[KUER.org]To ease victim’s trauma, the U’s new police station has a soft interview room

In the University of Utah’s recently unveiled police station, you’ll find something new. The facility includes a “soft interview room” — a space meant to help sexual assault victims feel more comfortable reporting crimes.

The room looks like a therapist’s office, or maybe even a spa. Warm lamps illuminate teal and gray couches, draped with weighted blankets. A diffuser emits a washed out green glow on the soft, felt walls.

A painting hangs on the emerald green back wall. “A forest with purple flowers and the sun coming through on the other side of the trees, sort of relating hope through the art,” said Hilary White, the crime victim advocate coordinator for the University of Utah Police.

Until now, everyone — suspects and victims — were interviewed in the same cold, sterile room.

[brproud.com]LSU joins non-profit to change treatment of sexual assault survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) ––– College campuses across the country are no strangers to sexual assault cases, but how and where police speak to survivors greatly impacts the quality of investigations.

Thirteen percent of all college students experience some form of sexual assault, but only about thirty-one percent report an assault to the police. But reporting means police often have to interview the survivor to get the assailant off the streets.

After suffering a tragic loss, Matheson decided more needed to be done to protect survivors. “Project Beloved is a nonprofit that I founded in the aftermath of what I would describe as a parent’s worst nightmare. My daughter, Molly Jane, was raped and murdered April 10th, 2017,” Matheson explained.

[star-telegram.com]First rapist arrested under Molly Jane’s Law pleads guilty to Arlington sexual assault

A 26-year-old man pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault Wednesday and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. Jessie DeWayne Ray was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at gunpoint in an Arlington park in 2019. Ray recorded the assault on his iPhone and the video was discovered in May 2020 when Tyler police arrested him during a narcotics investigation. When Tyler police entered information from the video into an FBI database known as the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, they found it was a match for the then-unsolved Arlington case.

[fox4news.com]New law inspired by Tarrant County case helps lead to rapist's capture

FORT WORTH, Texas - A Tarrant County judge sentenced a man to 25 years in prison for a 2019 sexual assault. Prosecutors say it was a new law that helped lead to the arrest.

Molly Jane’s Law was passed after the murder of a Fort Worth woman in 2017. Just months after the new law took effect, prosecutors say it was used to track down a sexual assault suspect who pleaded guilty Wednesday. The law was both inspired by a Tarrant County case and used to prosecute a Tarrant County case. It was on a trail at Arlington’s Canyon Park where a man, later identified as Jessie Dewayne Ray, attacked.

[lsu.edu]LSU POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRST IN THE SEC TO IMPLEMENT “SOFT INTERVIEW ROOM”

The LSU Police Department is the first in the SEC to implement a Project Beloved “soft interview room” for victims of trauma or sexual violence. The new room features comfortable lighting, furniture, weighted blankets and items that are intended to help survivors talk to police about what happened.

[abcactionnews.com]One mom’s mission to support sexual assault victims during investigations

Molly was more than a daughter to Tracy Matheson. The two were more like best friends.

“It’s like she’s my right hand. I could count on her for anything,” Matheson recalled.

Matheson remembers Molly’s humor and kindness and how she believed in the good in people. But it was evil that took her daughter’s life. At 22, Molly was assaulted and killed by a man who was accused of prior attacks and even left DNA evidence behind.

[nbcnews.com/dateline]Watch the Dateline episode "Wreckage" now

Our story begins with 22-year-old Molly Matheson.

In 2017, Molly was working part-time at a lingerie store in Fort Worth, Texas, where she was the model employee.

But on Monday, April 10, 2017, Molly Matheson was late for work. A couple of hours into Molly’s shift, her boss began to worry. This wasn’t like Molly at all.

So she called Molly’s emergency contact. Her mother, Tracy, answered the phone.

Tracy quickly drove to Molly’s apartment, already feeling frantic.

And when she entered Molly’s bathroom, she found her daughter on the floor of the shower.

Molly was crumpled over, not moving.

[fox4news.com]New documentary tells story of change after tragedy

TCU students debut a new documentary about protections for survivors of sexual assault that came after the rape and murder of a college student from Fort Worth, Molly Matheson. Molly's mother, Tracy, and TCU film instructor, Charity Robinson, joined Good Day to talk about the film "Beloved." Tracy also started a charity in Fort Worth to help survivors of sexual assault.

[mydakotan.com]Helping Victims of Assault in Minot

MINOT – The Minot Police Department recently changed the structure of its interview rooms for sexual assault victims, to make it more comfortable for the victims being interviewed.

Kristin Guerton, detective in the investigations division for the Minot PD, said she heard of an organization called Project Beloved: The Molly Jane Mission at a conference she attended in 2019.

Tracy Matheson of Fort Worth, Texas, and founder of Project Beloved, said the non-profit does several methods of outreach including what she calls the Beloved Bundles.

[kxnet.com]Soft room at Minot PD aims to make survivors feel safe

MINOT, N.D. (KXNET) — According to RAINN, every 68 seconds, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted.

