Monday, June 20, 2011

Article: EXCLUSIVE: Kids coping with Murder

Two children's lives were changed forever Wednesday when Robert Liddick shot and killed the mother of his 8-year-old son, Wendy Royer, and her boyfriend, Paul Johnson, whose 18-month-old son was upstairs when the shooting happened.

Johnson's son is with his mother. And Liddick's son is with family members.

" It bothers me, that they have to grow up like that, because they are so young and they are going to grow up one day and understand. But I really hope they'll be able to come from it in the sense that we have," said Sarah Keefer, mother murdered six years ago.

Sarah Keefer is now 18. But she was just 12 when her mother, Kim Keefer, was gunned down at the Highland Elementary School parking lot. Police say Kim's ex-boyfriend pulled the trigger then killed himself. She was there picking up her other daughter Hannah, who is now 12.

" I think it's kind of hard to get through, because you have a parent that's not there for you, but you have other family members that can be that helpful to you," said Hannah Keefer, Sarah's sister.

The sisters use public speaking as a coping mechanism. They also say counseling helped them a lot. Both live with their grandmother and say family plays the biggest role in getting through the nightmare.

" It has been hard. It's hard to see close friends going shopping with mom, see facebook posts, 'oh I'm going to dinner with my mom.' I never got that and it's unfair, but I have to accept it and attempt to make the best of it," said Sarah.

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