Sammi Jo Burkhart, 37, was shot and killed in Chesapeake, Virginia, on February 3, 2021. Family and friends remembered her as a joyful presence who loved the beach and collecting sea glass. Police found her with a gunshot wound on Chesapeake Avenue; she was taken to hospital and died of her injuries.

Investigators identified her 40-year-old ex-boyfriend, Mark O’Leary, as the suspect. After a two-day manhunt he was arrested in Norfolk and charged with first-degree murder, armed burglary, abduction, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Burkhart’s family said the relationship had been troubled and that O’Leary had a known history of domestic violence. They also pointed to a recent Norfolk charge against O’Leary for abduction and domestic violence involving another woman who sought an emergency protective order.

Burkhart’s family has urged changes in domestic violence protections in the wake of her death. If anyone knew Sammi Jo or has information about the case, please come forward.