On February 10th, 2015, Deah Barakat, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, and her sister Razan Abu-Salha execution-style in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Their neighbor, Craig Hicks, was quickly arrested and charged with the crime. But what happened that night? Why? And what does it mean for us now?
is a new podcast about the human condition in conflict. Host is an award-winning poet who travels the globe exploring conflict and what it says about us as people. This podcast taps into the power of poetry, stories and conversation to help us decipher conflict and find meaning.
In the first five episodes, McInerney explored the tragic murders of Deah, Yusor, and Razan. Stories with a Heartbeat brings you an intimate perspective of the night of the crime from family members, a global story of their legacy from the Syrian border, a heartfelt moment where the police chief admits mistakes and makes it personal, and a powerful poetic performance from one of the victims friends.
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You can listen to the 5-part series on the Chapel Hill Shooting below.
In Reyhanli, Turkey, a stone's throw away from the Syrian Civil War, there is a dental clinic for refugee children. In the front entrance there is a pixelated picture of three smiling faces taped to the wall. In white Arabic script it says, 鈥淲e will not forget you.鈥� The name of this facility is the Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu Salha, and Razan Abu Salha Dental Clinic. In Episode Two of Stories with a Heartbeat we learn about the details of the crime in Chapel Hill with reporter Reema Khrais, and we travel to the other side of the world with host Will McInerney to witness the power of their legacy in action along the Syrian border.
Before Deah Barakat was murdered, he raised money to support the dental needs of Syrian refugees and planned to go volunteer along the border in the summer. After his death, Deah鈥檚 brother Farris made that trip and delivered the money and supplies Deah raised. In Episode Three of Stories with a Heartbeat, we join Farris on his journey to complete Deah's mission, and we learn about a deep connection Farris made with one young refugee who embodied the spirit of Deah with her simple and elusive smile.
Credit Chris Blue
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Reporter Reema Khrais and Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue vividly remember the morning after the triple murder of Deah, Yusor, and Razan. While Reema balanced her personal connections and professional responsibilities, Chief Blue released a statement about the alleged parking dispute motive in the crime, one that he now regrets. In Episode Four of Stories with a Heartbeat, Chief Blue tells a personal story about remorse, regret, and the moment his daughter told him he was wrong, 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 say that.鈥�
Poet Mohammad Moussa believes his friend Deah Barakat was murdered in a hate crime; and he refuses to remain silent. Shattered Glass, Mohammad鈥檚 multi-media spoken word poetry show is a year of reflection and mourning wrapped in the power of storytelling and signed with a poet鈥檚 pen. It鈥檚 a demand for answers and accountability, and it鈥檚 a journey that leaves us both broken and whole. In Episode Five of Stories with a Heartbeat, host Will McInerney sits down with Mohammad Moussa to talk about poetry, processing, and parking disputes.
Will McInerney is an award-winning spoken word poet, storyteller, educator, and journalist specializing in the intersection of conflict resolution and creative expression. Will hosts and produces Stories with a Heartbeat, a new podcast that explores the complexity of the human condition in conflict through poetry, stories, and conversation. In addition, Will helps with education reporting and produces the My Teacher Project.
"Growing up in America has been such a blessing," Yusor Abu-Salha said in a conversation with her former teacher that was recorded by the StoryCorps oral history project last summer.
When Deah Barakat was an undergraduate at NC State University, his father bought him a white house about five miles from campus. But Deah, who lived with鈥�
One of the young students killed in Tuesday's shooting in Chapel Hill, N.C., Yusor Abu-Salha, spoke to StoryCorps last year with her former third-grade teacher.
Forty-six-year-old Craig Stephen Hicks has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder for the killings of Deah Barakat, a second-year student鈥�
One year ago, three young Muslim-Americans were shot and killed in their Chapel Hill apartment. Support for the victims' families poured in following the鈥�
Updated: Monday, March 9Organizers say this weekend's food drive to honor the three students murdered in Chapel Hill last month was a success. Razan and鈥�
The police headquarters for the town of Chapel Hill is currently located at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. In 2013, toxic coal ash was discovered on this site. A new draft agreement on how to move forward with this property is now available for public comment.
Operation Dismount is a task force put together to identify people illegally operating ATVs and dirt bikes that pose a threat to pedestrians and other motorists on streets and highways.
