UPDATE: Ashlyn's family has released the following statement:
"A monster has taken away the life of our little girl in a crime as senseless as it was evil. Our hearts are broken and our lives are forever changed due to the despicable acts of another person. In just a few senseless and selfish minutes, a life of an amazing, fun loving young woman was taken, one who had a passion for being the voice of those who could not speak out for themselves. And a gift for working with those who have special needs. The lives of her friends and family are permanently altered. No time can fill the emptiness we feel, and the hole it has left in our hearts. We ask for privacy as we grieve and mourn our loss."
The family has a GoFundMe account created to assist with funeral and memorial expenses, which can be found here.
Original story:
LAYTON, Utah – The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition is giving a voice to the victim of a brutal murder.
Layton Police say 25-year-old Ashlyn Black was killed early Sunday morning by a man she recently met on the Tinder dating app.
The coalition believes several social media posts are unfairly placing blame on the victim.
“Everybody is impacted by these horrific acts,” said Liz Sollis with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition. “Thinking about how horrific that had to be for that victim. Then, also for their loved ones who have to learn about it is tragic.”
Sollis believes placing the blame on the wrong person does little to solve the problem and end the cycle of dating violence.
“It could be prevented by abusive behavior not being permitted and people finding healthier ways to deal with their emotions,” Sollis said. “We need to look at that and see how we can better prepare men, and everybody, to treat people better in society and to not respond with violence.”
Advocates for victims hope more can be done to prevent these violent acts from happening in the future. That outreach begins by sending a message that violence will never be tolerated.
“The most important thing is teaching what’s healthy in a relationship. One thing that is not healthy is violence. Consent is healthy. Kindness is healthy,” Sollis said. “It’s absolutely horrible. We are all fighting so hard to stay alive right now. It’s horrible this individual felt he had the right to take someone else’s life.”
Anyone who in a violent relationship is urged seek help. The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition can be reached at 1-800-897-LINK (5465) or udvc.org.
Those resources can also help people having thoughts of committing violent acts.
