I never met Stacey Burns. I know her only through hours and hours of interviews with those friends and acquaintances who have chosen to speak with me during the last four plus years of working on trying to tell her story. Here is what I know for certain about her. She left behind a priceless legacy, a legacy of caring, of compassion, of love, and of joy. This is what survives almost six years after she left this earth. Despite the personal stresses in her life, she managed to bring a positive force into the lives of those around her. I believe any one of us would be happy if we can leave such a legacy.

Now for the truly sad part of this story. All of the brightness, the happiness, and the upbeat attitude she brought into the lives of so many cannot erase the fact that the person who killed this special woman continues to enjoy the precious gift of freedom. This psychopath, responsible for cutting short a life that added so much to those touched by it, remains free to carry on, to experience the joy of being alive. This coward, whether ever caught or not, will also leave behind a legacy, but it will be a legacy in direct contrast to that of Stacey Burns. It will be a legacy of evil, of brutality, and inhumanity.

Just 47 days until the sixth anniversary of the murder. Does anyone else think of the lack of an arrest as outrageous? I surely do.

Duke