Nicole C., 24, was murdered on Saturday, December 17, 2011. Her mother had left the house to run errands at approximately 6:30pm. When she returned home an hour later, she found her daughter dead - shot once through the head. Her uncle told the press that Nicole had had some "issues" that would "probably come out later", but that she was, basically, a good kid.
Nicole C. had certainly had a rough year. She'd had several arrests, for drug possession and theft. She'd spent a week in the hospital, battling an infection. She'd been briefly engaged to a young man named Les, but was despairing after their breakup. Just before Thanksgiving, she mentioned on her Facebook page that she had sustained a couple of broken ribs - that she had done nothing to deserve it happening, and that she had no money to go to the hospital to have herself treated for her injuries.
Nicole F., 22, died as the result of a hit-and-run on Monday, December 19, 2011. The local papers cryptically reported that she was involved in an altercation with a man on the parking lot of a restaurant at approximately 5pm. Though the extent of her injuries have not been made public, she was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital because of her injuries. At approximately 6:45pm, she slipped out of the hospital, before she could be treated. She apparently intended to walk back to her vehicle. Two hours later, a state trooper found her body by the side of the road.
Nicole F. had also been arrested. Just after Thanksgiving she'd been pulled over and had been charged with a DUI.
Both of the young women's deaths received extensive news coverage. While the online articles dryly reported the facts of their demise, the comment sections following the stories exploded, for the most part, in a rash of cruelty and condemnation of the young women. The gist of the majority of the comments ran along the lines of the young women being "useless" or "druggies". The few commentators who attempted to defend the reputations of the young women were met with derision and personal attacks.
Yes, using drugs and driving when drunk is just plain stupid. But it happens. Picking a stinker for a boyfriend (or girlfriend) is something almost everyone has done at one time or another. God knows, I certainly cringe at many of my poor choices that I made in my twenties. And, for the record, I never did drugs, but, back in the day, I did drive once or twice when inebriated. Of course, seat belts weren't required then, either.
Most of us live to tell the tales of our youth and folly, shaking our heads over our own foolishness, wondering aloud at choices made without the benefit of experience, grateful for the lessons learned from our foibles. Our choices, good and bad, sometimes make for some damn funny tales in the retelling.
But, as I plan the last trip to the grocery store to get the food for Christmas dinner, and will finish wrapping presents with my own cherished daughter, my mind keeps drifting to thoughts of the families of the two Nicoles. Two familes have just been handed a tragedy, and, probably, a guaranteed lousy Christmas for the rest of their lives. Their beloved children are gone too soon, and far too young. It is every parent's worst nightmare come to life. How does one deal with the loss of a child and manage to live out the rest of their lives? How do they find meaning and purpose? Do they ever feel joy ever again? How in the hell will they even get out of bed in the morning? It's an experience every parent prays to be spared.
As of this morning, the murderer of Nicole C. has not yet been caught, nor has the driver who killed Nicole F. Hopefully, their grieving families will soon receive the very slight comfort of knowing who took the lives of their beloved children.
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