Justin was a beacon to all of us
Australian Justine Damond was just weeks away from marrying her soul mate when her life came to a shocking end in the US
‘We only ask that the light of justice shine down’
Justine Damond shouldld should have been abuzz withh nerves and excitementnt as she prepared to marry arry her longtime love, Don, in an intimate ceremony in Hawaii next month.
But in a shocking turn of events that has outraged Australians and the rest of the world, Justine’s dreams of becoming a bride were destroyed on July 15 when she was fatally shot in the stomach by a police officer in her adopted home of America.
‘PERFECT TOGETHER’
After the meditation teacher and life coach met her fiance through a shared interest in healing, the besotted 40-yearold gave up her life on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and followed her heart to join Don – who she described as the “amazing, handsome, hilarious, rock-star love of my life” – in Minneapolis more than two years ago.
The tireless charity worker was so excited about her impending nuptials she had already taken on the 53-year-old’s surname. And she was thrilled to become stepmother to Don’s 22-year-old son, Zach, who called her his “mum” and “best friend”.
“She initially struggled with the move to the US because she was so close to her dad,” Justine’s close friend Amanda Watson, 52, tells Woman’s Day exclusively. “But she had found her true love and it was abundantly clear to her that this man was worth making the move for.
“She and Don were perfect together on every level. Her friends and her family could not have been happier for them.”
TERRIBLE DISCOVERY
Justine, a former veterinarian, had called 911 at 11.27pm on Saturday, July 15 to report a possible ongoing assault in an alleyway near her Minneapolis home. She was shot by officer Mohamed Noor, 31, as she approached his squad car dressed in her pyjamas.
Apart from his partner – officer Matthew Harrity, 26, who was driving the vehicle – there were no other witnesses and neither officer had his body camera switched on.
Don, vice president of Little Six Casino – who was away on business at the time of the shooting – returned home demanding answers from police as friends, family and neighbours gathered to pay tribute to his “loving and generous” fiancee.
Meanwhile, Justine’s distraught father John Ruszczyk, who lost his wife to cancer almost 20 years ago, called for the killer of his beloved daughter to be brought to justice.
“Justine was a beacon to all of us,” he says. “We only ask that the light of justice shine down on the circumstances of her death.”
John broke down when a group of about 300 mourners gathered at Sydney’s Freshwater Beach last Wednesday morning to watch the sunrise in silence to honour his beautiful daughter.
With their arms around each other, Justine’s brother Jason and his wife Katarina led a moving procession down to the shore, where they threw her favourite pink flowers into the ocean.
Shortly before the vigil, the family released a statement.
“We are here to come together as a community around our beautiful Justine, to honour her life, share our love and mourn her death.
“All we want to do is bring Justine home to Australia to farewell her in her hometown among family and friends.”
SHINING LIGHT
Life coach Michelle Richmond, says her friend changed people’s lives for the better on a daily basis.
“Justine taught people how to love, to be free and to be accepting of themselves and others,” Michelle says. “She empowered people to be joyous and empathetic. She’d want us to pick up that flame and continue with that very important work.
“If there is any call to action in this senseless tragedy, may it be a catalyst to build more love, light and healing in our world.”