A book to help you in your time of need Someone you know or love has been murdered. The information you are about to read is intended to give you an idea of what to expect after the homicide of a family member or friend. It may take all the courage you have to pick up this booklet and read it. You did not ask for this tragic event to take place your life. You may be saying to yourself, "I don't want to read anything that will remind me of this tragic event." This booklet was written to help you understand some of what you are going through and to guide you through the homicide investigation. It is not intended to tell you how to feel or to tell you what to do. It is offered as a way to give you some information that may be helpful to your understanding of some of the important issues you will be facing. Many people find that they cannot read this booklet all at once. Just read what you can when you can. We have laid out the information in this booklet in an approximate chronological sequence: the first few days, followed by the first few weeks, then the first few months, and the first year.