By David Ball
Staff Writer
A night clerk at a Jacksonville Best Western was shot and killed in a robbery attempt. She was the mother of three young children.
Not many murder cases hit as hard as this one for Sabrina Gouch, homicide victim advocate for the State Attorney’s Office.
The hardest part, she said, was sitting in the courtroom with the victim’s family and watching the security video showing every detail of the woman’s death.
“It was just tragic. So senseless,” said Gouch. “Just when you think you’ve seen the worst thing a human being can do to another human being, something else comes along.”
Gouch and the dozen other victim advocates in her office are forced to confront the sometimes brutal nature of people on a daily basis. But Gouch says the ability to help families through the most difficult of experiences far outweighs the negative aspects of her job, as long as she can keep that job from creeping too far into her daily life.
Couch started as a volunteer for the Justice Coalition four years ago and later moved into a victim advocacy position. She has continued her role with the State Attorney’s Office, where she acts as a resource for families and loved ones of homicide victims. She refers counseling services, explains the legal procedures and even accompanies them to trials.
“Victims have constitutional rights to know what is going on in a case ... and they need to get the services they need,” said Chief Assistant State Attorney Jay Plotkin. “In serving those functions, the advocates are critical. They help the victims, and they help the lawyers help the victims.”
But that work puts Gouch very close to the families, as evidenced by the many gifts and pictures from clients that fill her office at the Duval County Courthouse. She said she receives constant phone calls and cards from many families that have now become her families.
“They adopt me. I’ve got family all over Jacksonville,” she said. “Part of the job satisfaction is meeting these people and helping them through this. They become a part of my life, and I become a part of their life.”
Gouch often times shares the victims’ emotions as well, especially during trail. Most recently, there was a trial for the deaths of 61-year-old Jacksonville residents Reggie and Carol Sumner, whose bodies were found buried in southern Georgia in July 2005.
“The family had to sit in court and listen to the last details of their loved ones being buried alive,” Gouch recounted. “It’s hard to say if one case is worse than the other, but this one was pretty horrific.”
One suspect, 19-year-old Bruce Nixon, reportedly plead guilty to second-degree murder, robbery and kidnapping and agreed to testify against defendant Michael J. Jackson, 24. Two other suspects are awaiting trial.
Gouch and the victims’ family are now awaiting Jackson’s sentencing. The jury recommended the death penalty, although he could receive life in prison, said Gouch.
With homicide cases such as this, and the many that are sure to follow as Jacksonville retains one of the highest murder rates in Florida, Gouch admits it is sometimes hard not to bring her work home with her.
“I can’t say I’m perfect at that,” said Gouch, who lives with her husband, a computer networking specialist. “There are times I laid in bed at night thinking about a case, or concern for a family or just the horrific details.”
Gouch said she doesn’t watch the news or any serious programming on TV, only comedies. Her husband and two dogs also help take her mind off of work, as does coaching a middle school girls basketball team and the occasional karate lesson.
But when asked where she gets most of her strength, Gouch points to Philippian’s 4:13 on her wall: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
“I feel this is where he wants me to be, because he has opened those doors for me to be here,” said Gouch. “I have yet to get up in the morning and think, ‘oh my gosh, I’ve got to go to work.’ This is simply where I’m supposed to be.”