On the night of October 7, 2005 Steve and Donna LaDuke of Warroad, MN
received a phone call that nothing could've ever prepared them for: their 22
year-old daughter, Felicia, had been brutally murdered by her son's father
on a deserted stretch of beach in far away Hawaii. Felicia had gone with
him to ask that he rescind his application for full custody of their son,
her only child, in exchange for her relinquishment of child support. The
only thing that ended that night was Felicia's life - the custody case lived
on. Surrealistically, Donna and Steve ended up taking Felicia's place in
the fight for her son, the only grandchild they'll ever have by Felicia, a
fight against a now convicted murderer that is stretching into its third
year.
The injustice Steve and Donna faced in the justice system inspired Donna to
make a commitment to others who may find themselves adrift in a system that
protects the rights of the convicted, rather then the innocent or deceased.
In 2007, Donna discovered the Sheila Wellstone Institute and found a platform for
her advocacy and activism. Donna, a native of Stephen, MN, is a happily
married mother of 4 and is Warroad's Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
"We truly need to work together to change the system and make a difference."