Grieving mother gets much-needed hug from stranger after son dies in her backyard

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ/Gray News) - Two women in Virginia have forged an unlikely friendship rooted in shared grief following a murder.

Dominique Turner and Brittany Rivers shared a long embrace that seemed like the reunion of longtime friends. However, they were meeting for the first time, united by a heartbreaking bond.

“I just couldn’t wait to hug her and tell her I loved her, because she cared,” Rivers said.

For Turner, the moment meant so much more than words could explain. Last September, her son Deonteiz Turner took his last breath in Rivers’ backyard.

“It was horrific,” Rivers said. “You lost a child that day, and it kind of got, I don’t want to say forgotten about, but you don’t hear about it anymore.”

Roanoke police found 24-year-old Deonteiz dead in his car last September. Officers say he was shot while driving near the intersection before crashing into a backyard shed.

“It’s not fair,” Turner said. “He has a daughter who is growing up without her daddy.”

To honor her son on the first anniversary of his death, Turner left flowers near the spot where he died, carefully avoiding the shed to respect Rivers’ property.

When Rivers discovered the flowers, she moved them near the shed.

“I didn’t even know his name. I’m grieving for someone’s child that I didn’t even know,” Rivers said.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she posted on social media to find Turner, hoping to offer her condolences and support.

“I was like I can at least reach out and let her know my condolences and she could visit anytime,” Rivers said.

Now, after a year of mourning, the two families are coming together. They plan to clean up the area and create a memorial for Deonteiz.

“Hopefully, this can bring her some type of closure,” Rivers said. “Just to have a space to come talk to him.”

With renewed focus on Deonteiz’s murder, Turner is urging the community to assist in finding those responsible.

“This is Roanoke. Everybody knows everything. Nobody’s speaking up. People are talking amongst themselves, but not to the police,” Turner said.

As Turner awaits justice, she finds solace in her newfound friendship with Rivers, a connection that has brought her closer to her son’s memory and has given her hope.

“There are still good people in this world. I didn’t think anyone cared, but she proved me wrong. She actually cares,” Turner said.

Anyone with more information on what happened that day has been urged to contact Roanoke police detective Terwilliger at 540-853-2711.

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