TOLEDO, Ohio — Community members came together to honor the life of Whitney Wade on Friday.
Wade was killed earlier this week in what Toledo police described as a domestic violence situation.
"She was a beautiful person, inside and out. My sister was beautiful. She didn't deserve to be slaughtered like this. Nobody deserves that," Wade's brother Allen said.
It all began Tuesday when police responded to the 500 block of Lagrange Street near Huron Street. Inside, they found Wade stabbed multiple times.
Emergency crews rushed her to the hospital, but she didn't make it.
Wade was just 33 years old. She left behind five children.
Wade's ex-boyfriend Albert Drake is the father of her third-oldest child, Georgia.
"It just hurts me to know that it ended this fast," Drake said. "This man took a big chunk out of my daughter's life, and now she has to sit here and visit her mother at a gravesite now."
Police believe the father of two of her children, 22-year-old Ofari Smith, is responsible for her death.
Looking back, her family says the relationship was toxic, and it didn't need to end in violence.
"If we could really get these young ladies, women, men, whoever, to talk and bring up domestic violence, bring it to the forefront, get help. Don't be afraid to speak up," Wade's uncle Wilbert McIntire said.
Wade's uncles are urging people in similar situations to seek help before it's too late.
"Reach out to someone. You feel like you're in a bad relationship, just reach out to someone. We can stop it. We can stop it," Wade's other uncle Robert Young said.
If you need help or know someone who is experiencing domestic abuse you can reach out to YWCA at 419-241-7386.
Police are still looking for Smith, pictured below, and warn the public not to approach him.
If you have any information or see Ofari Smith, call or text Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111.
You can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $5,000 or more.
