Family of Monica Lake and children donate $10,000 to help DV victims

By Dawn Gagnon
BDN Staff

BANGOR — The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office’s efforts to help victims of domestic violence got a $10,000 boost last week.

BDN photo/Dawn Gagnon

DONATION FROM THE LAKE FAMILY — The family of Amy, Coty and Monica Lake who were killed by Steven Lake in a domestic violence murder-suicide in Dexter in June of 2011 donated $10,000 to the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office to help pay for some of the immediate needs of people trying to escape abusive environments. From left are Marcie Ouellette, a victim-witness advocate who works for the Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office, Chief Deputy William Sheehan, Sheriff Troy Morton and Candace Sabo of the Spruce Run-Womancare Alliance, which assists people affected by domestic violence in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.

The donation was made in memory of Amy Lake and her two children, Coty and Monica, who were murdered by her estranged husband, Steven, in their home in June of 2011. Steven Lake then killed himself.

The presentation was particularly timely as October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Maine.

Close family friend Kelly Gay, chairman of the Amy, Cote and Monica Memorial 5K Committee, represented the family during the Oct. 17 news conference. Ralph and Linda Bagley of Harmony, who are Amy Lake’s parents and the children’s grandparents, were on hand but opted not to speak at that time.

Gay said the group puts on an event each year in their honor to raise money to “save lives of people who are in the same situation.”

Candace Sabo of the Spruce Run-Womancare Alliance, which serves people affected by domestic violence in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties, said the funds will help pay for stays at motels or hotels, gas cards, 9-1-1 cell phones and other things “that often are huge barriers for victims” trying to escape domestic violence.

Having access to those things provide time for victims to piece together short-term and long-range safety plans, she said.

Penobscot County Sheriff Troy Morton said the funds will be put to good use.

“We are so appreciative of the donation today on behalf of Amy and her children and what that impact [it will have] to help deputies to help other victims,” Morton said when he accepted the gift.

“We want to make sure that we don’t let this story settle,” Morton said.

“It has had a tremendous impact and although we can’t bring Amy and the kids back, their memory and what they have done for domestic violence training and changing legislation is enormous,” he said.

Morton said that thanks to recent legislation aimed at improving victim safety, additional training, the implementation of the Ontario Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment, or ODARA, and the use of pretrial services that include electronic monitoring, police officers are better prepared today to respond to the needs of domestic violence victims.