MANCHESTER, Connecticut — A basketball game in Manchester on Tuesday night was not just about hoops, but about the life of a mother murdered at the hands of domestic violence.
“My daughter, she loved balling. That was her passion,” said Anastasia Paul’s mother, Jeanine Lavoy.
Inside the Manchester High School gym, supporters would usually be sporting red and black at the games.
On Tuesday, the color was purple for a fundraising tournament in honor of 22-year-old Anastasia Paul.
Back in July, police said Paul was strangled to death by her child’s father. Paul left behind her 1-year-old son Major.
“He goes up to his mother’s picture every single day, points and says mama. So, he really misses his mother,” said Lavoy.
This year, there have been at least seven domestic-related murders across the state. While Anastasia’s family is still grieving their loss, this domestic violence awareness month, they wanted to bring attention to this matter.
“As time goes on, it gets harder and harder, and this is something that we are never going to get over. We have her one-year-old son here. We are taking care of him, and we are just trying to do the best we can, and we are trying to support anyone else going through this too,” said her sister, Jelina Paul.
The family said proceeds from Tuesday’s tournament will go to support her baby boy. The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence was also on hand, reaching out to offer a lifeline to those who may need it.
“We just want people to know that there are services out there, that they don’t have to live in fear. That love shouldn’t hurt,” said Meghan Scanlon with CCDAV.
Her family said while they can’t bring back Anastasia, they can make sure her son has a good life.
“I think the focus now is on her son and what we can do in order to make his life the best that it possibly can be and make sure that this instance doesn’t define his entire life,” said Scanlon.
People showed up, doing it for Major.
“It just shows how much people loved my daughter. She had a good spirit. Everyone loved her,” said Lavoy.
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DeAndria Turner is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. She can be reached at dturner@fox61.com.
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