'It's about my kids'
On the first anniversary of her sons' deaths in a hit-and-run, a mother reminds a memorial service audience that race was never a factor to her.
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN
Published April 1, 2005
TAMPA - A year ago, people in the crowd needed to hold Lisa Wilkins up as she tried to reach her two dying sons in the street.
On Thursday night, marking the one-year anniversary of her sons' death in a hit-and-run crash, her family, friends and community honored the boys' lives and praised the strength of a grieving young mother, including her ability to stop the loss from dividing people along racial lines.
The brothers, 13-year-old Bryant Wilkins and 3-year-old Durontae Caldwell, were killed and their two siblings injured as the four crossed 22nd Street heading home from University Area Center Complex.
Jennifer Porter, a 28-year-old schoolteacher, later came forward and admitted she was involved, but provided no details. She was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death. Her trial is scheduled for October.
Porter is white. The Wilkins family is black.
"Some people of this community tried to make Lisa rise up and say it's a black and white issue," her attorney, Tom Parnell, told a crowd of more than 60 gathered inside Peace Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa for a memorial service.
"She said, "No, it's about my children."'
When it was her turn - when the lighting of candles, the banging of tambourines and the soaring music of gospel choirs was over - Wilkins stood up to thank her supporters.
"It's not about a black and white thing," she said once more, "it's about my kids."
Instead of counseling or medication, what sustained her after the death of her sons was the love of her remaining children, and the hope of seeing her sons again in the afterlife, she said.
At her side was daughter Aquina, now 9, and son LaJuan Davis, now 3. Both were injured in the crash and recovered. Also squirming in the pew was her other son, 2-year-old Lavontre.
Wilkins held her baby daughter, 9-month-old Heaven, at the beginning of the service. A family friend took her when Wilkins began to weep onto her father's shoulder as a trio of teens sang.
Wilkins, 30, was born in Georgia, but moved to Tampa at the age of 11 months. She dropped out of Tampa Bay Tech in the 11th grade and moved into her own apartment. She worked at a variety of jobs - security for Tampa Housing Authority, then with a credit card company - until she quit to take care of her children full time.
Wilkins says she tells other people's children to get out of the road, even if they swear at her. She's also well aware of the criticism directed at her from some members of the public after the crash, who have questioned why the children were unsupervised at the park.
"I don't care what people say about me, I know I took care of my kids," she said.
Wilkins had walked the four children to the park to watch basketball games and told them to stay there until she came back. As she was returning for them, she heard the commotion and ran to the scene.
"I've seen you when other people would have been ready to explode, but you held it together," Michelle Patty, a community activist who helped organize the service, said to Wilkins.
Shortly after the crash, as Porter's family hired prominent attorney Barry Cohen, some neighbors of the University area and members of the Uhuru movement criticized State Attorney Mark Ober's decision not to charge Porter with vehicular homicide. Uhuru members suggested Porter was shown favoritism because she is white.
Prosecutors have said that in order for a vehicular homicide charge to succeed, they would have to prove that Porter was legally intoxicated or driving recklessly. Investigators said the car was traveling six to 10 mph over the 30 mph speed limit, and that alone is not considered "reckless" under Florida law. There was no indication that Porter was drunk or on drugs.
Other factors that might have undermined a vehicular homicide charge: The crash occurred just after dark; witnesses said some streetlights were out; and the children were not crossing at the crosswalk.
Witnesses say Porter, who had been a few blocks away at Muller Elementary after preparing for a dance recital, got into her car March 31, 2004, about three minutes before the 7:10 p.m. crash, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Investigators have said they are confident Porter's 2000 Toyota Echo hit all four children and was likely the only car to hit the children. They originally said a Honda or white van might have been involved, based on conflicting witness' accounts.
But Thursday night, there was no mention of Porter, only talk of the love and loss of children.
Another mother who lost a child offered comforting words to Wilkins at the service.
"Don't take life for granted," said Kelly Doster, the mother of Kwane Doster, a local football standout who went on to play for Vanderbilt University, and was shot dead Dec. 26 in Ybor City.
"I took a lot of things for granted and my son, whom I loved with all my heart, is gone," she said.
To Wilkins, she tried to soothe her with a happy image: "Kwane is up there, teaching your sons how to run that ball."
Saundra Amrhein can be reached at 813 226-3383 or amrhein@sptimes.com