Family of Citrus County woman share what led to her death
CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. - To Hope Yates and James MacDonald, Jamie MacDonald will always be "Mom."
"I really want everyone to know how loved she was," said Hope Yates. "She was a good mom."
The memories will always overpower the reality they've been confronted with over the last few weeks, that desperation for drugs had led her to people like Luequita and Duane Sclesky.
"That news conference is really what made it seem real to me," said Jamie.
Courtesy: Citrus County Sheriff's Office
On Monday, the sheriffs of Citrus and Hernando Counties announced that Jamie and a man named Kenneth Zickendrath had been killed by Duane and Luequita, who then used stolen information to access their bank accounts.
"They did not deserve to die that way," Citrus Sheriff Mike Prendergast said.
The sheriff said Jamie and Kenneth had been living a "high risk lifestyle."
Her family wants to say more.
"I don't want her to be remembered for only the last few years of her life," said Hope Yates.
Until six years ago, a dependence on prescription drugs from a back injury hadn't taken hold. She was a foster mom, an animal lover, and an example of hope.
"All the special things she could do when we were little," said Yates. "She just made all the holidays so special, and just do sweet things for us. I try to now, to do with my kids, and I'll keep her alive that way."
Family tried to intervene in numerous ways.
"Eventually, if you are around those people, you kind of get sucked in sooner or later," said James MacDonald.
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They're now faced with the prospect of a lengthy court process. Both suspects face charges of fraud and premeditated murder or accessory to it.
"I hope they get the death penalty or they're locked up for their whole lives," said Yates. "They're angry with them. And I hope that I'm able to speak to them at the trial."
Deputies have said that Duane's violent temper led him to kill both Jamie and Kenneth.
Kenneth was considered a transient and his family may not have realized he was ever missing.
His body was in a wooded area of Hernando County for potentially a year.
Jamie's body was found in a creek in Homosassa several weeks after she was reported missing.
A remembrance ceremony will be held for her on Thursday, June 20 at 4 p.m. at Marker 8, 1420 Bayshore Blvd.