Park victim remembered as smiling ‘no matter what’

On Aug. 31, Letitia Davis posted on Facebook that she was in a relationship.

The mother of four had become engaged to Marty Bell. After knowing each other for four years, the couple were planning to marry in March.

On Nov. 13, Letitia Davis wrote: “I start my new job tomorrow! Im so excited! Time to make that money!”

She had landed a job at Dean and DeLuca, Bell said, where the former production worker would be filling orders.

But on the night of Nov. 14, as the 36-year-old was walking in Fairmount Park, she was raped, beaten and set on fire.

On Saturday, she died after spending more than a week at Via Christi Hospital St. Francis. She was rushed there after the attack and was being treated for lacerations and burns to 55 percent of her body.

On Sunday evening, in a driving wind and bitterly cold rainstorm, more than 40 people gathered at the park.

They hugged, prayed and released balloons in her honor.

Some never knew her.

“I don’t know who this lady is,” Lori Burress said as she choked back tears. She is helping organize a fundraiser Dec. 7 at Kirby’s at 17th and Holyoke, she said. "Every bit of the money is going toward this lady. If someone can help us, we want to give the four kids the money.”

Burress explained there would be food trucks, artists and a silent auction at the event. She also said she was outraged by the crime.

“This is such a violent act against women, and it’s not the women who need to protect themselves,” Burress said. “It is men who need to be taught not to attack women.” Wichita police have a suspect in custody.

At Sunday’s vigil, the crowd huddled for a few minutes under the awning of the Fairmount Community Park building as the cold rain fell.

“I’d like to start out by thanking everyone for coming out to show support for our family,” said a tearful Marcie Bell, daughter of Marty Bell. “This is truly a beautiful person, and she did not deserve that. This is my way to tell her she will never be forgotten.”

Attendees signed a poster offering condolences and wrote messages on 36 balloons – signifying the number of years Ms. Davis lived.

Pastor Cynthia Wolford offered a prayer.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” Wolford said. “You promised us, God, that you would never leave us nor forsake us. We ask you to allow your comforting angels to be with this family. ... God, we want them to know that her life was not in vain. We will not forget.”

“We pray now that you will bring this community together, Lord, and that we will love our women and not harm them. That we will respect our women and not rape them. That we will lift our women up to be the queens you have destined them to be.”

City Council member Lavonta Williams said: “On behalf of the city of Wichita, we all mourn at this time. ... My prayers go out to the family, the friends, the kids. We will rally together and make sure we take care of the kids.”

Letitia Davis was born on Feb. 19, 1978, in Topeka. According to her Facebook page, she was a graduate of Shawnee Heights High School.

Her four children range in age from 8 to 14, Marcie Bell said.

Ms. Davis was a woman who liked the outdoors – walking, spending time with her kids and fishing with her fiance.

“She was a very outgoing person who was always happy and smiled no matter what,” Marcie Bell said. “She smiled no matter what. She lived for her kids.”

Bell said Sunday that she was touched to see how many people turned out for the vigil, despite the weather.

As the prayer finished, the Bells led a procession of people near the place where Letitia Davis was attacked – and released the balloons.

The wind whipped the balloons and drove the majority into a fence where bouquets of flowers had been placed as a memorial.

Except for two – a blue balloon released by Marty Bell that shot immediately into the sky and a yellow one.

“That’s her taking it,” someone in the crowd said.

“I know she is very happy and smiling down,” Marcie Bell said. “I know that.”

This story was originally published November 23, 2014 at 8:36 PM with the headline "Park victim remembered as smiling ‘no matter what’."