Family of murder victim speaks out

PHOENIX - The family of a young mother who was killed in a grisly attack is joining together to raise funds for her funeral. They held a car wash fundraiser at 67th Avenue and Bell Road on Saturday.

It's the first time family members have spoken about the brutal crime. Police tell us that the young mother was killed after an ex-boyfriend attacked her with a hammer.

"We're coming together as a family in this hard time. It has not been easy on any of us," says one family member. Friends and family are joining together to honor 19-year-old Veronica McGarvy.

The are hoping to raise funds for funeral expenses and to help with her three-year-old daughter.

"She was always caring and loving. she could come into any room and brighten up the whole room," say the family. Police say she was killed earlier this month by her ex-boyfriend and 25-year-old Caleb Shaffrey.

He allegedly admitted to the crime to his mother, who told police he has bipolar disorder. He is now in jail being held on a $1 million bond on charges of first-degree murder murder.

"Nobody deserves to have to lose somebody in the manner that they did. No mother deserves to have to bury her child," says Veronica's sister Rene McGarvy. She says the pain of what happened to her baby sister is too much to bear.

A GoFundMe for the funeral expenses has been set up on our website, fox10phoenix.com