“The feeling that came over me that night came over me today,” said Marie Clark, victims’ grandmother.January 4 will mark four years since Marie lost three grandchildren in an early morning fire. Cody Cashion, 18, fired a flare gun into a home on Ealy Street aiming for a target who wasn't even in the house at the time. Taty’ana Hughes was five years old, pretending to be asleep in the front room with her siblings who were sleeping.
“I yelled my sisters and brother's name and they didn't reply,” Taty’ana said.Taty’ana was the only child to survive. Her siblings Tai’zah, Tyrese and Trinity died in the fire. Now, Marie says hearing about the fire on Shanks Lane brings her back to those terrible days.
“Someone right now is going through that very same pain, that unimaginable, excruciating pain,” Marie said.A Tuesday night fire at an apartment complex on Shanks Lane killed 41-year-old Archimeda Riley and her daughter 16-year-old Savannah Cooper. Police say another juvenile is in critical condition. Like the fire four years ago, police say this fire was intentionally set by 26-year-old Danesha Peden.
“You know the first thing I thought about was didn't she see my story?” Marie said.For Taty’ana, the scars have healed but for her and her family, the pain doesn't go away. Neither does their faith, advice they have for another Kentuckiana family who will have to learn to live with loss.
“Find that strength that's inside you. We all have it in us we just have to find it. Dig deep, find it, grab it, hold onto it and use it,” Marie said.
Cody Cashion was 19-years-old when he went to prison. He is not eligible for parole until August 2046, when he's 51-years-old.