Beach Drive murder: Neighbors invite you to vigil, walk tonight

Three days after police announced that 51-year-old Greggette Guy had been murdered (WSB coverage here), likely hours before her body was discovered in the water off north Beach Drive, neighbors are planning a vigil and walk. Just received from Judy Bentley:

Neighbors of Emma Schmitz Park and Me-Kwa-Mooks Park will gather at 7 p.m. tonight, Sunday, March 18, for a walk and vigil to remember Greggette Guy and to claim the park as a safe public space. Please join us at the north end of the park, on the waterfront side of Beach Drive at 7 p.m. Bring flashlights and candles although it will still be light at the beginning of the walk. We’ll walk the length of the park together. We’ll anyone who needs company walking home. Please join us.

We have been following up with police, but so far they have no new information to report, and continue to request any and all tips that might help them solve the mystery of who killed Ms. Guy, who is believed to have come to the area for a waterfront walk last Sunday evening. On Thursday, they published this photo of her car, found Monday at Emma Schmitz Overlook:

That’s close to where the vigil/walk will start tonight (here’s a map). In a report published Saturday, Beach Drive Blog shows why there have long been concerns in the area.

20 Replies to "Beach Drive murder: Neighbors invite you to vigil, walk tonight"

  • Dawn March 18, 2012 (10:41 am)

    “Please join us at the north end of the park. . . .”

    Which park? Me-Kwa-Mooks or Emma Schmitz?

    • WSB March 18, 2012 (10:43 am)

      I’m doublechecking but I am fairly sure that they mean the spot where both begin (except for that one house on the east side of the street), Beach & Chilberg. – TR
      .
      (edit – which as Judy points out, is actually Beach and Genesee, Chilberg starts a short distance upslope.)

  • Judy March 18, 2012 (10:55 am)

    North end of Emma Schmitz Park, at the intersection of Beach Drive and Genesee.

  • Had Enough March 18, 2012 (1:06 pm)

    We’ll have safer streets when the Police get out of the revenue collecting business. You can blame the most recent murder crisis on our city leaders and their never ending thirst for money. This is exactly what you get.

  • ws_s March 18, 2012 (1:14 pm)

    Thanks so much for organizing this. We’ll be there.

  • DTK March 18, 2012 (1:22 pm)

    Had Enough – Just another arm chair town crier, too immobilized by fear and hatred to solve anything through responsible personal action. It’s so much easier to point fingers and scream for justice, as long as somebody else performs the difficult task.

  • Diane March 18, 2012 (1:43 pm)

    what a great idea Judy; love it

  • KD March 18, 2012 (1:45 pm)

    Had Enough: the only one to blame is the murderer AND whoever & whatever circumstances raised & influenced them. Join the politicians & citizen groups if you want movement.

    • WSB March 18, 2012 (1:55 pm)

      Speaking of which, in addition to tonight’s event, a reminder that Tuesday night is the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct. For all the interest in and concern about crime, I always feel like it should be a full house … and it’s not. It’s not that the group itself and its leaders are activists making things happen. They are facilitators. Because they care enough to keep it going, there is a time and place each month for interested people to come to the precinct and hear directly from local police about the latest trends – and most important of all, to voice concerns and ask questions. You may not get a solution. You may not even like the answer. But short of waving down a passing officer, it’s your best chance to say look, this is happening in my neighborhood, what can/should I do about it, what are you doing about it? The meeting room faces the parking lot alongside Webster, west of Delridge. The police briefing is usually right at the start of the agenda and if you don’t care about the rest of the program (this time, I believe a guest will be speaking about insurance-fraud crime), you can even leave and head back home. Just a reminder … And there’s the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network, not only for blockwatch captains, usually toward the end of the month, watch for their agenda and announcements here: http://wsblockwatchnet.wordpress.com
      .
      TR

  • ILoveWestSeattle March 18, 2012 (2:52 pm)

    YES!!!
    That is why murders occur! The damn cops are out there enforcing stupid traffic laws and writing tickets for speeding, reckless driving, impaired driving, etc.
    Sheeeesh…I’m nearly speechless.

  • Goofballs March 18, 2012 (3:03 pm)

    Very very sad, my thoughts go out to the family.

    “There’s two kinds of people in this world when you boil it all down. You got your talkers and you got your doers. Most people are just talkers, all they do is talk. But when it is all said and done, it’s the doers that change this world. And when they do that, they change us, and that’s why we never forget them. So which one are you? Do you just talk about it, or do you stand up and do something about it? Because believe you me, all the rest of it is just coffee house bullsh*t.”

  • kate March 18, 2012 (3:05 pm)

    Nobody can prevent murders; they’ve been happening since the beginning of time. Why waste your time trying to blame an institution?

  • KD March 18, 2012 (3:25 pm)

    @ Judy; I don’t know you, but you and the others helping organize are ‘Doers’ Thankyou.

  • puzzled March 18, 2012 (5:14 pm)

    Why again is this not on the news? A 17 yr old was killed with her known attacker caught, yet this case is hardly mentioned?! Do the police know more than they are saying?

    • WSB March 18, 2012 (5:49 pm)

      Puzzled, you won’t often catch me spiritedly defending my former colleagues in traditional news media, but it IS/HAS BEEN on “the news.” Monday, we and KIRO TV were the only media organizations who went to the scene when the body was found; KING had video from its helicopter. We checked a couple times a day after that and police would say no more than describing the death as “suspicious,” but then on Thursday, when they announced it was ruled a murder, I saw stories on all 4 regional TV stations, and there was some mention on a few print outlets. Since then – there has been nothing new to report until today. If this vigil hadn’t been organized and announced this morning, I would have put up a story that basically said little more than “we have been checking back but there is no new information.” I heard that one TV station interviewed a relative yesterday, but I haven’t found that story online anywhere, which is not unusual since TV stations’ web producers don’t necessarily work weekends. I will be surprised if multiple citywide crews do NOT show up for this tonight, but it depends on what else is happening in the region – Seattle TV stations are accountable by government license for covering all of Western Washington, which is 22 counties. Hope that’s a little context. – TR

  • Teresa March 18, 2012 (6:48 pm)

    Puzzled, I did see it on WA Most Wanted. I thought that was a quick response since it just happened a week ago.

  • Jennie March 18, 2012 (8:08 pm)

    I just wanted to say thank you for organizing the Vigil…we can only hope that positive energy will bring answers and peace to Greggette Guy’s murder.

  • WS Neighbor March 18, 2012 (8:25 pm)

    If Greggette had been killed by someone drunk or speeding down 35th, we would be hearing the outcry against lenient traffic cops. Most police officers are truly dedicated and put their lives on the line each and every day to stop crime. Let’s work together as a community and make sure our police are adequately funded to do what they need to do.

    • WSB March 18, 2012 (8:36 pm)

      As I note in the story about tonight’s vigil, which is still a work in progress but I am updating as I add paragraphs … detectives were there tonight, though in a very low-key way, not addressing the crowd or interrupting the walk, but speaking to people away from the crowd. Via Facebook, we also heard tonight from an Alki business owner who says police were back asking them to put up the posters asking for help. – TR

  • Ws March 18, 2012 (9:18 pm)

    Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. That pretty much sums up police work. Most people have no idea what police accomplish yet assume they sit around and give out tickets. What about all the burglary arrests lately? Short memory? They are working hard on this case I’m sure of it. I agree with WSB the meetings are a good start. And SPD needs community support right now in order to be allowed to simply DO their job without politics stopping them. This is a great way to stop blaming and start doing. Rest in Peace Greggette we won’t forget you.

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