I have seen the mementos and trinkets up close, examined every one, the candles, the Hello Kitty scarf tied to the utility pole. I see love for a friend, someone I never knew. Looking at the items, the flowers left by the roadside, I suspect her family members know she was loved.

Driving by the intersection of Tenth Street and Becker Drive, I feel a deep sense of anger, an urge to throw my hands up in surrender.

I have seen too many bad things happen this year. I have reported on a 2-year-old child being murdered for no other reason I believe than she was an easy target for retaliation. This is not the New Year's column I wanted to write as I think about the circumstances behind a 25-year-old girl's death, just as senseless as the murder of a 2-year-old child.

People with guns are brought up to believe this is the way to solve things now rather than by simply ignoring, I don't know, maybe a rival, maybe something else, the cops aren't saying now. I think at some point maybe they should.

Looking at the past record of one of them involved, looking at the slew of pending court dates he has, I must say, letting go all the objectivity I should have, there is no reason I can think of that he should be out on the streets.

Driving by the intersection of Tenth Street and Becker Drive, I feel a deep sense of obvious loss, a sense of nostalgia, hoping the ones left behind to cherish this girl's memory will find some way to let her spirit live on. As I noted, I didn't know her, but those who did say she touched them in many ways, gave them a positive vibe. Looking sadly at her obituary photo when it came in, she had that smile that said she was the person they say she was. Someone like that has a right to have their spirit live on so that it may touch others.

Driving by the intersection of Tenth Street and Becker Drive, I feel a sense of hope, a surprising thing to say in the wake of such a horrific event.

I watched last week as a state Highway Patrol collision reconstruction team efficiently did their jobs, under the watchful eye of an assistant district attorney. That action gave me hope as it made me realize the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, under the guidance of new Chief Chuck Hasty, is leaving nothing to chance in this investigation.

I believe anyone with a heart wants justice in this case. I believe anyone with a compassionate heart wants this justice to come from a thorough investigation, not one that is haphazardly thrown together so a headline can say: Arrest made in December 20 fatal.

That the police department is doing this investigation in a methodical way is something that should be praised, not second-guessed.

Driving by the intersection of Tenth Street and Becker Drive, I want to say that in the coming new year I hope there will be less of these matters to report, a realization that perhaps if we can swallow our anger, swallow our pride, swallow our urges to react with deadly force, we can stop what happened when a 2-year-old child was murdered and a 25-year-old girl died and her friends had to gather on that intersection to begin a process to keep her spirit alive — Lance Martin