San Antonio families gathered at University Methodist Church to honor loved ones lost to violence on the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims.
SAN ANTONIO — Heartbreak and resilience filled University Methodist Church on De Zavala Road as San Antonio families came together publicly to remember loved ones lost to violence during the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims.
The San Antonio chapter of Parents of Murdered Children has hosted the annual service for 30 years. Organizers say it helps families understand the ripple effect of homicide—a crime that impacts far more than the immediate family.
“We gather together and support each other and honor our children and celebrate their lives,” said Lori Rocha, who lost her son Aaron in a road rage incident in 2016. “Just love on each other and be together as a community.”
A Circle of Support
About 20 mothers stay connected through a group chat, offering strength when grief feels unbearable. “We have a group, we have a text—it’s not just today,” Rocha said. “You can talk more knowing that other person knows exactly what you’re feeling rather than someone who hasn’t experienced it.”
Candles symbolizing grief, courage, memories, love and hope were lit as parents leaned on one another. “We will go to court with you if you need anybody to go to court with you,” said Anne Garza, whose daughter Lori Anne Forrest was shot and killed at a house party in 1989. “We will stand by you and we will walk with you through this grief journey.”
Stories of Loss
Anne Garza’s only child, 19-year-old Lori Anne Forrest, was a member of the first graduating class at Health Careers High School and in her third semester at San Antonio College when she was murdered by a 16-year-old girl. Lori Anne once dreamed of becoming a doctor and later a lawyer, and often brought homeless teens home to sleep in the family’s living room.
“She was just a lot of fun with a quick sense of humor… she would have given the shirt off her back,” Garza said. “If I can help just one person out of this group, I want to be here for them because it’s a hard road to travel.” Forrest’s killer was paroled in 2019 and will remain on parole until 2075.
Lori Rocha’s son, Aaron, was a passenger in a car when a road-rage shooter killed him two days after Thanksgiving 2016. “It’s been nine years in November. No tips, no clues, no nothing. Crickets. That’s what we’ve got,” Rocha said. She added that this time of year always brings back a rush of emotions.
Stephanie Solis is new to the group. Her son, Ethan Martinez, was shot and killed on Dec. 30, 2023, at their Northwest Side apartment complex after meeting girls outside to sell vape cartridges. “Everybody always looks at me and tells me, ‘You’re so strong,’” Solis said. “But there’s days where I feel the weakest… [The suspects] still message me, telling me he got what he deserved. Just leave me alone—you already took my baby!”
Solis says she has turned to fitness and given up alcohol to cope.
For Ana Maria Carpio, the day carried extra weight: it would have been her son Sebastian’s 23rd birthday. Sebastian was shot and his body set on fire in September 2020 after leaving for a bike ride and never returning. “For the past five years, I have dedicated my life,” she said. “I was a banker, I put my career at a halt to dedicate fully to finding each and every single one of these offenders.”
Push for Justice
San Antonio police detectives and Bexar County Sheriff’s deputies joined the service to show support. A second investigator was recently added to the county’s cold-case unit, which is using new technology to recover evidence once out of reach. “Your family member, your child is never forgotten with us,” an said Bexar County cold case investigator, Rubin Arevalos, adding that it is only a matter of time before suspects in these unsolved murders are caught.
Despite the pain, the families say they’ve become a tight-knit community. “We have definitely become a family,” said Garza. “We don’t want anybody else to experience it or know this pain, but if someone does, we invite them to reach out and come to our meetings.”
For these parents, healing is a long and difficult journey—but together, they refuse to walk it alone.