Jackson Free Press

When Linda Francomb's daughter, Heather Spencer, was brutally murdered by her boyfriend Sept. 11, 2007, Francomb could have chosen to spend her days wallowing in grief; no one could have blamed her. Instead, the tragedy galvanized her to get busy, doing what she could to save other women from her daughter's fate.

"It's hard to believe it was two years last month," Francomb said in early October

In memory of Spencer, she and a small group of family and friends formed Heather's T.R.E.E., a non-profit organization dedicated to providing training resources, education and empowerment to the victims of domestic violence and to their supporters. A year after the tragedy, Francomb and the organization raised more than $10,000 for the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence with the inaugural "Soulshine" Memorial Concert in Jackson.

Hoping to equal or exceed that amount this year, the second annual "Soulshine" event kicks off at 7 p.m. tomorrow night, Oct. 17, at Hal & Mal's on Commerce Street. The event features food from local area restaurants, a silent auction, T-shirts for sale and a line-up of musical talent, including The Patrick Harkins Band, Shadz of Gray, Brad Biard, Dave Gatlin, Passenger Jones, Georgia Thomas and from California, Rally for One. For more information, see "Honoring Heather."

For background on the Heather Spencer case, read last week's cover story, "Did She Have to Die?" and "Lessons of Spencer's Death."