SEE
US

Meet the team that keeps our group functioning, plans community events, and researches partnerships and organizations to support the MSL community. The committee also plans and facilitates group meetings, meets new members individually, and shares resources.

January 2018: Brittany lost her dad and stepmother in a Murder-Suicide

July 4, 2018: Sara lost her brother and his fiance in a Murder-Suicide

July 4, 2019: Sara created My Grief Connection

Sept 2019: Sara first shared her murder-suicide loss story publicly at the Strength2Thrive walkathon

June 21, 2020: Brittany published her essay, "Breaking the Silence As A Survivor of Murder-Suicide Loss" - https://www.taps.org/articles/2020/murder-suicide-loss

July 2020: Sara found Brittany's essay online

August 2020: Sara & Brittany connected for the first time via email

August 15, 2020: Sara & Brittany had their first Zoom meeting together

October 25, 2020: Sara & Brittany had a Zoom meeting to organize the first meeting for the Survivors of Murder-Suicide Loss Group

November 13, 2020: Sara & Brittany hosted the first Survivors of Murder-Suicide Loss Group meeting online via Zoom with five survivors in attendance

THEIR STORY, OUR STORY

FOUNDING MEMBERS

Brittany Noble McCarthy
article: Breaking the Silence as a Survivor of Murder-Suicide Loss

Sara Cobb
https://www.mygriefconnection.org/

BOARD MEMBERS

Mitch Maryanov is a retired carpenter who lost his parents to murder-suicide in 1990. He looks forward to meeting people with whom he can connect who may understand how this affects survivors like us. He states, "My story begins on August 10, 1990. I was called by a family friend to see why my parents had been unreachable for 2 days. I went to their house and found them in the master bedroom. My father had shot my mother then himself. From the moment I found them life was forever changed." Mitch is a member of this community’s Steering Committee and volunteers his time to helping other survivors move forward after their losses.

President

Jenna was 36 when she lost her mother in 2022 to her brother, the perpetrator, who she then lost two days later. Jenna also lost a pregnancy in the weeks following the murder-suicide. Jenna credits finding and joining the support group within the first weeks out from her loss as a major factor in her resilience.

Jenna was a doula before her losses. She has degrees in psychology, biology, and neuroscience.Jenna is now a mother, a writer, an advocate for mental health reform, and especially enjoys giving back to the survivor community. She is currently working on certification to become a coach.

Treasurer

Connie lost her former husband to his brother, who then took his own life, in July 2016 in a small Virginia town. Her two young children were seven and 10 at the time of the loss. Six years into her survivor journey, she found the MSL community. From her first meeting, she felt enriched and strengthened by hearing stories of MSL survivors who had walked a similar path.

Today, Connie is a researcher and writer, mom and cat mom, and a MSL group facilitator. She serves on the leadership team for her area's Trauma Informed Community Network, part of a Virginia-wide initiative to raise trauma awareness and build more resilient communities throughout the state.

Secretary

La Toya Bond is an acclaimed author of two #1 international best-selling books. Throughout the course of her lifetime, La Toya has won the hearts of many with her profound passion for spreading love. She is the host of "Speaking of Love Podcast", created in honor of her father who took his own life in a murder-suicide. Since the tragedy,

La Toya has become an advocate for mental health and suicide prevention. Her mission is to help save the lives of people who are struggling with mental health challenges, which often leads to suicide. To date, La Toya has recorded nearly 150 life-changing podcast episodes. On her podcast, she interviews people from all around the world with the sole intention of spreading love. As a minority woman, La Toya is nationally recognized by Black Women In Radio (BWIR) for her outstanding & influential contributions to Black radio culture and digital media around the globe.

Board Member

In 2022 Susan lost her good friend and long-time colleague (Jenna’s mom) to murder-suicide in a small town and close-knit community in Massachusetts.The event was both heart-breaking and earth-shattering to many who had known both the victim and perpetrator. The MSL Network has been created as a resource for those whose lives have been forever changed by murder-suicide whether they are relatives or friend survivors. I am one of them.

Susan began her career as an Orientation and Mobility Specialist for blind and visually impaired people after earning a MS Degree and K-12 Teaching Credential in Special Education. At age 35 she changed careers to work in advertising at several agencies in NYC before becoming VP of Creative Direct Marketing Advertising at Fidelity Investments in Boston. After retiring from advertising, Susan bought a small gallery/pottery business and focused her time volunteering for local non-profit organizations to provide marketing and advertising that helps to engage people looking for community, answers, and guidance. Susan is looking forward to contributing to broaden the awareness and messaging of MSL Network so that it reaches victims and survivors seeking support and community. She loves being a mom and grandma and still enjoys making pottery.