LEFT IN THE DARK "JOHNIA'S STORY"

This Sunday January 29th at 10PM On The Case With Paula Zahn on the ID Discovery Channel will show a one hour production of Johnia"s Story. Love You Johnia!

Johnia Berry Memorial Toy Drive 2011

The holidays are right around the corner and we would like to encourage you to donate new,unwrapped toys for children ages infant to 14.

In honor of Johnia Berry and her goal to devote her life to working with children, we would like to help provide toys to local children in need.

All toys collected will be delivered to local area children organizations on December the 6th.

Toys can be dropped off at area FOOD CITY stores from November 4th - December 5th

Sponsors FOOD CITY WJHL

Remembrance Tree 2011

Please join us December 2, 2011, for our 3rd Annual Remembrance Tree Ceremony at 4:30 PM at the Knoxville City/County Building Main Floor.

Tree ornaments from families of loved ones will be hung and will continue to be displayed during the month of December. If you have any questions or need further information, please call HOPE for VICTIMS at 865-924-3480.

26 States have now passed DNA law!

DNA Saves

"Every day innocent people needlessly become victims of violent crimes. Most of these are committed by repeat offenders. By passing state legislation that enables law enforcement to collect DNA from felony arrestees, at the same time as fingerprints, your state can catch criminals sooner. That means you can prevent most of these crimes, save more lives and provide more protection to the innocent."'

New Jersey and Illinois has become the 25th and 26th state to pass the DNA!!!!

Georgia signs the "Johnia Berry Act"

The Georgia Legislature today had the first reading of House Bill 288, The Johnia Berry Act. The Act is a way to collect DNA from felons after being arrested through the bonding process. The bill sponsor is B.K. Pak from Lilburn, please contact representative to support this important piece of legislation. There are now 24 states collecting DNA upon arrest, Georgia and Mississippi are the only Southeast without it. Let's make Georgia a safe place to live!

2011 National Victims Rights' Week Walk

2011 National Victims Rights' Week Walk
Sponsored by

HOPE for VICTIMS


Date: April 10, 2011
Where: Volunteer Landing, Knoxville, TN
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
What: Memorial Walk (1 mile fun) for all victims of violent crime
Phone: 865-924-3480
E-mail hopeforvictims@gmail.com
Contact: Joan Berry

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Joan, Mike, Johnia and Gracie

JOHNIA BERRY MEMORIAL TOY DRIVE 2010

Mike and I would like to thank everybody for their help in this year's Toy Drive. We would like to offer a special thanks to Food City, WJHL and United Health Care. The work of our sponsors and volunteers will put a smile on a needy child's face and make Johnia proud. We look forward to next years!

Many Thanks
Joan, Mike and Johnia

2010 Holiday Toy Drive (November 5 - December 5)

The holidays are right around the corner and we would like to encourage you to donate new, unwrapped toys for children ages infant to 14. In honor of Johnia Berry and her goal to devote her life to working with children, we would like to help provide toys to local children in need.

All toys collected will be delivered to local area children organizations on December the 6th.

Toys will be collected from November 5th - December 5th at all Tri-Cities Food City locations.

Help us make the holidays a little brighter for area children in need.

National Crime Victims' Right Week 2010

Where: Volunteer Landing Center Park
Date: April 18, 2010
Time: 2:00 pm


Please call 865-924-3480 for further information.



http://www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/parks/volunteer.asp

TAKE ACTION NOW ! CONTACT YOUR GEORGIA REPRESETATIVE TODAY

To contact your State Legislators, please use the following link

www.congress.org/congressorg/home

Simply enter your zip code in the box on the right of this page where it says “Find Your Officials”, to identify your State Legislators. Congress has already passed a federal law for arrestee testing, so communication with your federal representatives in congress is unnecessary. Please feel free to use the following text, with or without your own revisions, when communicating with your State Legislators:

PASS "Johnia Berry Act "

GA House Bill 1033

GEORGIA NEEDS THE DNA ARRESTEE LEGISLATION

Please do not wait another year to pass a law to require DNA to be taken at the same time as fingerprints for felony arrests! People in police custody have no right to conceal their identity, and we have every right to know if they have been involved in other crimes.

We have a right to be safe on our own streets. Every year we wait to pass this law, we expose everyone in our communities to the possibility that a serial criminal will be unwittingly released by police and allowed to commit more crimes.

We cannot blame law enforcement if their hands are tied by laws that do more to protect criminals, than they do to protect the rest of the public. Please do not let another person be needlessly victimized by our failure to treat DNA like a fingerprint.

Federal laws already require that states must provide a manner of expunge for a person who is arrested but not convicted of a crime.

This is a fair balance that protects both the public and the rights of the accused. Please pass DNA Arrest laws now!

Sincerely,

Name

Johnia's Story

Johnia Berry's friends and family say she was a vibrant beauty, very ambitious, with an endless supply of kindness and generosity.

It all started during the early morning hours of December 6, 2004 around 4am, when someone entered Johnia’s Brandon Park Apartment looking to steal car keys. When the thief did not find what he was looking for in the living room, he went into Johnia's bedroom and brutally stabbed her.

Johnia was able to make it out of the apartment and stumbled down two flights of stairs, knocking on neighbors' doors seeking help. No one responded and she collapsed and died a short time later.

