Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 6-8-18

Features
Given Multiple Life Sentences, Man Shares His Story After 2 Years Of Freedom
Woman Who Jumped To Her Death Identified
MS. DIAMOND COPELAND
Investigators with the Florida Highway Patrol have identified a young suicide vic- tim. She jumped to her death off of Interstate 4 at U. S. 92 (Hillsborough Avenue).
She has been identified as 23-year-old Diamond Copeland, of Tampa.
According to a spokesman for the Florida Highway Pa- trol, at 1:30 p.m., troopers re- sponded to a suicide on westbound Interstate 4 at U. S. Highway 92 (Hillsborough Avenue). Investigators said an African American woman between the age of 16 and 25 years of age was observed sit- ting on the U. S. 92 Overpass with her feet dangling over the side.
The young woman report- edly jumped from the Over- pass and suffered fatal injuries. It was also deter- mined that she had been struck by a tractor trailer after landing on Interstate 4.
During attempts to locate her, investigators learned that the family of Ms.
JANE DOE SKETCH Copeland had reported her
missing Monday. They told police that she had left her residence without her cell phone or house keys and had not returned.
Prior to having identified Ms. Copeland, the Florida Highway Patrol had released a composite sketch and a photograph of the clothing she was wearing.
A spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol said, “Troopers have identified the deceased individual as a 23- year-old Tampa resident after family members listed her as missing with the Hills- borough County Sheriff’s Of- fice late on Monday evening and reports were consoli- dated throughout the day. Troopers notified family members this (Tuesday) af- ternoon and confirmed the identification.
“The FHP sincerely thanks and appreciates all members of the public who attempted to assist with the identifica- tion of the young woman.”
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
He has been a free man for 26 months.
It was about this time last year that the Sentinel told the story of Talmedge Hayes and the lessons he learned being incarcerated as a teen for 27 years. He is now 46 years old and spends a great deal of time talking with teens and young adults, shar- ing his story to keep them from making those same mistakes.
Hayes also goes to a lot of conferences on behalf of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). It was this non-profit organ- ization located in Mont- gomery, AL, led by Bryan Stevenson, an attorney and Executive Director of EJI, the organization that assisted Hayes’ release from prison.
According to its website, the Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnera- ble people in American soci- ety.
Talmedge Hayes wears this tee-shirt often to share this phrase: “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”
A Tampa native whose roots were in the Robles Park community, Hayes is now gainfully employed in Palm Beach County.
He was in Tampa in late May to speak with some of the clients at Abe Brown Ministries. He followed that by a few days stay in Albany, GA for a family reunion (“to meet family I have never met”) before heading back to Palm Beach County.
Being a role model, he is
often in demand to share with inmates, and even po- tential employers, who he encourages to give ex-offend- ers a second chance.
Hayes is proud of the fact that he was in Montgomery when the National Memorial for Peace and Justice opened this year on April 26th. He was overwhelmed by what he learned and saw at the mu- seum, especially the Lynch- ing Museum. Each state in the United States has a dis- play that shows the names of Blacks who had been lynched between 1877 and 1950.
He was also able to meet and talk with several national figures, the likes of Jesse Jackson, Ben Crump, and Danny Glover; and enjoy the concerts performed by national recording artists – Usher, Alabama State Uni- versity Choir, Tasha Cobb and Common and many others.
Later this year, Hayes is slated to do a break-out ses- sion for a seminar in Palm Beach County. On a regular basis, he is involved with Ricky Aiken and the In- nercity Innovators. He is also slated to be in New York later in the year for EJI fundraiser.
FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A