CINCINNATI — Twenty years later, a woman remembers the day her mom was killed, and wants to know, "Why?"
Justyce Martin was seven years old on Dec. 21, 2000, the day her pregnant mom, Cassandra Betts, was killed.
Martin said she and Betts went to pick up Tony Ringer, Betts' boyfriend at the time. When they picked Ringer up, Martin said, she remembers watching from the backseat of the car as Ringer stabbed and shot Betts.
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Martin fell asleep in the car and thought it was a dream. She woke up and thought her mom was asleep, too. She shook her mom to wake her up. Betts never woke though.
Now, as Ringer is set to be released in 2021 after serving a 21-year sentence for the murder of Betts, Martin still has questions about that night.
"I want to know why?" Martin said. "I want to tell him that you will never ruin my life anymore."
A vigil for Betts will be held Monday near the corner of Springfield Pike and Marion Road at 6:30 p.m. Martin asks that people bring candles and wear yellow, Betts' favorite color, and purple, the color of domestic violence awareness, to the vigil.
