Relatives remember crime victims at Las Vegas ceremony

A small group of grieving relatives gathered in a central valley meeting room to honor their loved ones killed in the valley this year and years past as part of National Day of Remembrance, which began in 2007 and pays tribute to murder victims and their survivng relatives.

Those who attended were part of Desert of Hope, the local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, which organized the event.

Two mothers whose children were killed in years past spoke at the event, candidly expressing the emotions they’ve felt in the days and years since their children’s deaths.

“Do you know how many homicides we’ve had in Vegas this year?” asked Karen Brill, the mother of Aric Brill, 16, who was killed in 2009. She said the relatives of those victims “can’t even get out of bed right now. They can’t breathe. They can’t eat. They’re not functional.”

Brill and other organizers hoped the newly formed local group could offer a support system for those families.

“It changes you,” Brill said.

The event ended with a balloon release to honor slain loved ones. Metropolitan Police Department homcide Lt. Dan McGrath was slated to be a keynote speaker, but could not make the event because he was working another homicide about six miles away.