AUGUSTA — The Maine Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims will pay tribute to the memory of people who have been murdered Monday, Sept. 25 at the University of Maine at Augusta.

The event, organized by the Maine chapter of the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children, will include guest speakers, music, a memorial table, and a memorial display, courtesy of New Hope for Women, “Empty Place at The Table,” in honor of those whose lives were taken by another.

Mary Wakefield examines photos of homicide victims in this 2014 file photo during the annual ceremony of the Maine chapter of Parents of Murdered Children in Augusta. Staff file photo by Andy Molloy

The remembrance is from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 25 in Jewett Hall Auditorium at UMA. It is free and open to the public.

Those who have survived the homicide of someone they love are encouraged by organizers to bring a framed, free-standing photograph and any small personal items of their loved one for the memorial display table.

“Those of us who value life know that we are all diminished in some way when anyone is murdered, because all lives matter,” Arthur Jette, of Cambridge, Maine chapter leader of Parents of Murdered Children, said in a news release. “It’s also important to remember that any family can be affected by the taking of life through the violent actions of another.”

The Maine chapter of Parents of Murdered Children has provided support services for surviving family members of murder victims, as well as murder-prevention programs, for 27 years and maintains a permanent memorial monument in Augusta to honor Maine-connected homicide victims, adding names at an annual re-dedication each June.

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