We were glad to find out that there was DNA left at the scene of the crime, but had no idea that the National Data Base lacked critical information to help solve crimes.That’s when we began working to make a change in the laws in Tennessee.

On May 9, 2007 “The Johnia Berry Act 2007" was passed. The new law states that
when a person is arrested for a violent felony, such person shall have a biological specimen for the purpose of DNA analysis taken.

After waiting three long years a DNA match lead to the arrest of Taylor Lee Olson on September 24, 2007, for the murder of Johnia Berry.

It is my hope that sharing the story of Johnia's murder will bring awareness to the fact that DNA arrestee laws should be passed in all states. And my prayer is that another family will not have to endure the pain of losing a loved one.

DNA Saves

"Every day innocent people needlessly become victims of violent crimes. Most of these are committed by repeat offenders. By passing state legislation that enables law enforcement to collect DNA from felony arrestees, at the same time as fingerprints, your state can catch criminals sooner. That means you can prevent most of these crimes, save more lives and provide more protection to the innocent."

On May 30, 2007, Governor Phil Bredesen signed a bill into Tennessee law that requires anyone arrested for a violent crime to give a DNA sample. Named "The Johnia Berry Act of 2007", the new law requires DNA samples to be taken from persons booked for violent felonies after January 1, 2008.

Mike and I feel that it is imperative for everyone to know how important it is for the safety of your loved ones to have DNA Laws in all states. To date, fifteen states across the nation have enacted DNA legislation that will help prevent violent crimes and potentially solve crimes that have gone cold. Please write to you state legislators to let them know how important it is to enact DNA laws in your state!

Please visit dnasaves.org to find out more about this crucial push to pass DNA legislation across the country.

Mike & Joan Berry
Lawrenceville, GA
770-823-7983
jberry5916@bellsouth.net

First Annual Holiday Remembrance Tree 2009

We want to thank everyone who helped make this years First Annual Holiday Remembrance Tree a success. Please call Joan Berry at 770-823-7983 or Remonda Swafford-Alleyne 865-335-5697 to have your ornament returned or you may pick them up at the 4th Annual National Victims Rights Walk, April 18, 2010.

Johnia Hope Berry Remembered

Joan Berry on Wednesday, July 29, 2009, cut the ribbon to celebrate the grand opening of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's new regional office and crime laboratory for East Tennessee. This was a tremendous victory approximately two years after the passing of "Johnia Berry's DNA Act 2007". Part of the facility was named after Johnia Berry, murdered in Knoxville in 2004. The Berry family successfully lobbied for tougher DNA laws in Tennessee.

Joan Berry and her husband, Mike, helped push for greater funding for the TBI and its forensic work as they waited nearly three years for an answer in their daughter's, Johnia Hope Berry's, murder.

Knoxville News Sentinel

Governor Phil Bredesen signed a bill into law that requires anyone arrested for a violent crime to give a DNA sample. Named "The Johnia Berry Act of 2007", the new law requires DNA samples to be taken from persons booked for violent felonies after January 1, 2008.





To learn more, read here.

Families walk, honor loved ones who fell victim to violent crimes

Family members and friends of victims of violent crime gathered Sunday to remember their loved ones at the third annual Victims' Remembrance Walk at Volunteer Landing Park.

Knox News Link

National Crime Victims' Rights Week

25 Years of Rebuilding Lives:
Celebrating the Victims of Crime Act
April 26–May 2, 2009

Each April since 1981, OVC (Office for Victims of Crime) has helped lead communities throughout the country in their observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). Rallies, candlelight vigils, and a host of commemorative activities are held each year to promote victims' rights and to honor crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.

To commemorate National Victim's Rights Week, there will be a gathering and walk at 2pm on Sunday, April 26th at Volunteer Landing Park. Please join us as we pay tribute to crime victims and recognize the devastating impact of violence on individuals, communities and our nation as a whole.

Please click on the following link to learn more about the NCVRW.

OVC - National Crime Victims' Rights Week Site

DNA Saves

"Every day innocent people needlessly become victims of violent crimes. Most of these are committed by repeat offenders. By passing state legislation that enables law enforcement to collect DNA from felony arrestees, at the same time as fingerprints, your state can catch criminals sooner. That means you can prevent most of these crimes, save more lives and provide more protection to the innocent."

On May 30, 2007, Governor Phil Bredesen signed a bill into Tennessee law that requires anyone arrested for a violent crime to give a DNA sample. Named "The Johnia Berry Act of 2007", the new law requires DNA samples to be taken from persons booked for violent felonies after January 1, 2008.

Mike and I feel that it is imperative for everyone to know how important it is for the safety of your loved ones to have DNA Laws in all states. To date, fifteen states across the nation have enacted DNA legislation that will help prevent violent crimes and potentially solve crimes that have gone cold. Please write to you state legislators to let them know how important it is to enact DNA laws in your state!

Please visit dnasaves.org to find out more about this crucial push to pass DNA legislation across the country.

Mike & Joan Berry
Lawrenceville, GA
770-823-7983
jberry5916@bellsouth.net

A heartfelt thank you!

We would like to thank everyone who donated toys and helped with this year's Toy Drive. Thanks to you hundred's of children will
have a brighter Christmas!