Janine Latus had recently left an abusive marriage and was attending a conference when she learned that her youngest sister, Amy, was missing. In April 2002, Amy had taped a note to the inside of her desk drawer. “Today Ron Ball and I are romantically involved,” it read, “but I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways. Based on his criminal past, writing this out just seems like the smart thing to do. If I am missing or dead this obviously has not protected me…”. Two years later, Amy’s former boyfriend Ron Ball was sentenced for her murder.
These experiences led Latus to launch a campaign against relationship violence, and today she is a widely sought-after teacher, author, and speaker who regularly conducts workshops for clients in the corporate, educational, and military sectors, as well as professional athletics. Her talks have inspired thousands of people to recognize relationship abuse, break free, and heal.
Dr. Lana Whited, professor of English and director of the Boone Honors Program at Ferrum College, describes Latus’s previous visit to the Ferrum campus: “I have seldom heard the undergraduate students on our campus quieter than when Janine Latus was speaking to them. Janine is generous with her time and talents and unwavering in her crusade to spare others what she and her sister Amy endured. Her message resonates long after she has gone.”
Visit Latus’s website to read the first chapter of “If I Am Missing or Dead” or to listen to Latus’s 2017 Tedx talk.
Latus’s appearance at Ferrum College is sponsored by the Office of Student Life, the Boone Honors Program, Stanley Library, and the campus chapter of Help Save the Next Girl.
Event details submitted by Dr. Lana Whited.
