Thursday - August 19: The Wellsville area Crime Watch Committee held their August meeting this past Thursday at Village Hall. President Janet Taggart presided. Guest speaker for the meeting was CC Family Of Homicide Victims (CCFHV) founder Belinda Puchajda.
Puchajda is President of this non-profit all volunteer organization who's main focus is to keep the names of unsolved homicide victims out there. CCFHV was stared in 2006 by Puchajda with the determination of not letting her cousin Mike Williams to be forgotten. Williams was found beaten to death in August of 2005. In 2008 Puchajda was joined by Kim Mitchell. Mitchell began helping attending fairs, festivals and all kinds of community events handing out fliers and other information. Puchajda said that after awhile the news of an unsolved homicide victim fade from memories and the pages of newspapers. After a period of time with no new developments the individual cases are no longer news. Many assume that the cases have been solved. Law enforcement agencies at all levels are swamped with different cases especially with cut backs in man power and budgets in today's economy. The unsolved cases remain active but with many of them there is simply not the resources to pursue all of them trying to find new information.
Keeping the names of victims fresh in people's minds is the focus of CCFHV but their mission goes deeper. The group works closely with law enforcement agencies passing on any tips or leads they may be made aware of through their contacts. Puchajda indicated she is on first name basis with officers. The Youngstown office of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations has asked them to branch out into Mahoning and Trumbull Counties. However, the CCFHV exists on money out of their own pockets and what donations they get. They operate out of the Puchajda family home and still make themselves available 24/7 for anyone wishing to share some thoughs or just needing some support to get through the day.
When they first started there were 26 unsolved cases in Columbiana County dating back to 1969. Today they now represent over 30 families of unsolved murders and missing persons. The victims range in ages from adults to young children to babies. The most recent in Columbiana County is a seven month old baby in Salem that died of blunt force trauma. CCFHV has not added this one to their list yet.
The CCFHV work as a liaison between police and the public getting to the proper departments valuable information needed to help generate new leads and help to get these unsolved cases solved. They're there to offer support to victim's families. You can visit their web site for more information at www.victimsofhomicide.blogspot.com or by calling Puchajda at 330-424-5603. Memberships are open to the public and any donations will be gratefully accepted and deeply appreciated. Thirty unsolved murders means their are 30 killers still out there. The victims did not desrve to die and they all had families and loved ones that want to know what happened. CCFHV is there to keep those victim's memories alive.
The next Crime Watch meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 16. Former Wellsville Fireman Marty Thorn will present a program on arson. The meeting starts at 6 P.M. at Village Hall and the public is invited. In October you will be able to meet "Riot", Wellsville's newest canine officer.
ole nib
1 comment:
Thanks so much for your support and interest in us. Articles like these help to get the message out about the unsolved murders. Always in our minds we know that somebody out there knows something that can help to solve these cases. Sooner or later CCFHV will find them. Because "why" matters.
Post a Comment