Western Minnesota family spreads domestic abuse awareness after losing daughter
CLARKFIELD, Minn. — October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, and a western Minnesota family is telling its story to try and save others.
Last year, Josh and Niki Sakry's daughter Ariel was killed after her husband shot her multiple times.
"She had the greatest sense of humor. She could tell a joke and laugh and she had a smile that would just light up the room," said Niki Sakry, Ariel's mom.
On the outside, Ariel Sakry seemed happy. She was living in Wadena with her husband Isaac and two children. But life at home told a much different story.
"She loved him, and she loved her family and she wanted her family to be together and she wanted her kids to have love," said Niki Sakry.
For years, Ariel experienced good times alternating with periods of abuse at the hands of her husband. Isaac was arrested in 2020 for choking Ariel, and a judge put him on probation. After that, she moved back to Clarkfield to live with her parents Josh and Niki, who urged her to get a divorce.
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"She went back to him, and you looked at her that day and said I don't want to be attending a funeral," said Niki.
"We said he's not going to stop, and he didn't," said Josh Sakry, Ariel's dad.
On April 29 of last year, Isaac shot Ariel several times, killing her. He then shot and killed himself.
"It's very tragic that we loved him too. We looked at him as a son in our family as well," said Niki.
To keep Ariel's memory alive, the Sakrys made stickers to raise awareness about domestic violence. Then, Josh got an even bigger idea.
"I had the idea a few months after this happened to wrap a trailer. Because I had a brand, new trailer and I thought, you know, maybe we can do something," said Josh.
As owner of Sakry Trucking company, he put his daughter's face on a semi- trailer with messages about domestic abuse, and the number to a hotline that victims can call.
Josh hauls seed corn and soybeans to six different states. So this family's message will be putting on the miles.
"Last year we lost 24 victims to domestic violence homicides in the state of Minnesota," said Becci ten Bensel.
Ten Bensel is the executive director for WRAP-- which stands for Women's Rural Advocacy Programs. They hold fundraisers to help victims of domestic abuse in western Minnesota. She said the Sakry's alone have already raised more than $10,000 for their cause.
"And for the Sakry's to stand up and say not everybody has to live with this, and it's okay, and there's help is hugely important. And very impactful," said Becci.
"We hope to save lives. We don't want other people to go through this lifetime of grief that we are going to have to go through," Niki.
And they'll do that by hitting the road. Spreading Ariel's message one mile at a time.
"For me, to have the stickers on everything, she's always there," said Josh.
Josh estimates he'll put on about 150,000 miles a year with his domestic violence awareness message. WRAP uses funds they raise to help rural Minnesota abuse victims who experience isolation and struggle to find safe spaces.
Domestic Violence Resources: For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
