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Danielle Wilson was shot |
Danielle Wilson's mom uses the words "energetic," "caring," "loving" and "smart" to describe her.
"My daughter and my best friend," said Dawn Walsh, speaking lovingly of the 26-year-old Wilson.
Wilson graduated from James Monroe High School, and then from James Madison University in 2004, but she wanted more education so she could become a college English teacher, her mom said.
But as Wilson was in the process of applying to graduate schools in February of last year, a .45-caliber bullet through her heart ended her plans.
Wilson's death in a Henrico County apartment was called in to police as a suicide by 28-year-old Wyatt Ward Hollar, a man she had been friends with for years and had been dating for about a month, said Wilson's mother.
But, Walsh said, after an autopsy was completed and a forensic examination was conducted, police came to the conclusion that Wilson's fatal wound was not self-inflicted after all.
"No one believed it was suicide," Walsh said. "I didn't believe it was suicide."
About a year after Wilson's death, Hollar was charged with first-degree murder and using a firearm in commission of a felony.
Hollar, a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and a member of the Virginia National Guard, is scheduled for a three-day jury trial starting Oct. 21, said prosecutor Michael Feinmel.
He said the trial was originally set to take place earlier this month, but was continued at Hollar's request.
RALLYING TOGETHER
News of Wilson's reported suicide spread immediately after her death, Walsh said.
The Fredericksburg native still had numerous friends and acquaintances in the area.
Wilson's Facebook profile expresses the same qualities Walsh used to describe her daughter. Her profile picture is of her smiling, blowing kisses into the air alongside two friends.
There are posts on her wall from friends saying they miss her. One reads, in part, "You were always running on a full tank of gas and could always make me smile."
Another says this: "The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone."
Walsh said that while many know her daughter's story, she's still shocked at the number of people who never heard that police are now calling her death murder instead of suicide.
But the community's support for her family has been immense in the time since Wilson died, she said.
"We had a memorial in March to celebrate her birthday, and it was wonderful," Walsh said. "So many of her friends were there, you could see how much they loved her."
NOW, AN ONLY CHILD
One person in particular has been hit very hard, Walsh said.
Christopher Wilson was very close with his older sister. The two grew up as Walsh's only children, and were not only siblings but also friends.
"We've both been going through therapy and just coping," Walsh said. "He's taking it hard, just like me."
Walsh said going to the many hearings and waiting for the trial just prolongs the pain, but it's something she feels she needs to do--for herself and for her daughter.
"Any time [Hollar] shows up at the courthouse, I'm there," she said, adding that many of Wilson's friends have expressed interest in being there to watch the trial in October.
Now, all they can do is wait.
"I want it to be over," Walsh said. "I want closure."
Ellen Biltz: 540/374-5424
Email: ebiltz@freelancestar.com
| FEB. 11, 2007: Danielle Wilson is found dead in a Henrico County apartment. Her friend--and the apartment's owner--Wyatt Ward Hollar calls police to report the death as a suicide. FEB. 20, 2008: Hollar is indicted on charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony in Wilson's death after forensic evidence is presented to a grand jury. FEB. 28, 2008: Hollar is given bond and placed under house arrest as he awaits trial. JUNE 17, 2008: Jury trial set for this date is postponed at Hollar's request. OCT. 21, 2008: Three-day jury trial is scheduled to begin. |