Project Beloved aims to educate people about sexual assault and advocate for survivors.

One of their larger initiatives is partnering with law enforcement agencies to make what they call, “soft interview rooms.”

[valawyersweekly.com]New interview room designed to empower survivors

CHARLOTTESVILLE (AP) Carefully chosen artwork, comfortable chairs, blankets and essential oils help ease harsh memories.

A new ‘soft interview room’ at the Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office is designed to make a more comfortable place for victims to recall and discuss the traumatic events they’ve been through as prosecutors and police prepare criminal court cases.

The Charlottesville room is the most recent of 48 created and installed across the country by Project Beloved, a Texas-based nonprofit that advocates, educates and collaborates with criminal justice officials to help victims, especially sexual assault survivors, tell their stories.

[dailyprogress.com]Opinion/Editorial: Helping others is often the best way through loss

Anyone who has suffered the horrific loss of a loved one know how hard it is to deal with the alchemy of emotions. Anger competes with despair to fuel a sense of futility. The suffering of the person who died crushes the spirit. The permanence of death haunts the future.

[podcasts.apple.com] EP 02 | Beloved - The Molly Jane Story, Part 2

In this episode of Everstory, Tracy describes how God began inspiring her to mobilize her experience and boundless energy to help lessen the trauma shared by other victims of sexual assault. Along the way, Tracy has been empowered by Jesus to spread an undeniable light over victims of assault and abuse. This story is about a lot of things, but at its core, it’s a story about how God uses us in times of crisis. Some of us are called to do a little. But others are called to bear the load. In her mission to ensure that all victims are heard, believed, and beloved, Tracy has accepted an extraordinary destiny. To learn more or donate, visit projectbeloved.org

[podcasts.apple.com] EP 01 | Beloved - The Molly Jane Story, Part I

Welcome to the very first episode of Everstory – the podcast that features real stories about how everyday people experience the transformational light and love of Jesus despite struggling in their darkest moments. As a bonus to our new listeners, this is a two part episode, and both episodes are available … right now. A powerful example of resilience and strength, Tracy is a mother who, in 2017, endured the unspeakable loss of her daughter. Despite living through the darkest moments imaginable, she began experiencing Jesus’ unquestionable love. After a string of inspirational moments, she began a campaign of healing to honor her daughter’s memory. By the end of this story, you will be truly blessed to see how God can turn our worst fears into a mobilization for good.

[podcasts.apple.com] The Molly Jane Matheson Story

Molly Jane Matheson was raped, strangled and murdered in 2017 by a former intimate partner. Since her murder, Molly Jane’s mother, Tracy Matheson, has fought for justice for both Molly Jane and other women who have experienced sexual assault. In this first ever live episode of the Podcast on Crimes Against Women, Tracy Matheson courageously shares the story of what happened to Molly Jane, her journey to reveal the truth throughout the investigation of her daughter’s murder, the establishment of Molly Jane’s Law in the State of Texas and the founding of Project Beloved: The Molly Jane Mission.

[dailyprogress.com] A soft room for hard conversations: New interview room designed to empower survivors

A new ‘soft interview room’ at the Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office is designed to make a more comfortable place for victims to recall and discuss the traumatic events they’ve been through as prosecutors and police prepare criminal court cases.

[WDBJ7.com] Soft interview room opened at Virginia Military Institute Police Department

There’s a new room in the Virginia Military Institute Police Department. It’s the first of its kind on a college campus in Virginia and ready to be used to help survivors of sexual assault. It’s called a soft interview room and it’s all thanks to a non-profit organization. “Project Beloved is a non-profit with a mission statement to educate, advocate and collaborate to change the conversation about sexual assault and empower survivors to find their voices. Project Beloved was born out of a parent’s worst nightmare. It’s the easiest way I can say it. My daughter was raped and murdered April 10th, 2017 and in the aftermath of that and understanding the circumstances that basically allowed her to be killed, we decided we had to do something,” said Tracy Matheson, Project Beloved founder.

[wsls.com] VMI now offers ‘soft interview room’ for sexual assault survivors

Tracy Matheson, founder of Project Beloved, is creating a space for sexual assault victims to feel safe when telling their stories. This new space on campus is called the “soft interview room,” and will be open to any law enforcement agency in the area who needs it. The soft interview room at VMI is the third in Virginia and the very first to be on a Virginia college campus.

[fortworthreport.org] After death of her daughter, mother to be awarded for nonprofit helping sexual assault survivors

After recovering her daughter’s body, Tracy Matheson, 56, learned her child had a tattoo: the word “Beloved.” Matheson’s daughter, Molly Jane, 22, was killed after she was sexually assaulted in April 2017. Then, Matheson started seeing the word “Beloved” everywhere, and it inspired her nonprofit.

[wfaa.com] 'I can't sit here and be quiet' | Texas woman found her daughter raped, strangled 5 years ago. Now, she advocates for sexual assault survivors.

“When I kind of pieced all of that together, I was like ‘Wait, she could be alive had someone done their job, had someone believed,’” the mother said.

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