Tara Colefrom front Pagecharged with aggravated assaultfor striking another homelessperson, Jessie Masters, in theface with a bottle shortly beforethey came upon Tara asleep onthe dock, Masters, 26,later jumped in the river andtried to save Tara. Afterquestioning Webber and Dotts,who admitted to the crime,police investigators say the menconfessed to driving toNashville ospecifically to harassand assault homeless persons. ?Police Chief Rona Serpas calledthe actions of the two men osickening ? and also expressedhis extreme dismay at themchoosing oto travel into ourdowntown area from othercounties to bully the homeless. ?Detective Rick Winfrey.andother investigators, according toSerpas, were determined toidentify the personsresponsible for Tara Cole Tsdeath. oI am very proud of their effortsand dedication, ? Serpas said.And although the homicide caseof Tara Cole has been solved,advocates of the homeless allover the country say that herdeath and the continuedpersecution of homeless personsall across the nation areinstigated by the negative andoffensive attitudesgenerally held about thehomeless.Clemmie Greenlee, director ofthe Nashville Homeless PowerProject, is a non-profitorganization of formerlyand presently homelessindividuals. The NHPP assistsits clients in acquiring basicservices such as food,clothing, and medical attention. oPeople feel that the homelessare on the streets because ofdrugs and alcohol, o saidGreenlee. oBut there are othersituations that put peopleoutdoors, and they are not .always in control of those kindsof circumstances. ? |Greenlee was personallyacquainted with Tara, and mostof the homeless or ostreet ?community in Nashville knewwho she was. oTara wouldalways be sitting alone byherself, and she didn Tt talk toanyone, ? said Greenlee. oShewould stay to herself, and wevery seldom saw her come in forany type ofservices. | oShe wore a blue, woolen skullcap pulled all the way down onher face to the top of her lip.And we tried to look out for her. oYou had to go where she was.When someone brought her a~ meal, they would have to just goover and sit by her for a minute.Then, you just left the foodthere, and went on down thestreet.Tara would wait until you left,and then she would begin toeat. ? According to Mrs. Cole,Tara had dreams of producingmusic, and she wanted to make adifference in the world. Sheenjoyed singing and she eventoyed around with the idea ofplaying guitar for a while. oTarawas such a beautiful person.And when she was diagnosedwith bipolar disorder, it wasdevasting, just devasting to herand all of us, ? said Mrs. Cole. oShe just couldn Tt see herselftaking medication for the rest ofher life. And so, she would stoptaking the meds. ? Mrs. Colelaments that Tara felt that herparents and her ver loving step-parents did not understandwhat she was going through. oTara felf that we were happywith the way this world isbecause we work and areprofessionally successful, ? shesaid of her daughter. o But shefound the world to be a veryhorrible place, brutal andunfeeling, and she dreamed ofmaking an impact with themusic she would someday- produce. ?Tara had been suffering withbipolar disorder for more thanten years. According toMrs.Cole, she hadbeen living in Nashville for thepast five years. oThere werefrequent hospitals stay, andwhen Tara would get out andhave her medication, she would. Teturn home. She left and went »to New York City for a timebefore going to Nashville. oAnd, ? says her mother, oshehas been arrested before, alongwith other homeless people whowould not leave the premises ofsome place where they had beenasked to leave. ? The youngwoman, killed on a pointless and-inhumane dare, would haveturned 33 on Nov. 25.Although Tara Ts parents went toNashville when they learned thatthe young woman who waspushed ff the dock was probablytheir daughter, they were sparedthe pain of having to identify theremains recovered from theriver. oIt was 12 days beforethey actually recovered Tara Tsbody. We were told that thepolice were 98% sure that it wasour daughter. And by the timethey pulled her from a barge7the body w was caught under, wehad gone back home. oTara waspositively idenitified with dentalrecords because by the time she~ was actually recovered, therewas not much left to the body. ?The grand jury in Nashvilleheard the testimony fromhomeless witnesses beforebringing charges against the twohomicide suspects. Several ofthose on the scene jumped in the .river to try and save thedrowning woman. Policesurveillance cameras were alsokey i in bringing the assailants tojustice. oSome of the men jumped inand tried to save Tara becausethey knew she couldn Tt floatwith all those heavy coats on, osaid Greenlee. oWe just criedwhen we heard the testimony ofthe young men who did this. oThe two men who rolled Tarainto the river were going backand forth saying, You do it, Tand the other would say, No,you do it. T Finally, Webbersaid, Oh f*** it, I Tll do it. T oAnd he swung around on a polenear the place where Tara waslying. He was swinging throughthe air like Tarzan or a monkey,and he worked up a hard swingaround the pole on the third tryand pushed Tara into the riverwith his feet. ? Almost sixmillion Americans reportedlysuffer with bipolar disorder. Itis also known as omanic-depressive illness. ?Some of the more destructivesymptoms are : extreme. depression, delusions, hearingvoices, and suicidalthoughts, and behavior.Paranoia often accompanies thecondition, and victims may feelthat loved onesand close friends are oout to getthem. ? How does the family ofsomeone like Tara recover fromsuch a shocking and distressingdeath ? oTt was very hard, but the Lordis helping us everday, ? saysTara Ts mother. o I-have-forgiventhe young men who did thisthing, and God will forgive themif they make a decision to followJesus Christ. oClosure came for us when wewere able to return home and_ hold a memorial service forTara, ? said Mrs. Cole. oShedied in the faith, and so, weknow that she is in the arms ofher Savior. We will see heragain one day in heaven. ?And for now, says Mrs. Cole,that is enough for those Tara leftbehind.LIFEPROPERTYAUTO.BUSINESSBOATSWORKPLACECANCERACCIDENTGreg Carter2419 South Charles St._Greenville,NC27858row needs eePhillips Brothers andAnderson Memorial Mortuary1501 W 14th Street_ Greenville.NC 27834Phillips Brothers and Anderson Memorial MortuaryWELCOMES Mr Donovan Phillips back to the people ofPitt County, Greenville and surrounding areas, "I havebeen given my second chance to offer my professionalservice to you once again through my affiliation withPhillips Brothers and Anderson Memorial Mortuary asmortician and pre-need counselor.To express my personal appreciation to those of you who have made this second chanceposssible by your kindness, a discount will be given to the first 25 customers who come inand pre-arrange their funeral with us. !We Have a newly renovated facility, an updated fleet of cars, and a most courteous andprofessional staff to serve you. We offer very reasonable prices without compormisingSETVICESSo stop by today and let us help you make your burdens lighter and take. care re of tomor- |tp danHon « oeAthan double.(and state too).A State Income Tax Deduction.Beginning in 2006, qualified taxpayers may deduct a portion of their contributionsto North Carolina's 529 plan. In 2007, the deduction allowed will moreTax-Free Earnings Continue.Congress has made a short-term tax benefit for 529 plans permanent. Your accountMore Great News about North Carolina TsNational College Savings Programearnings used for qualified college expenses will remain free from federal income taxesFor details on North Carolina's 529 plan, visitCFNC.org/Savings or call 800-600-3453. College 7Foun dationof North Carolina