PETERSBURG, Va. -- Friday, April 19 will mark 10 years since the quadruple murder of a Petersburg family.
67-year-old Pauline Wilkins, her daughter, 46-year-old Vicki Chavis Ansar, granddaughter 22-year-old Tanique Davis, and two-year-old great-grandson Delvari Chavis all were killed on the night of April 19, 2014.
“I don’t think the pain will ever go away. It’s been 10 years and I don’t think I’ll ever go a day without missing them or thinking about them or wanting to call them,” said Chavis’ granddaughter, Kenyona Chavis.
Through tears, Kenyona recounted the pain she and her family have experienced since her family members were murdered in her grandmother's Harding Street home.
The home was set on fire following the fatal stabbings of Wilkins and Ansar, killing Tanique Davis and little Delvari.
“I don’t think it ever gets easier as time goes by. I think it gets harder because you miss them a little more,” Kenyona said.
In 2017, a jury convicted Alexander Hill Jr. for his role in the four murders.
The conviction followed a year-long nationwide manhunt, which ended when Hill was found living in a homeless shelter in Buffalo, N.Y.
Hill's ex-girlfriend, Vivian Chavis, lived at the home with the victims but was not there when the violence unfolded, according to testimony that came out during the trial.
During a 2015 hearing, Vivian told the judge she received more than a dozen threatening phone calls from Hill in the days leading up to the murders.
She said Hill threatened to kill her and her family after they ended their relationship.
“They were loving people. Always kind. She was always about giving back to her community,” Chavis said.
She said the presence of her loved ones absence is still profoundly felt. She feels they should be here and is upset they have missed out on so much.
She yearns for conversations with them and for them to see her family's accomplishments and how she has grown up.
She said the family often comes out to the Harding Street home where they created a memorial in the victim's honor.
On Saturday, the family will hold a community event for people to reflect and celebrate on the anniversary. There will also be an opportunity to receive domestic violence support and resources.
The event will be held at the memorial site on Harding Street on Saturday in Petersburg from 12 to 6 p.m.
“Tomorrow is just for us to come together and be one and be there for one another and to support one another,” Chavis said.
She said that support has tethered her family together, helping them survive the tragedy. She says they are working every day to find ways to heal and remember the love they feel lucky to have had.
“Her house was always open to us at any point and anytime no matter the day or time. She’d be happy that we are together more than ever. That’s all she ever wanted,” Chavis said.
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