Published: October 13, 2008 04:54 pm      

Teens, parents open discussion on abuse

PLAINFIELD — An intimate crowd of teens and parents gathered to hear Debbie Norris tell the story of how her daughter, Heather, became the victim of domestic violence and lost her life.

Norris’ presentation was part of Power Up, a program designed and implemented by the Teen Council of Sheltering Wings, an emergency shelter for women and children.

“It’s hard to explain how I can stand here and tell you how we lost Heather to domestic violence,” she said. “It’s hard to talk about but I feel that it’s important to be blunt. Heather was murdered.

“Murder is such an ugly word. But we all need to work together to stop this violence.”

Norris shared the story of her daughter’s life and untimely death.

“It was in her senior year of high school that she met Joshua Bean and they began dating,” she explained. “It bothered me when he didn’t want to come inside to get her. She would even often just drive herself to go meet him.”

Norris said Heather attended almost her entire freshman year at Indiana University before Bean convinced her that college was not for her and that she should come home.

“I didn’t know about the beatings until it was so bad that she couldn’t hide it anymore,” she said. “We pressed charges and she lost in court. He violated a ‘no contact’ order and nothing was done.”

When Heather was 20, Norris said, she went missing.

“She was living at home and so I reported her missing,” Norris said.

Norris, who is a civilian employee of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, didn’t think much of a police car pulling into her driveway.

“I just thought it was one of my friends,” she said.

She said she will never know why Heather agreed to see Bean again or how he talked her into meeting with him.

“I can’t remember much from that day, but I can remember my cousin who is a lieutenant on the police department holding my hands,” Norris said. “He said he wanted to tell me what happened before I heard about it in the news.”

Norris learned that Bean had murdered her daughter, burned her, and dismembered her body. He then placed pieces of her body in plastic bags and put them in dumpsters on the south side of the city.

Norris said Heather was killed on or around April 13, 2007. Bean was convicted of murder and dismembering a corpse and was sentenced to 68 years in prison.

“It was put on my heart to help people so that Heather’s voice is not silenced,” Norris said.

She started a organization called Heather’s Voice.

“If you think you are being abused — you are,” she said. “Don’t settle for that kind of relationship. There are many resources out there. Go to a friend or family member. Find someone who will listen.”

She complimented members of the Teen Council for the work they do in public schools.

“I don’t ever want one of you to know what I am feeling,” Norris said. “Believe in yourself and never doubt that you have control of your destiny.”

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Online:

www.heathersvoice.net