TO THE EDITOR:
Shannan Bowen's representation, drawn from an affidavit, of Debbie Key as a woman who had "a reputation of consuming large amounts of alcohol and leaving with people she barely knew" is both erroneous and dangerously blithe. Debbie Key was my friend and sister for years, and she was neither loose nor careless.
She was in a place that many of us found safe, fun and welcoming during a period when we developed some close friendships with people who frequented Sticks & Stones. She was doing what hundreds of people in Chapel Hill and Carrboro do at any given time - having fun with friends until closing time.
I am very concerned that the reader may think that she somehow brought her fate on herself with bad behavior.
Deb was one of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure to know. She was also cautious, making sure that she did not drive irresponsibly or walk down dark alleys. She obviously thought she was safe when she was last seen. She may have been out late, as she often was. We were insomniacs and often found ourselves talking into the night.
Something went terribly awry, resulting in her disappearance. It could have happened to anyone who, like Debbie Key, engaged in conversation with a person new to them. Her friends could give you an in-depth look at our sweet and kind friend, missing now for seven years. We miss her smiles and laughter terribly.
I offer a word of caution to those who assume that she was somehow deserving of the end to which we are sure she has come. It is easy to rationalize that "it could never happen to me" by giving justification to criminal behavior.
Debbie was not doing anything that justified harm to her. Meeting new people is what we do in classes and on Franklin Street, and violence against women is never justified - not after a few beers, not late at night, not ever.
Joy Preslar
