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Jackson County mothers of homicide victims support each other through group

Corey Laykovich was killed three years ago
Posted at 4:18 PM, Jul 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-28 19:32:11-04

July 28 marks the three year anniversary of the death of Corey Laykovich. While his family still mourns his passing, his mother is continuing to make sure her son didn't die in vain.

"I didn't want another woman to come back out of a hospital room, finding out her son had just been murdered, and not have someone there if she needed them," said Michelle Metje, mother of 22-year old Laykovich who was stabbed to death while walking home from a nearby gas station.

"It's…… hard to explain to anyone who's not gone through it," she said.

Which is why Metje started an advocacy group in her son's name to help surviving victims of homicide. Over the last two years, "Corey's Network" has helped nine families with emotional and monetary support following similar tragedies.

Metje still remembers when she got her first phone call asking for help.

"There's this woman. She's out in Belton and she really needs some help and can you give her a call? So we did," she said.

That first call went to Jenny Donaldson of Belton. Her 36-year-old son, Chad, was shot and killed December 22, 2014.

"To talk to another mother who knew exactly how I felt, who had been in the very same situation, and still in the same situation, was just unbelievably a godsend," she said.

Corey’s Network helps families find immediate advocacy following a homicide. They provide counselors and support groups, monetary support for funeral costs, and also help with media navigation and understanding of the investigation process. While the advocacy group helps mostly eastern Jackson County, Metje said they are willing to help anyone throughout the metro in need, regardless of which state or county they live in.

"I need to be able to focus on the positive," she said.
 

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Josh Helmuth can be reached at josh.helmuth@kshb.com

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