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'We feel very broken': Daughters of Ellipsis worker killed in assault call for change

Kathleen Galloway-Menke died after an assault on May 8 at Ellipsis. She worked at the group home for a year.

'We feel very broken': Daughters of Ellipsis worker killed in assault call for change

Kathleen Galloway-Menke died after an assault on May 8 at Ellipsis. She worked at the group home for a year.

OF A GROUP HOME WORKER KILLED IN AN ASSAULT LAST MONTH, SAY HER DEATH COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. THAT’S RIGHT. IN THEIR FIRST INTERVIEW, THEY TALK ABOUT THE VIOLENCE THAT THEIR MOM ENDURED AT WORK AND THE LEGACY SHE LEAVES BEHIND. HER MOM SACRIFICED HER ENTIRE LIFE FOR US. SHE RAISED US ON HER OWN WERE THE TRIO. EVERYONE KNOWS THIS AS THE TRIO CHLOE WILLIAMSON AND CAMILLE MENKE SAY THEY ARE LOST WITHOUT THEIR MOM. I’M STILL IN SHOCK. I THINK THAT SHE’S GOING TO CALL OR SHE’LL WALK THROUGH THE DOORS. KATHLEEN GALLOWAY MENKE DIED LAST MONTH AFTER AN ASSAULT AT ELLIPSES, A GROUP HOME FOR TROUBLED YOUTH WHERE SHE WORKED FOR A YEAR. I JUST GOT A PHONE CALL SAYING THAT MY MOM WAS IN THE STREET AND THAT I NEEDED TO RUSH THERE. JOHNSTON POLICE ARRESTED 15 YEAR OLD JOVON MATHIS FOR SECOND DEGREE MURDER. THEY SAY THE TEEN, WHO WAS LIVING AT THE GROUP HOME SHOVED GALLOWAY MEINCKE, CAUSING HER TO HIT HER HEAD ON THE PAVEMENT. SHE REMAINED ON LIFE SUPPORT FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE SHE DIED. HER EYES WERE OPEN, BUT I FELT LIKE IT WAS. I FELT LIKE SHE COULD HEAR US. WE TALKED ABOUT MOTHER’S DAY WITH HER AND SHE STARTED TEARING UP, AND THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WE WERE SAYING, AND SHE WOULD CRACK A SMILE HERE AND THERE. SO I THINK THAT SHE WASN’T THERE, BUT HER PRESENCE OR SOMETHING WAS THERE, AND SHE COULD HEAR US AND SHE COULD FEEL US. PEOPLE LINE THE HOSPITAL HALLWAY AS GALLOWAY MEINCKE TOOK HER ON HER WALK, DONATING HER ORGANS IN A FINAL SELFLESS ACT. EVEN THOUGH SHE’S GONE LIKE SHE’S STILL HELPING PEOPLE. AND I THINK IT’S A I THINK IT’S A BEAUTIFUL THING HELPING PEOPLE WAS GALLOWA MENKE’S PASSION. SHE TOLD HER DAUGHTERS HER ROUGH CHILDHOOD SPURRED HER DESIRE TO WORK WITH TROUBLED YOUTH WHO HAD NOWHERE TO TURN. SHE JUST LOVED HELPING PEOPLE. THAT’S WHAT GAVE HER JOY IN LIFE. SHE REALLY ENJOYED GOING TO WORK FOR THE KIDS. UM, SOME DAYS WERE HARD, BUT KNOWING THAT SHE WAS THERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE KIDS, THAT IS THE REASON WHY SHE PUSHED AND SHE KEPT GOING THERE. CHLOE ALSO WORKED AT ELLIPSES BUT QUIT WEEKS BEFORE THIS ASSAULT. SHE SAYS SHE TOLD ELLIPSES THIS 15 YEAR OLD WAS VIOLENT AND DANGEROUS. THEY WOULD THREATEN THAT THEY WERE GOING TO KILL ME. I WAS THE EASIEST ONE TO KILL AND THEY HAD THREATENED MOM A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE, BEFORE THIS HAD HAPPENED AND MOM HAD TOLD US ABOUT IT. MOM HAD TOLD DIRECTORS SAYING SHE WAS SCARED. SHE WAS NERVOUS AND NOTHING WAS DONE. ELLIPSES TELLS vlog. GALLOWAY MAKES DEATH WAS AN ISOLATED AND TRAGIC OUTCOME. ELLIPSES ALSO SAYS STAFF ARE THOROUGHLY TRAINED ON DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES AND WAYS TO HANDLE A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS SAFELY AND WITH THE UTMOST CARE. THERE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE AND NOT JUST AT ELLIPSES, BUT A CHANGE WITHIN THE SYSTEM AS WELL. CHLOE AND CAMILLE PLAN TO FILE A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT, BUT FOR NOW, THEIR FOCUS IS ON REMEMBERING THEIR MOM. SHE WAS SO SILLY SHE WOULD MAKE JUST RANDOM NOISES AND JUST SING AND DANCE AROUND THE HOUSE. I MISS HER EYES. SHE HAD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EYES AND HER LAUGH. EVEN THOUGH WE WOULD MAKE FUN OF HER LAUGH. SHE HAD THE MOST CONTAGIOUS LAUGH. I’M SO SORRY THAT SOUND WILL ALWAYS ECHO IN THEIR HEARTS, NO MATTER HOW BROKEN THEY FEEL. WE HAVE OUR DAYS WHERE WE GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE GRIEF EMOTION, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR DAYS WHERE WE’RE IN SHOCK AND WE’RE IN DENIAL. BUT I DON’T THINK THERE’S ENOUGH TIME OR WORDS TO DESCRIBE OUR MOM OR HOW MUCH WE’RE GOING TO MISS HER. AND CHLOE AND CAMILLE SAY IN ADDITION TO THE EMOTIONAL TOLL THIS HAS TAKEN, THEY HAVE BEEN FINANCIALLY DEVASTATED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP THEM OUT, WE HAVE A LINK TO THEIR GOFUNDME ON OUR WEBSITE, vlog.COM AND BEN, THEIR ATTORNEY, TREVOR HOOK, SAYS HE’S INTERVIEWING WITNESSES AND PLANS TO FILE A LAWSUIT. WE ASKED ELLIPSES SEVERAL QUESTIONS FOR THIS STORY, INCLUDING HOW THEY TRAIN STAFF. THEY SAY EVERY STAFF MEMBER GOES THROUGH INTENSE TRAINING, INCLUDING CRISIS INTERVENTION. AND ALSO WE DID FILE AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST FOR ALL HHS REPORTS OF THE FACILITY. THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE SINCE THERE WAS NO MAJOR RED FLAGS REPORTED. LAURA, LET’S JUST SAY WHAT THEIR POLICY IS FOR RESPONDING TO VIOLENT THREATS BY YOUTH AT THE FACILITY. YOU KNOW, THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION. WE ASKED THAT QUESTION AND WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN A DIRECT RESPONSE. BUT MORE TO COME AS WE DIG DEEPER INTO THIS IMPORTANT STORY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO FINDING OUT
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'We feel very broken': Daughters of Ellipsis worker killed in assault call for change

