Relatives Of Murder Victims Gather For Memorial Service At UIC Forum

(CBS) -- Hundreds of relatives of murder victims in Cook County gathered for a memorial service yesterday at the UIC Forum.

The dim auditorium was lit with hundreds of small electric candles, held by people who have lost a loved one to violence.

They gathered for the 25th annual Victim Memorial Service hosted by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.

Many wore t-shirts honoring their lost relative while staffers handed out packets of tissues.

Mary has been coming for 19 years since her mother was beaten to death and says seeing how the photo displays of victims have grown is sad... but also life-affirming.

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Dalia Ramirez sobbed as she talked about her 19-year-old son Nicholas, who was gunned down in April. She says she came to the service because she wants to do all she can to pay tribute to him.

Jackie Stevens feels as if a weight has been lifted now that the last person who killed her son and four of his friends was sentenced to life in prison on Friday. She says she'll have some peace in her life now but not closure. That, she says is something you never get when when one of your loved ones dies.

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