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Families bonded through tragedy come together for a Day of Remembrance

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TULSA - Wednesday evening the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office hosted a Day of Remembrance for families of homicide victims. 

The event put on by the office's Victim Witness Center is meant to take the families out of the courtroom for a day and gain strength from one another. 

City leaders and emergency responders showed up to pay their respects. 

Terence Crutcher's family said the event and support is helping them cope. 

“We’re just so humbled and appreciative that they created a space for us and people just like us who've lost loved ones," said Terence Crutcher's sister Dr. Tiffany Crutcher. 

Families planted flowers and decorated the garden with photos and trinkets to pay respect. 

“We had a moment with his son Terence Jr. and he asked why are we planting this flower for daddy are these flowers going to make him come alive again?" she said. 

Gayla Castaldy lost her 23-year-old daughter Rebecca in 2009. 

She said her and her family do things all of the time to remember her. 

Today, Rebecca's flower decorated with her favorite colors and sparkles, just the way she would've wanted. 

"This is a way for us to come together as a family and remember the good times and not to focus on the sadness," said Rebecca's mother Gayla Castaldy

Linda Perkins remembers her daughter, grandson and son-in-law who were all killed in the same day leaving only her granddaughter behind. 

“It’s not the same thing as when you lose a loved one because of illness or accidental death, these are deaths by people. By homicide," said Linda Perkins. 

She, like many others present are still seeking justice for the crimes done against their family members. 

“It’s not a matter of forgiveness or vengeance, but it’s a matter of getting justice for three beautiful lives that were taken in one day," she said. 

The families all saying while the pain never goes away, it's days like today that help them live a relatively normal life again. 

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