Linda Bowder presented her story of healing at the Beaman Home’s Angels of Hope luncheon.

WARSAW — Almost eleven years after the murder of her daughter, Linda Bowdler presented her story of healing at the Beaman Home’s Angels of Hope luncheon held yesterday, April 18.

Lisa Mora was murdered on May 23, 2007, by her husband as her two children and mother watched. The husband, Omar Mora also killed Harpal Singh at a local gas station before disappearing. Omar Mora has never been located but is believed to be in Mexico.

For the last ten years, Bowdler has raised Lisa’s two sons Jovan and Adrian as they adjusted to living without their mother or father. Adrian started the event by performing a solo on his flute in dedication of his mother’s memory.

Bowdler described her daughter as an amazing piano player and lover of animals. Lisa was a Warsaw High School graduate and went on to earn a degree in social work from Goshen College. It was while at Goshen College that Lisa first met Omar. For several years they were married, bought a house and raised their children until shortly before the murder things started to change.

“She confided in my sister, her aunt, that she was struggling with her husband’s unfaithfulness and abusiveness,” shared Bowdler.

Omar quickly became visibly obsessive and possessive of Lisa as he would wait outside her workplace at night, wouldn’t let her be alone with family members and even abused her in front of the children. Despite counseling and efforts to save the marriage, Omar tragically took Lisa’s life.

Bowdler vividly remembers that night and shared how she was at the house to pick up one of her grandsons for bible study. Upon arrival, Lisa told her mother that Omar had shown up in a frenzy, broken all the cellphones and taken all the car keys. Bowdler and Lisa started to quickly gather the boys so they could all leave.

“While we were gathering together in the interior hallway that led to the back bedrooms, there were gunshots fired through the door and the door was busted open by Omar,” recalled Bowdler. “Lisa stopped at the end of the hallway in order to avoid him coming nearer to the boys, she had already taken two bullets we found out later. I remember this as clear as if it was today, that she knelt down at the end of the hall and said in a very controlled voice, ‘Omar please do not kill me, please do not take my life.’ At that time he put the gun at her head and fired.”

In the days, months and years after the murder, the family’s love, faith and the community came together to help pick up the pieces of their lives. She read a few journal entries to help describe the long healing process the family has gone through.

“There’s a need for a voice to speak for the invisible victims of domestic violence,” ended Bowdler

Executive Director Tracie Hodson then spoke about the services provided and the needs of the Beaman Home. Last year, the shelter provided 6,000 emergency stays to 196 victims in the community. In additional, the shelter provides outreach programs, children programs, workshops and classes to those who need help.

To provide all that support, it takes nearly $1 million to run the shelter each year. Thirty percent of that money is raised through the community. There are a variety of different ways to donate online. In addition, a new Lisa Bowdler Angel Society giving opportunity is available in the form of a monthly donation to the shelter.