FRANKFORT, Ky. — Each passing day, a Louisville mother recalls the memories of her daughter who was killed by an ex-boyfriend. But through the tragedy came action, the creation of an automated victim notification system.
"I don't think you ever get over it, you just learn to live with it," said Pat Byron who's taking her steps to heal.
Twenty-eight years have passed since an ex-boyfriend killed Byron's daughter, Mary.
"Just going on with life, not letting him control my life even though he took my daughter," Pat said.
Pat describes her daughter Mary.
"She was a sweet energetic loved animals, love your family happy young woman who was just starting out in life," Pat said.
According to the Mary Byron Project, in 1993, Mary was raped, assaulted, and stalked by an ex-boyfriend. He was convicted and the family thought he was behind bars. But on her 21st birthday, it turns out that he was free. Someone had posted his bail and he was released and the Byrons were unaware. Mary was shot and killed in her car.
"Her family requested the jail staff notify them upon this release, but the notification ever came," said Gov. Andy Beshear during a press conference on Monday.
The Byrons took action.
"Mary's parents, Pat and John Byron, were determined to prevent other families from experiencing this type of tragedy," Beshear said.
In 1994, Jefferson County became the first community to implement automated telephone notifications to crime victims. It’s called the Victim Information and Notification Everyday, or VINE, now used in thousands of communities across the nation.
"In 1996, Kentucky became the first state in the nation to implement vine statewide. Today VINE provides more than 10 million notifications each year across 43 states," Beshear said.
With each passing day, Pat’s conviction becomes stronger to carry on with life.
"Faith in God," Pat said.
Beshear signed a proclamation declaring Oct. as Domestic Violence Awareness month.
In 2017, a Kentucky parole board declined parole for the ex-boyfriend. He continues to serve his life sentence.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story didn't make clear that Mary Byron's boyfriend had been released on bail. The story read as if he had just been released from jail. We apologize for the error.