COLUMBUS, Ohio — Saunders Park was packed on Saturday when dozens of shots were fired, killing 20-year-old Masonique Saunders. The one thing that gave the family a little bit of comfort was the members of Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children.
“Our mother instinct kicks in, full-throttle, we just want to run to them and protect them, and hold them, and all of those motherly instincts,” said Malissa Thomas-St. Clair.
Thomas-St. Clair knows all too well the emotions a mother goes through when their child has been killed. Her oldest son, Anthony, was killed in 2013.
“In our case, we feel like you are a barrier to me getting to my child. It can get very tense. Having that understanding, having that timeline, where you are going to be out here for a while. You know, the needs from your own experience,” said Thomas-St. Clair.
She formed the group Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children. The group has been working on forming a crisis team, or the Crime Scene Support Team.
While still working on logistics, they knew they were needed Saturday at Saunders Park.
“I noticed it was tense, as it should have been. I started to see faces that I recognized. I inserted myself and used the compassion extended through our established relationship,” she explained.
“We'll be showing up to homicide scenes to support families as much as we can, and being a liaison between the police department and the families to help them with questions they may have,” said Jené Patrick.
Thomas-St. Clair explains as a mother dealing with so much, it's hard to understand the process and the legal journey the family is now on. That's where their experience helps calms families.
“We are able to tell them in detail why you can't go see your loved one and console them through that timeframe,” said Thomas-St. Clair.
“With them having that experience, they are able to comfort them in a way no one else can,” Patrick explained.
Thomas-St. Clair adds they also help Columbus police bridge the gap between officers and the community.
“I will have to say, Detective Darren Egelhoff, he's amazing. He came up, he gave a timeline to them, he was communicative, he was compassionate. If we are to bridge this gap even further between community and policing, this is another way to do it,” she said.
The members say they know they can't make it to every homicide scene, but they say they hope to make a big impact. The group is unofficial yet, but they are partnering with the city, and still having conversations about how the team will work.