The following story appeared in a series of Facebook posts upon the founding of Flight to Light. It is in Sammy Jo’s memory that we pursue our mission to help others who experience domestic violence find housing security.
#SJH Part 1
We’d like to introduce Samantha, who was affectionately called “Sammi Jo” by loved ones. She is the inspiration for Flight to Light’s founding.
Sammi Jo loved being outdoors. And sports, especially baseball and football. But her favorite activities were any that involved family and togetherness.
She spent her days running a daycare, so her siblings and friends would know their precious children were in good hands.
Sammi Jo had a huge, compassionate heart, an infectious laugh, and great smile.
She is loved and missed every day.
#SJH Part 2
On September 6, 2015, Sammi Jo Hovey was in a terrible auto accident and it left her in critical condition.
Her coma lasted for 10 days and, once she regained consciousness, her loved ones were told she would never walk again. That she would never be able to care for herself again. Her injuries were just too severe.
While in rehab, though, which lasted until the end of November that same year, Sammi Jo showed everyone how capable she was. She wasn’t going to let anything stop her from a full recovery.
So with the ongoing help of family and friends, and support from a traumatic brain injury foundation, she learned to do everything again: to write, cook, do math, clean, walk, swim, work out, play Fantasy Football with family (one of her favorite hobbies!), and run a business, which was the daycare she operated with passion.
By any definition, Sammi Jo was an absolute miracle, and she knew it.
She vowed that, with her second chance, she’d be her best self. She would do and be and love as much as she possibly could.
And she didn’t ask for much in return.
Her only wish was to receive the kind of love she herself gave.
*We’d like to offer a special thanks to Sammi Jo’s mom, Gina, for sharing so many wonderful details about her with us, and for allowing us to share her story.
#SJH Part 3
Having made a miraculous recovery after the accident, Sammi Jo was healthy, happy, and hopeful for a fulfilling future when she met Frank.
By 2020 they’d been together a year, and were living in the same place, but something wasn’t quite right. That’s when she began voicing to loved ones that she might need to leave him—and when she dropped some personal belongings and her beloved dog, Jemma, into her mom’s care one October day, those intentions became Sammi Jo’s plan.
Twenty-four hours later, Daviess County Deputy Lore Parker was covering for a shift that wasn’t on her typical schedule, patrolling an area outside her routine.
Deputy Parker saw a car on the road near Jamesport, Missouri. Something told her to pay attention, so she began to follow it. When the car, driven by Frank, committed a moving violation, Deputy Parker pulled him over.
Frank quickly admitted he was drunk while the deputy observed that not only did he bear defensive wounds and signs a serious altercation had taken place, there was an unresponsive female in the passenger seat.
Sammi Jo.
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A note from page admin: The details of this, and what is to come in part 4, are public record. We will limit our sharing as a way to honor the best of Sammi Jo’s memory, and to respect her many loved ones for whom review of what happened is difficult at best. We appreciate your understanding.
We also want you to know there are viable paths from domestic violence to safety and security. If you or someone you love is living with DV, please seek help before it’s too late. Message us privately if you need help finding local resources.
#SJH Part 4
It was only because Deputy Parker was in the right place at the right time, and heeded what many believe was divine guidance, that Frank’s alleged plans to flee without seeking help for Sammi Jo’s injuries were interrupted.
That October day Sammi Jo, once again listed in critical condition but without the same fates of recovery on the horizon, was transported to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, Missouri.
She died two days later.
Gone were her dreams. Her love. Her light.
On April 21, 2022, Frank pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and 2nd degree domestic assault for which he was sentenced fifteen years and seven years, respectfully, to be served consecutively at the Missouri Department of Corrections.
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Stay tuned for our concluding installment about the story — the life — behind the inspiration for Flight to Light and its nonprofit mission to help survivors.
There are viable paths from domestic violence to safety and security. If you or someone you love is living with DV, please seek help before it’s too late. Message us privately if you need help finding local resources.
#SJH Conclusion
Sammi Jo and her story are key to Flight to Light’s formation.
Our founder, Lisa Shelman, and Sammi Jo’s mom, Gina, were childhood friends who are still in touch today. Lisa and Sammi Jo, then, overlapped from time to time through life, and her story left a mark on Lisa.
It was Lisa who, as a business owner and agent, began to wonder how a brokerage like hers could establish a nonprofit that might offer appropriate support and resources for DV survivors who are trying to get out and start over.
And here we are.
Not only is our Flight to Light team focused on helping women like Sammi Jo find a pathway to safety and security, we want to do it with the same drive and compassion Sammi Jo herself met the world with.
Rest in peace, Sammi Jo. We’ll try to do right by you, for others like you.