The Silent Witness Silhouette Project is a collaboration between families, advocacy agencies, and survivors to tell the story of real Kansans who were victims of sexual and domestic violence.

What are you looking at in the exhibit: The Silent Witness Silhouettes are life-sized displays with silhouette images of a person. Each Silhouette represents the story of a Kansas victim who lost their life to sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking. They were members of their Kansas communities and someone’s family, friend, or co-worker.

In the first version prior to 2025, each silhouette represented a victim with some detail about their story while still respecting who they were. When people visited the exhibit, they learn about the stories behind the statistics. Much more than the familiar “one victim of domestic violence every 11 minutes” that we felt left behind these were people whose loss is felt deeply by their communities. The Silent Witnesses with each of their stories gives you the opportunity recognize how domestic and sexual violence happens to all age groups, genders, racial and social demographics, and that we all know someone as a friend or a coworker or family member that has experienced violence. For years the Silent Witnesses have given us a way to connect with these stories while we learn about what can be done to end the violence.

Their stories also remind us that this violence may occur when victims try to protect their families or merely live their lives but quite often, it is at the very point they attempt to leave their abusers.

In 2025, KCSDV undertook a multi-year project to update the Silent Witness Exhibit.

This effort, with support of Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas, presents each story with new visual story telling that places the victim in their community, highlighting their life and their story and reinforcing the loss we feel when someone is taken from us by domestic
or sexual violence.

Our hope is that now is you learn about each story, you are able to better connect them to their life and not just the act of violence that took them from us. KCSDV will continue to update each Silent Witness over the coming years and add new Silent Witnesses in careful consideration with programs, families, and Kansas communities.

Alicia, 14 years old – Barton Co. KS: Alicia was about to begin her freshman year in high school. She loved cheerleading and spending time with her family and friends. The weekend before school was to start, she was lured out of her home by a 36 year old acquaintance who had been pursuing her for several weeks through text messages. Thinking she was going to a party, she was instead taken to an asphalt plant where she was killed. Her body was found three days later, her face covered in duct tape and her body burned beyond recognition. Her killer was convicted of capital murder and three underlying sex crimes: two forms of sodomy and attempted rape.  August 21, 2010

Olivia, 20 years old – Leavenworth, KS: Olivia escaped her boyfriend’s first attempt to kill her. He placed a pipe bomb under her home, but she and her sister escaped unharmed after the bomb exploded and started a fire. Two weeks later, Olivia’s boyfriend returned with a gun and shot her in the head. Olivia was seven months pregnant and her daughter did not survive. January 22, 2008

Pearl, 85 years old – Hutchinson, KS: Pearl survived the first attack, where she was strangled unconscious and then raped inside her apartment at a retirement community. The man returned two months later, and Pearl was strangled to death. This serial rapist targeted elderly women at retirement communities throughout Reno County. He was linked to a series of profressively violent assaults in the months prior to Pearl’s murder. May 18, 2008.

Erin, 36 years old and Mazey, 3 years old – Douglas Co., KS: Erin was known for her caring and loving personality, and her daughter Mazey was growing up to be just like her. During a parental exchange of Mazey, Erin was kidnapped and shot multiple times by Mazey’s father. He then drove Mazey to another location where he shot and killed her, and then shot himself. He had a history of controlling and emotionally abusive behavior toward Erin, but had not physically abused her before. August 13, 2017.

The Uncounted Domestic Violence Victim, possibly 34 years old – Kansas: For every victim whose story of domestic violence and loss, there are tragically many more that never are recognized in the media coverage or crime stats as being victims of partner abuse. It may seem unthinkable in our current age of technology and awareness but abusers work hard and manipulate their surroundings to ensure that the story that is told turns a domestic violence death a loss recorded as an accident or “self defense.”

This Silent Witness Silhouette serves as an example of the victims that come from all backgrounds, genders, ages, and parts of Kansas. Abusers who use isolation, emotional abuse, and manipulation will always seek hide how their actions lead to theses tragic losses. We will continue to support those who seek justice and recognition for these victims.

The Uncounted Sexual Assault Victim, possibly 19 years old – Kansas: We know that for every victim of sexual violence that we have lost in Kansas, there are victims unknown to us because of stereotyping that certain men and boys can’t be victims of sexual assault. Social stigmas in communities, law enforcement, and health care will look for other justifications rather than sexual violence to explain a death. Predators have used these stigmas to their advantage when they target at risk men and boys.

Advocating for victims of sexual and domestic violence includes these victims as part of the work to prevent violence to all age groups, genders, demographics and communities. This Silent Witness Silhouette serves as an example of the victim whose story wasn’t told because of prejudice and and fear. We will continue to support those who seek justice and recognition for these victims.