Grubb’s friends, family demand justice

Friends and family filled People’s Park on Tuesday in remembrance of Crystal Grubb.

After Crystal’s body was found in a corn field in 2010, an autopsy revealed she was murdered.

Crystal’s family wants justice. No one has been charged, but Crystal’s boyfriend was named a suspect.

“The family believes he’s the actual one that’s done it and the other two are scared to talk. That’s what we feel,” Penny Grubb, Crystal’s aunt, said. “I can’t believe they haven’t done nothing, it’s been this long.”

Tanya Burton-Miller, Crystal’s cousin, said officials are using the three men who were with Crystal the night she died in order to snitch on people for using or cooking methamphetamine instead of getting the people who killed her.

They had been cooking meth the last night Crystal was seen.

“If they didn’t care if they killed one they aren’t gonna care if they kill another,” Penny Grubb said.

She said her daughter was supposed to be with Crystal the night of the murder but she didn’t end up going.

As people arrived they congregated around a folding table, where they were asked to sign their names in a white binder and were handed bottles of Kroger water with a baby blue rubber bracelet.

The bracelets read ‘In Memory of Crystal.’ Green ribbons were pinned onto people’s shirts.

Standing atop a park table, Penny Grubb, Bob Jones and Rob Barry played a song for Crystal. Penny Grubb said she replaced the word “Mother” with “Crystal” in “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”

Janice Grubb, Crystal’s mother, put everyone into a line, and they walked toward the Monroe County Courthouse Square. The group stopped briefly in front of the Monroe County Justice Building and aimed their signs toward it.

The group received honks and shouts throughout the circle route.
Rose and Abby, Crystal’s daughters, carried signs that read “We love and miss you Mama.”

Colleen Moore, a friend of Crystal, held a sign that read, “I love my sister and miss her very much.” Moore said although they are not sisters, they were really close and Janice wanted her to hold that sign.

Moore said walking brings a lot of public awareness that Crystal is still remembered.

“It seems like every time there’s a big public awareness, that’s when the detective says ‘We’re close!’ Then nothing happens,” Moore said.

This was the third year that family and friends have walked for Crystal.

The night ended in tears as the group circled around Janice Grubb while she played Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” on a boom box.

“Even if I’m in a wheel-chair next year I’m coming and walking,” Penny Grubb said.

Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.