Recommended: Telling Amy's Story

I continue to see stories in the news about the powerful documentary Telling Amy’s Story. Narrated by Mariska Hargitay, Telling Amy’s Story chronicles the story of Amy Homan-McGee, 33, who was murdered by her estranged husband, Vincent McGee, in State College, Pennsylvania, on November 8, 2001. Amy had returned to the home she once shared with her husband to retrieve some personal belongings. As her mother and two young boys waited in the car, McGee fatally shot her after she entered the home. He is spending his life in prison with no chance of parole for his crime.

Telling Amy’s Story, which is 60 minutes long, is used by advocates across the country to enhance awareness of domestic violence and also by many law enforcement agencies for training purposes.

Those telling Amy’s story include her parents, her co-workers, law enforcement officers, and court personnel all sharing their perspectives on what happened to Amy in the weeks, months, and years leading up to her death. Amy’s story demonstrates the power of hindsight. What is seen in so many domestic homicides, which is often called a “preventable crime”, is that after a tragedy occurs various people come out of the woodwork with singular stories that, when put together, clearly demonstrate the danger the victim was in. In short, this documentary provides a much greater understanding of the dangers of domestic violence.

Telling Amy’s Story was produced by Penn State Public Broadcasting and sponsored by Verizon Foundation. Amy was a graduate of Penn State and was also an employee of Verizon Wireless. To find out more about Telling Amy's Story, visit Penn State’s website page at Penn State's Telling Amy's Story page or their Facebook page. View the Documentary trailer on YouTube.