Article: Woman who lost mother to domestic violence looks to help others (SLIDESHOW)

DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — It’s been five years since Jennifer Gess lost her mother.

Susan Littrell Dykes was found dead in October 2006. She was the victim of domestic violence.

The 48-year-old was beaten with a baseball bat, tied to cinder blocks and dumped in a lake by a man she’d once dated and remained in contact with afterwards.

A little over a year ago, the Florida Supreme Court overturned Kirk D. Williams death sentence and resentenced him to life without the possibility of parole.

At the time, Gess was still so angry over her mother’s death and the change in sentencing that she couldn’t see beyond her own pain and grief.

Today, she has set her mind on ensuring others have the opportunity to avoid a similar outcome.

“It took me a long to accept it, but I realize now God has his intentions and the best thing for me to do is do good things and help other people,” Gess said.

After holding a quiet lakeside ceremony last week on the day her mother’s body was found in Lake Cassidy, Gess is planning a second event this weekend to reach out to the public.

She will be at her mother’s graveside Saturday and ready to speak with victims of domestic violence or people interested in learning more about it.

She said she planned to arrive at 2 p.m. and would stay as long as necessary.

“I don’t want to see anyone else go through what I went through,” she said.

Walton County residents can seek help with domestic violence through Shelter House, which has an office in DeFuniak Springs, but it’s frequently very hard for people to come forward in such a small community because of the stigma still attached to domestic violence, said Michelle Sperzel, the executive director of Shelter House.

“A lot of individuals don’t want to step forward and show this is the face of domestic violence,” Sperzel said. “There’s so much shame in some people’s minds.”

People like Gess though, she said, can help change that perception by speaking openly on the subject.

“It’s helping break the silence,” Sperzel said. “I can tell stories … but to have someone who wants to step forward and share her story, it’s amazing.”

Shelter House is a domestic violence center serving people in Okaloosa and Walton counties. It operates a 24-hour crisis line for domestic violence survivors at 1-800-44-ABUSE or 863-4777.