Alva James-Johnson: Facebook page humanizes victim
I didn't know Gloria Short or any of her family members. Yet a visit to her Facebook page brought tears to my eyes.
There, I saw a beautiful woman who seemed to be in the prime of life.
On Nov. 26, she apparently posted pictures of a feast that looked like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
"At my daughter's in Albany, Ga for Thanksgiving," it said. "Lindsey u did a wonderful job hosting ur family and friends."
On Dec. 21, she posted a photo of her teenage son, Caleb, and her friends responded with glee.
"Gloria he a handsome son!" commented one woman.
On Dec. 22, Short posted a winter scene with the words "Grandchildren are some of the greatest gifts you will ever receive."
"Indeed," she commented.
Her Facebook page also included photos of what appeared to be her granddaughter.
Viewing the page -- and Short's exuberant "Goodbye 2015 Hello 2106" New Year's declaration -- I felt a connection. She could've been a relative, neighbor, friend, church member -- or even me.
So it was hard to believe that Short, 56, Caleb, 17, and Short's 10-year-old granddaughter, Gianna Lindsey, had been brutally beaten to death in one of the most heinous crimes in recent Columbus history.
The newsroom was all abuzz as the details unfolded Monday morning, and it was hard to believe the reports. Some of us had just returned from holiday vacations, wishing everyone a happy 2016.
But by 11:30 a.m., law enforcement officials confirmed that the three victims were found dead at their Bentley Drive home in north Columbus.
Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said the bodies were "scattered throughout the house" and bloody footprints were discovered. We also learned that all three victims died from blunt-force trauma. The homicides remain under investigation.
It gives me chills just trying to imagine the horrific scenario that Short and the children must have endured before their deaths.
It's every mother's worst nightmare and rattled my false sense of security.
Yet, Short was still just a stranger until I saw her Facebook page. There's nothing like seeing a person's face to humanize them, and viewing the page brought her to life even in death.
From what I could see, she was a mother and grandmother who loved her family dearly. And she apparently believed that good would outshine evil.
On Nov. 15, after the terrorist attacks in Paris, Short posted a photo of the Eiffel Tower with the following words attributed to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
So as we grapple with the senseless death of all three victims, let's not forget how human they were.
Alva James-Johnson, 706-571-8521. Reach her on Facebook at AlvaJamesJohnsonLedger.
This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 9:45 PM with the headline "Alva James-Johnson: Facebook page humanizes victim ."