What Happened to Brandy?

Well, world, hello. My name is Krysti Horvat, I'm 26, I'm from Boardman Ohio with a giant cause at hand. 
My very good friend Brandy Rosine(-Stevens), 20, was murdered on May 17th, 2012 by a friend of hers and an accomplice. The story is horrific, the details chilling. My focus is to memorialize her life and to carry out her legacy.
As this is my first blog, I will keep it short. But here is the eulogy I presented at her funeral, in its entirety;

"Hello everyone. First I would like to thank you all for coming. My name is Krysti Horvat, my family lived behind Brandy when she was in school. She lived there from about when she was in sixth grade until the time she went to live with her grandparents in highschool.

When I first met Brandy, she possessed a teenage angst the size of a football stadium. And I loved that about her. Brandy never settled for anything less than what she wanted. If there was a cause she believed in, she would talk about it endlessly until she noticed a change. Brandy loved deeply and entirely, she was always there when I needed someone to talk to. She was someone who loved her friends and would do anything for them. She was passionate, and had the ability to express her passion through her words and actions. She once wrote, "We humans live for compassion. It is written in Darwin. In every known clinical research done, humans strive for that one hug from their mother or that one comforting word from a friend."

Brandy shared a story from when she was a toddler. She would get time-outs for yelling at her mother from the backseat of the car to drive faster. This may have led to her receiving a go-kart as a child. She loved going to her cousins to go four-wheeling. "I learned that it's fun to ride in the rain," she said, "That donuts aren't good for the yard, and thorns are hard to remove. Not from my skin, but from my helmet." She just wanted to go fast.

Her friends remember taking adventures with her. Diet Mountain Dew, Diet Vault, Brandy needed and loved energy drinks. Lying on the pavement staring at the stars with her, holding her hand, skipping down hallways, taking walks, going to concerts, laughing with her, and her smile are all the special memories her friends have of Brandy.

She always had a passion for music. She proudly proclaimed herself an orch-dork in highschool. She was a bassist. Brandy would play Mario Kart and DJ Hero all day if she could. Brandy was as clever as a fox, and perhaps the most witty person I've ever known. She once said, "If it wasn't for having to see other people naked, I'd live in a nudest colony."

I was recently asked what Brandy does for a living. Well.. Brandy is a comedian. She'll pick you up with words. She's a librarian, an encyclopedia of knowledge. Brandy is a therapist, a shoulder for all of her friends. She lived for helping others, for making other people feel comfortable, for love. Brandy is a musician, a poet. She is a spectrum of colors, a renaissance woman, if you will.

All Brandy wanted was to be herself in a world without prejudice, and I believe Brandy achieved that goal the best she could. Brandy was an inspiration to others. She taught others not to fear who they are, but to embrace his or her self.

And nothing of this has changed. Brandy is still all of these things. She's just counting on us to activate our memories and keep her alive. She shared 20 years with us, and now it is time to cherish those years.

Thank each and every one of you for coming today. Brandy would poop her pants to see the amount of support and love that keeps pouring her direction. Thank you."

Here are some links to the story, please be advised the details are graphic, and you should not read if you are weak of emotion and/or stomach;


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/27/brandy-stevens-rosine-case-love-triangle_n_1711393.html

Meadville Tribune



Currently, I am trying to raise money for a memorial statue to honor my friend and help her loved ones cope with this tragedy. Her remains are in the possession of her 16 year old sister, Steph. Her mother, Carrie, and her grandmother, Kathy.
I am looking at memorial benches as well, and considering possible spots for this bench. 

For future reference, here are the links and information on the fund-raising accounts that will all go toward Brandy and the Rosine-Stevens family.
Paypal: (Which charges me for each deposit, something I am working on!)
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=T6GZN7DUWE2NL

Huntingon Bank:
Brandy Rosine Memorial Fund
Account #:01780228415 
EIN#: 45-5363221
‎3960 South Ave.
Youngstown, OH 44512
330 788-3263