Today is the anniversary of the deaths of Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy. The names will probably not ring a bell for most people, but they were both murdered in 1978 at Florida State University in the Chi Omega Sorority House. Each of them would be in their mid-fifties today if they were still alive, but unfortunately their lives were tragically cut short by the actions of a man whose name I will not mention. Sadly, his name is very recognizable. If you do an internet search utilizing the names of the women, you will get many more hits for the man who killed them than what you will get for the victims. (It seems that too often in our modern society we create a lasting memory of the perpetrator of a crime rather than the victims.)
I did not know either of the victims and have no direct connection to them at all. Yet, I get a deep sense of sadness when I think about the last moments of their lives. Simply reading about the brutal nature of the attack was enough to make my heart break for these innocent young women. I can only imagine the grief that was experienced by their parents, other family members, their friends and classmates.
Following the murders, fear permeated other female students as they wondered if such an attack would happen again. The ripple effect of such a heinous crime extends quite far into the surrounding community. It was painfully evident that a sense of safety and security was lost as news spread about the early Sunday morning attack on these women while they slept. Shock, disbelief, and terror swept through the corridors. Life had ended for two individuals and was severely damaged for two others who survived the vicious attack at the Chi Omega house. A fifth victim was severely beaten at another location as well. Ultimately, life was changed for a multitude of people that morning due to the emotional distress that such a disastrous event can bring upon us.
Our nation and our society are in desperate need of prayer for healing for the many acts of senseless violence that takes place all too frequently. May the memories of Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman remind us today that we need to be those people of prayer!