Yuba County Victim Services helps homicide survivors
This past Sunday kicked off the country’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week which will continue through this Sunday.
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan established the week to acknowledge the abuse and trauma that victims of crime often experience. During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the accomplishments of victims’ rights is celebrated as those involved reflect on how far the movement has come.
The establishment of victims rights was inspired by the murder of Marsalee “Marsy” Ann Nicholas, a student at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Immediately after her
funeral, Nicholas’ family came face to face with her murderer in a grocery store checkout line. The family was shaken by the encounter, and complained of not having been notified of the killer’s release on bail. This sparked the need to establish a list of constitutionally protected rights for victims and their families that would help guard them from being further traumatized.
While those accused of crimes have more than 20 individual rights spelled out in the U.S. Constitution, the surviving family members of murder victims have none. But now, thanks to the hard work of victims rights advocates, Marsy’s Law provides 17 rights to victims and their surviving families under state constitutions. As of February 2020, Marsy’s
Law has been passed in the following states: California, Illinois, North Dakota, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
Yuba County Probation Department’s Victim Services program in Marysville – also known as Yuba County Victim Services or victim witness – is an avid proponent of victims rights and educating the public on Marsy’s Law. Every year, Yuba County Victim Services participates in National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by holding a candlelight vigil. This past Sunday, Yuba County Victim Services held its 31st annual vigil, which was live streamed on Facebook. The past two events were held virtually due to pandemic safety measures, but staff said they look forward to holding the event in person again next year.
During the event over 300 names of local homicide victims were announced. These names span the years going all the way back to the Juan Corona days, a notorious serial killer who preyed on those working in the counties’ surrounding orchards.
Erich Runge, Yuba County Victim Services program manager, explained that homicide victims are not limited to those who die in shootings and other acts of violence, they can also include the casualties of drunken driving accidents and other such negligent acts.
One of the names announced during Sunday’s broadcast was Cody Dymon, the 22-year-old son of Teresa Roseberry. Roseberry, a homicide survivor, participated in the broadcast with Yuba County Victim Services and was willing to share more of her story.
Roseberry has had a good relationship with Runge and his team out at Yuba County Victim Services, said Russ Brown, public information officer for Yuba County.
“I’ve had him on the run,” Roseberry said about Runge jokingly.
“You definitely have,” added Runge with a laugh.
While the group shared this brief bout of humor with one another, the weight of Roseberry’s grief still hung heavily in the room as she and Runge sat down with the Appeal for an interview.
“We deal with a lot of trauma and sensitive type subjects, but our clients, our victim survivors, kinda become part of our family because we share in these intimate moments with them,” said Runge. “Teresa is probably one of our biggest success stories. She took her son’s death and she turned it into a mission for her to become a better person.”
Dymon was killed on
Dec. 30, 2018, during a brawl involving several individuals at a party in Linda, the Appeal previously reported. The sheriff ’s office was called to the location in response to an assault taking place in an apartment complex. Deputies determined that a party had been going on at the complex, when several subjects entered into a physical altercation. During the fight, a 16-year-old male allegedly stabbed Dymon with a knife. Dymon was transported to Adventist Health/rideout hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
During that time, Roseberry had been in
Reno bringing in the new year with some friends. She had gone to bed only to be awoken shortly after with a devastating call.
“About two something in the morning I got the phone call from my oldest son saying that something had happened to his baby brother,” said Roseberry. “I immediately went into frantic mode.”
Once Roseberry got back to town and to the sheriff ’s department, her panic began to shift.
“We had to sit out there for hours, not knowing what was going on other than he was deceased,” explained Roseberry. “From that point right there, I think I really just went numb.”
Roseberry had nearly reached her one-year mark of sobriety when this tragic incident occurred. About two days after Dymon’s death, Roseberry reverted back to her old ways to cope with the stresses of court and emotional pain.
“I could not make it to court unless I was really loaded,” said Roseberry shakily. “It was life changing things that were happening in that courtroom. … Watching this person that was being convicted walk by me, make smirks at me, able to hug his mom, kiss his mom in the courtroom. I was very traumatized by it.”
Roseberry credits victim services for helping her get through the process and letting her express all her emotions without judgment. She admitted to binging for about nine months until court procedures were about midway through. After that she realized she needed to do something different, so she put herself back into rehab and went through a detox. Victim services supported Roseberry through this time by paying her “clean and sober living” rent for three months.
“That gave me motive and just a time to step back and breathe until I found a job,” said Roseberry. “I’ve been going strong ever since then.”
Roseberry has been in therapy, but still doesn’t feel like she’s truly mourned yet. Her children and grandchildren are key motivators that inspire her to keep going and continue with sobriety. She is also very thankful to Runge and victim witness services for always lending her a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen. Roseberry has been clean for almost three years now and works at a drug rehabilitation center which has helped to keep her on track. She is on her way to completing a GED and is financing her first car.
“It’s not an option for me to go backwards,” said Roseberry. “It’s the candlelight vigil, it’s just the amazing support that I get from the victim witness that has really just picked up my spirits. I’ve got self confidence again, and I know that I’m not alone. And I know that at any time if I need any of them, they are there. They have picked me up and walked with me through the darkest and the lowest time of my life and I’m glad that I get to share my success with them.”
Roseberry regrets that her son’s murder went largely uncovered by the media, which she speculated may have been due to the fact that the defendant was a minor. The defendant was subsequently charged as a minor which, according to Runge, means his detention will focus on rehabilitation and he could be looking at parole by the age of 25 or
26.
“We go to our next board hearing in June, and then after that we go back in December and that’s for his release from the DOJJ (Division of Juvenile Justice),“said Roseberry. “I don’t know what’s all going to happen there, I’m hoping that they still confine him because I really don’t think a little over two years is significant. But I think his own behaviors are gonna catch up with him.”
Regardless of what happens, Roseberry said she is prepared to come to grips with the outcome.
“I know that it’s out of my hands, and it’s in God’s, and I can’t let it consume me,” added Roseberry.
Dymon is survived by his mother, siblings, and two young daughters. Roseberry said her family is still working through the trauma and grief, but she hopes to set a good example for them going forward.
“They are all very proud, and I’m just hoping that I break the chains somewhere,” said Roseberry. “I just gotta be their mom, through the thick and the thin and the good and the bad.”
Rosberry’s story is just one of many. Her’s, like others, serves as both a warning and a beacon of hope to all those who fall victim to some of life’s hardest blows.
“Nobody knows a parent’s pain of losing a child, until it happens,” said Runge. “To actually experience losing a child is very devastating. A lot of people don’t bounce back from it.”
Roseberry wants others to know that regardless of how they may feel, they are not alone. She encourages other victims to open up and reach out for the services available to them through the county and state.
“There’s a lot of love and support out here by the community,” said Roseberry. “Victim witness has really broadened my outlook on life and the community. I may have been traumatized by the death of my child, but I also got support from the community and the victims’ witness.”
Yuba County Victim Services is located at 209
6th St. in Marysville. To learn more about the programs it offers, call 530741-6275 or visit https:// tinyurl.com/4sma6283.