Kathleen Galloway-Menke died after an assault on May 8 at Ellipsis. She worked at the group home for a year.

The daughters of a group home worker who died after an assault at Ellipsis last month say they are lost without their mother. "Our mom sacrificed her entire life for us. She raised us on her own," said Chloe Williamson. "We feel very broken. We are lost. We are missing the most important piece."Kathleen Galloway-Menke was assaulted on May 8. She died days later after being taken off life support. Johnston Police say Jovahn Mathis, 15, shoved Galloway-Menke to the ground causing brain damage. He faces second-degree murder charges."I want people to be aware of this situation, and I want people to be aware of the child welfare system and everything that goes on in there. Really take a look at it. Not just Ellipsis, but all the other facilities," said Williamson. Williamson and her younger sister, Camille Menke, say they hope change comes from their mom's death. Their attorney, Trever Hook, is in the process of interviewing witnesses and plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit. "Her whole life was about helping people," said Camille Menke. Galloway-Menke's daughters say she had a passion for helping troubled youth who had nowhere to turn. They say she often used her free time and money to help them by making crafts and cooking food. Galloway-Menke donated her organs in one final selfless act. "Even though she is gone, she is still helping people," said Williamson. The sisters say they are struggling emotionally and financially since their mom's death. Galloway-Menke often worked multiple jobs to support her family. "A lot of times she wasn't eating dinner because she needed to provide us dinner, or she would give up buying herself new clothing items so we could have new clothes," said Williamson. A GoFundMe has been set up to support the sisters. "It is a very vulnerable position and point in our life right now, but we do need help," said Williamson. Williamson says she was the first in her family to go to college because of the support from her mom. She now works as a mental health counselor and hopes to make a difference like her mom did for others. "I don't think there is enough time to describe our mom or how much we are going to miss her," said Williamson. More coverage of the Ellipsis assault

The daughters of a group home worker who died after an assault at Ellipsis last month say they are lost without their mother.

"Our mom sacrificed her entire life for us. She raised us on her own," said Chloe Williamson. "We feel very broken. We are lost. We are missing the most important piece."

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Kathleen Galloway-Menke was assaulted on May 8. She died days later after being taken off life support. Johnston Police say Jovahn Mathis, 15, shoved Galloway-Menke to the ground causing brain damage. He faces second-degree murder charges.

"I want people to be aware of this situation, and I want people to be aware of the child welfare system and everything that goes on in there. Really take a look at it. Not just Ellipsis, but all the other facilities," said Williamson.

Williamson and her younger sister, Camille Menke, say they hope change comes from their mom's death. Their attorney, Trever Hook, is in the process of interviewing witnesses and plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

"Her whole life was about helping people," said Camille Menke.

Galloway-Menke's daughters say she had a passion for helping troubled youth who had nowhere to turn. They say she often used her free time and money to help them by making crafts and cooking food.

Galloway-Menke donated her organs in one final selfless act.

"Even though she is gone, she is still helping people," said Williamson.

The sisters say they are struggling emotionally and financially since their mom's death. Galloway-Menke often worked multiple jobs to support her family.

"A lot of times she wasn't eating dinner because she needed to provide us dinner, or she would give up buying herself new clothing items so we could have new clothes," said Williamson.

A has been set up to support the sisters.

"It is a very vulnerable position and point in our life right now, but we do need help," said Williamson.

Williamson says she was the first in her family to go to college because of the support from her mom. She now works as a mental health counselor and hopes to make a difference like her mom did for others.

"I don't think there is enough time to describe our mom or how much we are going to miss her," said Williamson.

More coverage of the Ellipsis assault