By Delores Jones
Kansas City, MO – In 2002, 29 year old Eric O'Brien murdered Tim Smotherland. The two men had been involved in a relationship for four years. When Smotherland decided he wanted to end the relationship, O'Brien shot him, and then killed himself.
Doug Riley had been a volunteer in the gay and lesbian community. When he heard about this tragedy, he decided that something needed to be done to address the growing problem of domestic violence and sexual assault, among not only gays and lesbians, but those living a transgender or bisexual lifestyle. Doug Riley is founder and executive director of the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project.