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Bloomingdale Rape Victim is "Everybody's Daughter"

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D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

Published: September 26, 2008

Updated: 09/26/2008 05:56 pm

APOLLO BEACH - Lutheran actors hope to uncover lots of laughs tonight and Saturday when they stage the original whodunit mystery, "The Case of the Frozen Saints," starting at 7 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church in Apollo Beach.

But behind the audience's snickers and chortles, the performance has a more serious purpose. Church members plan to donate all proceeds from the $12 ticket sales to a fund established to benefit the 18-year-old woman who was raped and beaten April 24 at the Bloomingdale Regional Library in Brandon.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a nonprofit national financial services organization for Lutherans, will then match those funds.

Chairwoman-elect of the congregation, Cheryl Zemina, said church members have a special bond with the young rape victim, who is undergoing therapy in a Sarasota rehabilitation center. Zemina's daughter, the victim and several other young women who attend the church were among a close-knit group of 15 friends, all seniors at East Bay High School. The group had planned to celebrate the victim's birthday the night she was attacked.

According to Zemina, the victim had just left her job and was stopping by the Bloomingdale Regional Library to drop off a couple of books she had checked out before meeting up with her friends to celebrate her birthday.

"The library books weren't even due yet but, that's just the kind of person she is," said Zemina, who has known the victim for years. "She never does anything wrong and she wouldn't have wanted her library books to be late."

Zemina said she thinks about the attack every day and thanks God the young woman was talking to one of her girlfriends on her cell phone at the time. She mentioned seeing a suspicious male hanging out at the library and remained on the phone as she got out of her car and opened her back car door to retrieve the library books and deposit them in the book bin.

"That's when the girl on the other end of the phone heard her scream," Zemina said. "I keep thinking that they probably wouldn't have found her in time if she hadn't been on her phone. She might not be alive today."

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies arrested Bloomingdale High School student Kendrick Morris, 16, and charged him with rape and aggravated battery. Morris remains in Orient Road Jail without bail.

Following the attack, the Rev. Jack Palzer of Calvary Lutheran provided counseling for the group of friends and hosted a prayer vigil at the church for the students and family members who united to comfort one another as the life of the young woman hung in the balance.

"I remember watching the girls fill up an entire pew," Zemina said. "They all just sat there, stunned. It had been the perfect senior year for them, and suddenly their world was shattered. They couldn't make sense of it."

Zemina said the congregation already planned to stage the play to raise money to purchase new drama equipment.

"But the congregation felt it was more important to raise money for this young woman," Zemina said.

Zemina is having plastic bracelets made in honor of the victim with the words, "Everybody's Daughter, Everybody's Friend."

She said her daughter and the other girls in the group visit the victim as much as possible and are heartened to see some progress.

"Now she can laugh and cry, and she has about 10 percent of her vision back," Zemina said. "She's still beautiful and spunky. She's defying the odds, and we remain hopeful."

Directed by Peter Farina, director of music and fine arts at Calvary Lutheran, "The Case of the Frozen Saints" stars Wendy Kinka, Fran Eckert, Chuck Fouts, Cheryl Zemina, Bruce Kasnik, Dean Henry, Kevin Chinault, Joelle Palzer and Morgan Hodge.

The $12 ticket price includes a dessert buffet following the performance. The church is located at 5309 U.S. 41, across from Mira Bay. Call (813) 645-1305.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

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