (Uncle Chris on his memorial tee shirt) is in front of a busy liquor store, located at 6460 Central Ave, Seat Pleasant MD (in Prince George's County).

Police found Mr. Quattlebaum, 48, of Red Jade Dr, in a car with stab wounds to his upper body. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died, on 8/24/08. Police believe he approached his killer for unknown reasons, and may have tried to punch him before he was stabbed.

I could find no other information.

Lil Kenny's shrine, Capitol Heights

This shrine to "Lil Kenny" is in the highway median of the 7200 block of Central Avenue, Capitol Heights, MD, adjacent to the New Life Assembly of God.

I believe, though I am not 100% certain, that this shrine is in memory of Denver Kenneth Cannedy, 19, who was found on August 13, 2008 with gunshot wounds to his upper body, in the 6100 block of Old Central Ave in Capitol Heights, MD. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died. Accoring to police, he may have been in an argument or altercation prior to his shooting. No motive was known for his murder.

May you, your friends, and your family know peace.

"...n't call nobody (trash) in heaven. " R.I.P. Carlton Hill

This shrine is in the 1600 block of W St SE, Washington DC.

On 10:14 PM Saturday February 7, 2009, DC police officers and Emergency Services personnel responded to the report of a shooting in this block. On arriving, officers found two men suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. They were transported to a local hospital.

Carlton Hill, 25, of Clinton, MD was pronounced dead at 12:26 am on February 8th. The other victim's identity is being witheld, as he is considered a potential witness by authorities.

The photo of the young woman pointing is of Erica (no last name given), who was his close friend, & who created the shrine.

Mr. Hill was also known affectionately as "Jerk"

Washington Monuments- both kinds

While on assignment to photograph a panorama of Washington DC from its eastern side, I found this small shrine, in the mid 300 block of 37th St SE, on the grounds of John Phillip Sousa Junior High School.

You can see the Washington Monument in the far distance. As DC is generally a low-lying city, this is the first time I have been encountered a shrine with the grand monuments on the federal Mall visible.

I am not certain who this shrine is for. It was exceptionally cold out, not long after dawn, so I saw no residents to inquire about it.

It could be to James Randolph, 49 who was killed in this block on Jan 27, 2008. No leads in the killing have been reported.

It could also be for Tyson Eldridge, 26, who was found less than a 1/2 block away on August 20, 2008, dead with stab wounds to his body. Thomas Evans, 23, was charged with his murder on August 21, 2007.

Beautiful view. Very troubled neighborhood.