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OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 6, 2018
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: LOCAL HELP AVAILABLE
Newnan woman’s nonprofit honors mother
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANNON WOODS
Octavia Geter celebrated her 32nd birthday in September by having a photoshoot at her mother’s gravesite. Geter’s mother, Stephanie Marie Houston, was 29 when she was gunned down by her boyfriend of only nine months on Sept. 13, 1999.
BY KANDICE BELL
kandice@newnan.com
Coweta native Octavia Geter is using her own testimony of losing her mother 19 years ago to help spread awareness about domestic violence. Geter’s mother, Stephanie Marie Houston, was 29 when she was gunned down by her boyfriend of only nine months on Sept. 13, 1999 on Main Street in Forest Park. The tragedy happened one day before Geter’s 13th birthday. But now, Geter said she is ready to share her story and help others who have lost their mother to domestic violence. Geter has started a nonprofit, Motherless Child Inc., in honor of her mother. Geter said her sister was 10 years old and her brother was only 8 years old when their mother was killed. Geter still remembers the events of that day, saying many questions are still left unanswered. “We stayed at a family member’s house that weekend, and we were headed home to get ready for school,” Geter said. Geter said Shun Lamar Williams, 30, was waiting in the parking lot of their residence. “He was sitting there in the car and we rode past him and he started chasing us and shooting at the car,” Geter said. “I still remember my mom’s last words. She said, “Get down. He is going to kill us all.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence and need help, call the CCES crisis line at
770-834-1141
The crisis line is staffed 24/7/365.
Geter said Williams ran the car off the road. He then grabbed her mother by her hair and dragged her out of the vehicle. “She was saying, ‘No, no, no,’ and he shot her three times,” Geter said.
“I was in a state of shock. I could not move. I was like a deer caught in headlights.” Geter said her brother was trying to help his mother while her other sister ran to get help. “I was left face-to-face with him,” Geter said. Geter remembered Williams saying, “You know I love your mom, but we had to die together.” Williams then shot himself. “I was in a state of shock. I could not move. I was like a deer caught in headlights,” Geter said. According to a Newnan TimesHer a ld stor y, a wa r r a nt for
aggrvated assault had been filed the Friday before the shooting by Houston in Clayton County. Houston told police she feared for her life, but the police were unsuccessful in arresting Williams that weekend. Williams was pronounced dead on the scene, and Houston was transported to Southern Regional Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Williams left letters behind explaining his actions. Geter said she has never read the letters, but will read them soon. Geter said since the anniversary of her mother’s death is so close to her birthday, she rarely celebrates, but she decided to change that this year. She had a photo shoot at her mother’s gravesite with a local photographer, Shannon Woods. “I wanted to celebrate the good memories and celebrate my mom’s on my 32nd birthday,” Geter said. “It’s just not a happy time.” As far as her nonprofit, Geter said the she has had the idea for
GETER • 4
Shelter, counseling, education available BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com
Domestic violence is often suffered in silence. But there is local help available. A 24-hour crisis line, emergency shelter, transitional shelter, help with temporary protective orders and legal proceedings, support groups and counseling, help with budgeting and job training, and programs for children are among the services offered by the Carroll County Emergency Shelter. Though the shelter and the bulk of the programs are in Carroll County, the shelter serves Coweta, Meriwether, Heard and Haralson counties as well. There is a satellite office in Coweta at the Coweta County Justice Center that is staffed five days a week. Local women can get help with protective orders and referrals to the services they need, said Martha Boyce, executive director of CCES. Logan Dixon, who staffs the local office is capable of handling legal advocacy and point them in the right direction if they need safe shelter, Boyce said. “And she’ll do her best to arrange transportation for them through law enforcement." To reach the Coweta office, call 678-343-3341. “It pleases me to know that women and children have the opportunity to not feel like they have to live in what they’re living in,” Boyce said. “We’ve got to do everything in the world we can to stop it." When domestic violence situations involve children, Boyce said they want to intervene as early as possible because it’s a learned behavior. “With children, if we can intervene early enough, even if they’ve witnessed it sometimes, it makes a huge difference in their life. “If there isn’t an intervention for them, so many of them will grow up and repeat this same pattern in their lives,” she said. Many times women who stay in abusive relationships grew up in a home with domestic violence. “I’ve had women say, ‘I always thought that all men were like that,’” Boyce said. So when their husbands or boyfriends are violent, it doesn’t seem all that different from when their fathers would hit them or scream at them, she said. Some women are able to get back on their feet quickly, or are only at the shelter while they arrange to move to be near their parents or other family members, while others need a little more help. The shelter has 18 beds, and there is also the transition facility with eight efficiency apartments. The transition house is for women who no longer need the emergency shelter but aren’t quite ready to live on their own. While at the shelter or transitional house, the women can get help to improve their education, their job skills, and other skills so that they can support themselves. Boyce said they shouldn't feel like they have to go back to an abusive situation just to make a living or feed their children. “I think it’s wonderful to see a woman who didn’t know how to manage a budget and how to keep a budget and to see her manage it. And for her to see that – yes, you can do this. You can,” Boyce said. The programs are available for those in the shelter as well as for people who aren’t living in the shelter but need the services, Boyce said. Though the programs are primarily offered in
HELP • 3
NPD takes home Times-Herald chili title ROBINSON’S RECIPE DECLARED WINNER IN OKTOBERFEST COOK-OFF NTH STAFF REPORTS news@newnan.com
Sgt. Chris Robinson from the Newnan Police Department was named winner of the 2018 Newnan TimesHerald Chili Cook-Off. T h is yea r, seven different recipes were submitted by various public safety agencies across the county, including the Newnan Police Department, Newnan Fire Department, Coweta County Fire Rescue and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office. The contest was held Friday evening in conjunction with the Oktoberfest at the NTH office in downtown Newnan. More t h a n 10 0 votes
were cast as visitors sampled the various recipes. Robinson said his recipe was derived from his mothers’ and, over the years, he added new ingredients. “It’s got a little bit of ever y t h i ng,” Robi n son said. “Paprika, cumin, basil and some beer.” While NPD took f irst place, the Newnan Fire Department came in second w it h t hei r wh ite chicken chili recipe. Coweta County Fire Rescue Station 1 came in third, beating out CCFR station 10, who came in fourth. CCFR Station 16 tied with the “Chooch Chili” recipe submitted by the Coweta County Sheriff ’s
Office, followed by a venison chili made by Betty Wheat from the sheriff ’s office. Several attendees of the cook-off said the event was their favorite part of the Oktoberfest celebration. NTH co-publisher Clay Neely thanked all the agencies who participated in the contest. “This was a great event and allowed us to help showcase the culinary talents of our first responders,” he said. “We’re always looking for new ways to thank those who serve the public, and we’re grateful they shared their time and talent with us.”
PHOTO BY BETH NEELY
Newnan Times-Herald co-publisher Clay Neely congratulates NPD Detective Chris Robinson whose chili entry won first prize in the 2018 NTH Chili Cook-Off.