Editor’s note: This is the first story in a series on the ongoing battles of the Steichen family.
Two years ago, Aaron Steichen was planning a party for his mom Beverley’s 60th birthday, a milestone. But they never got the chance to celebrate together.
“I’m not at the birthday feast that my son Aaron was planning for me with his brother and sister,” Beverley Steichen said, speaking at the Arcata Plaza on her 60th birthday instead. “This is my 60th birthday and what I want for my birthday is change to our health care system. What I want for my birthday is change to our mental health care system. What I want for my birthday is no mother ever anywhere to ever feel the way that I’m going to feel every day for the rest of my life.”
Steichen was speaking to a crowd of family, friends and members of the community, just days after her son Jacob, who was experiencing a severe schizophrenic episode, fatally stabbed his brother Aaron in her kitchen, believing him to be an intruder. She would go back to the Arcata Plaza every day for 39 days, honoring the number of years Aaron had been alive, to tell her family’s story.
The Steichens had been trying for weeks to get the Arcata Police Department and Humboldt County Mental Health to help them. Jacob had locked himself into his room, could be heard smashing dishes and was throwing objects he had set on fire out of his window.
Help never came. Police officers didn’t take Jacob to Sempervirens Psychiatric Health Facility, despite showing up multiple times at the family’s house.
Instead, Jacob was arrested after the stabbing and sent to a state hospital after entering into a plea agreement that declared him not guilty by reason of insanity.
The systems that are currently in place failed to help her family and Beverley Steichen is still struggling to get justice. She’s pursuing a civil suit against the county and the Arcata Police Department over their response to her calls for help.
She told The Times-Standard how, two years later, there has been no space for pause and how navigating the legal system in the aftermath of such a traumatic event, while also having to work and support herself and family, has been a challenge.
“This whole thing is filled with legal papers that I really don’t have any idea how to maneuver my way around,” Steichen said, pointing to a bag full of documents. “I shouldn’t have to do this myself while I’m still suffering.”
Steichen is still working on getting legal representation, which has also been a struggle, but she said she’s not giving up until something changes the way her son Aaron wouldn’t have given up.
“He was out there championing Breonna Taylor and George Floyd,” Steichen said. “He was out there advocating for everybody and that weighs on me, too.”
Sonia Waraich can be reached at 707-441-0504.
The post ‘I shouldn’t have to do this myself’: Steichen family continues fight for justice 2 years after fatal tragedy appeared first on Eatory.my.id.
