The 1993 tragic murder of their daughter, Mary, thrust Pat Byron and her husband, John, into advocacy work for domestic violence victims.
Mary was shot and killed by the assailant who previously raped and stalked her, the very same day he was released from prison. Mary was not aware he had been set free. This flaw in the system led the Byron’s to create the Victim Information and Notification Everyday system. Known as VINE, the system calls crime victims any time there is a change in their offender’s status.
Honoring their daughter’s memory, The Mary Byron Project was established in 2000. For 8 years, Byron served as its president before her designation as president emeritus.
She has earned much recognition for her work, including the Eastern Kentucky University College of Justice and Safety Dean’s Award and the Honoring Excellent Role Models award from Today’s Woman magazine.
Byron’s husband, John, is a registered professional engineer, and served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Today, he is retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers –Louisville District.