MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Plenty of families in the Memphis area know the pain of losing someone to violence, but one of the largest organizations to support families of murder victims doesn’t even have a chapter in Memphis or in Tennessee.
That is about to change. Parents of Murdered Children will soon offer services here thanks to some determined families.
Minister Charlotte Cobb knows the pain of losing a son. She has lost two, both murdered by gunfire, 20 years apart.
She had to turn to her family and church for support. She says there was no support group available for her.
Tim Williams also knows how losing someone can turn lives upside down. The mother of his children was killed back in 1989 while he was on active duty. It changed everything.
“Nobody puts on the calendar, or puts in the Outlook, a reminder that, hey today is the day I am gonna lose somebody. That is something that we just don’t do,” he said. “When it pops up, it has to be handled. Without the right resources, it can be a nightmare.”
Williams started a local support group to help survivors.
They held meetings but what they didn’t find in Memphis was a certain support system that many other cities have: the organization Parents of Murdered Children.
“People need to know there are outlets for grief, and there is support within the court system,” Williams said.
So he began a multi-year push to get a chapter of POMC in the Bluff City.
Big help came following the murder of Lorenzen Wright, when Wright’s mother Deborah Marion spoke at the group’s 2019 gala and became a supporter of their efforts.
“Her son was Lorenzen Wright, an NBA player. Everybody was interested in story of how she was coping, the things she had to go through,” Williams said. “Going through the court system and all of that, everybody was all ears.”
The process of getting a POMC chapter is now speeding forward. The Greater Memphis chapter of Parents of Murdered Children is set to be officially installed this spring.
Charlotte Cobb has offered her North Memphis church as a location to hold meetings.
National leaders say they offer an organized support system that walks with loved ones through every phase of grief.
POMC helps families with petitions so convicted murderers don’t get out of jail early. They also help families dealing with unsolved murders, letting them know they are not alone.
Get Involved
The Greater Memphis chapter is expected to get its final designation as a POMC chapter in April, but they are already meeting.
It’s not just for parents. Anbody who lost someone to violence can join.
If you would like to connect with the local group, go to https://pomc.org/