Editor's note: Fifteenth in a series of stories on the people, places and events that made news in the region in 2008. To read previously published newsmaker articles, see record-eagle.com/newsmakers.
TRAVERSE CITY -- Donna Hart still struggles.
Former Whitewater Township resident Justin Stair was convicted in January of first-degree murder in the death of Hart's daughter, Dawnette Harrell. The time since hasn't been easy for Hart, though she vows to be strong.
"Because of the senselessness of the whole thing, it's harder for me to accept. I haven't found closure yet, I just feel stuck in a bad spot," Hart said. "But I will become unstuck. I will move on."
Stair is serving a life sentence at the Oaks Correctional Facility in Manistee, and Hart said she checks on a daily basis to make sure he remains incarcerated. Her anguish is severe, and she knows the crime affected Stair's loved ones, as well.
"I think about his family and my heart goes out to them," she said. "They've lost a child, too."
It took a Grand Traverse jury about six hours to find Stair guilty after a trial that stretched more than a week. Police found Harrell's body in a shallow grave in May 2007 near the Whitewater Township home where Stair lived with his parents. She had been missing since April 2006, when authorities say Stair, 22, killed her with a .38 caliber revolver shot to the head.
Harrell, 28, was pregnant at the time of her death. Investigators found a gun along with Harrell's purse, car keys and other personal belongings above ceiling tiles in Stair's room shortly after discovering her body.
Harrell's death and the ensuing trail devastated Hart's family, but the loss also served to strengthen their bond, she said.
"We're just sticking together. No matter how far apart we are in miles, we stick together," she said. "I just feel my family's closer. We've always been close, but now we're in touch with each other."
Stair's family could not be reached for comment.
Hart this spring planted a crab apple tree in her front yard in memory of her daughter. The tree is beautiful when it blooms, she said. Her Christmas tree also has a special angel ornament in Harrell's honor.
"I try to make sure that Dawn is a part of the holidays," Hart said.
Hart said she is comforted by faith and her belief that she'll one day be reunited with her daughter. In the meantime, she'll have to deal with tough times.
"My heart is sad, part of it is gone," she said. "Things have been changed forever."
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