Today, visitation services will begin
for Marion County Deputy John Dm
ahead of his funeral tomorrow.
He'll be brought to the Scottish
Rite Cathedral from Crown
Hill around 9:30 this morning.
This is something Crown Hill has
been doing for the past 20 year,
helping to ensure the men and
women in law enforcement are
honored as they're laid to rest.
Our Rachel Crow shows us
part of Crown Hill's mission.
Is honoring Heroes of Public Sa.
We are there to serve and just o
whatever they need when that tie
comes. Tucked inside Crown Hill Cemetery
sits a 1 1/2 acre section dedicd
to the Heroes of Public Safety.
It was initially created in response to 911.
Then just a few days later when
Jason Baker with the Marion Couy
Sheriff's Office was shot and killed,
plans to create a lasting memorl
for the men and women killed ine
line of duty moved forward. The
community really rallied around
obviously September 11th and thn
the tragic death of Jason Baker.
His dad, Jerry, was very instrumental
in getting this monuments up
and dedicated in Crown Hill.
David. President of Crown Hill Cemetery
and Heritage Foundation says it's unique.
At the time when we established,
from what we could tell,
Crown Hill was the only cemetery
that had a section solely dedicd
to public safety officers.
Memorials to fallen officers
and law enforcement loom large
over the quiet green space.
In the past year, new additionse
sadly needed to be made with mas
for Noah Shannavez and Sierra Burton.
Written place. And just last we,
Trooper Aaron Smith laid to
rest next to his fellow heroes
in one word. It's humbling.
I mean, it means everything to .
Rick says these tragedies
are becoming all too common.
But he says when they do,
Crown Hill is proud to serve
the brave men and women who
served us all to the end.
It is an honor and a privilege
to be able to work with those,
to help them, you know,
really start the grieving
process and provide them a spac.
And an opportunity to bury
their loved one in a dignified,
honored kind of way.
Genuine, friendly, compassionat.
I'm just an all around great gu.
Colleagues are painting
a picture of John Durham.
They knew a friend and mentor.
Deputy Durham served for 38 yea.
The mark he made during
those decades is a deep one.
Countless people in the
community left notes and flowers
at his memorial this week.
Outside of the Community Justice Campus,
we saw deputies and others
stopping by to pay their respec.
He always had a smile on his fa.
If you know, if, if you work,
you know long hours in the jail,
understaffed, you would see him.
He'd have a smile.
And he would bring you up.
He'd bring your spirit up.
He left very large footsteps
for us to have to fill.
And but he also left a legacy
that we'll be able to remember
and carry on for the rest of
our careers and our lives. Now,
among the tributes left behind
was a handwritten note message
from Deputy Durham's wife,
who also works for the Marion
County Sheriff's Office.
Now, as we've mentioned,
memorial services for Deputy Dum
will begin today here in Indianapolis.
His public viewing is today at the Scottish
Rite Cathedral downtown from 2:00 to 7:00 PM.
Deputy Durham's funeral will be
held at Cambridge Fieldhouse
at 11:00 tomorrow morning.
Then a procession will escort Dy
Durham to Crown Hill Cemetery,
well where he'll be laid to res.
The route is expected to go thrh
downtown Indy and make a stop
at the Community Justice Campus.
For his final 1042,
you're invited to line the
route to honor Deputy Durham.
We have all this information right now,
plus more on Deputy Durham postd
on our website at wthr.com.
We'll also as well have full coverage
of the funeral right here on Channel 13.