March, rally set Sept. 26

Published 9:42 am Tuesday, September 22, 2015

JACKSON – What if it were your child; your father or mother, sister or brother?

How would you cope with not knowing if a missing loved one is still alive? As a parent, how can you find it in your heart to forgive the person responsible for murdering your child?

A rally for six missing individuals and three murder victims, whose killers remain unknown, will be held in Jackson on Saturday, Sept. 26. The NAACP Chapters in Northampton County, Halifax County and Hertford County are staging the event, with assistance from the Roanoke Valley SCLC, and the families of the missing and murdered victims of Northampton and Halifax counties.

“This will be a peaceful march and rally for justice,” said Tony Burnette, president of the Northampton County NAACP. “We made a promise back in March of this year at the prayer vigil in Jackson to remain steadfast by the side of these families who have missing loved ones. We also added the families of three murder victims. We will stand by these families until each of these cases are solved.”

Saturday’s rally will focus Shawn Alston (Northampton County – missing since Oct. 8, 2012), Robert Moore (Northampton County – 1996), Amy Bridgeman (Halifax County – June 24, 2013), Jalessa Reynolds (Halifax County – Feb. 22, 2010), Shonda Stansbury (Halifax County – Dec. 14, 2006), and Daniel Moses (Northampton County – June 16, 2011).

Additionally, Burnette said the event will serve as a way to keep the stories of two young men from Seaboard – Damon Riddick and Kelvin Wilson – who were murdered over a two-day span in late October of 2012 – in the public’s eye; as well as the murder case of Calvert Watson (killed Jan. 23, 2010).

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, those participating will march from the old Piggy Wiggly store in Jackson to the Northampton County Courthouse. There, a rally will take place featuring North Carolina NAACP President, the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II.

“We asking the public to come out and show their support for these families who have loved ones missing or murdered,” Burnette closed.

About Cal Bryant

Cal Bryant, a 40-year veteran of the newspaper industry, serves as the Editor at Roanoke-Chowan Publications, publishers of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Gates County Index, and Front Porch Living magazine.

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