‘There’s still purpose’: Mother of domestic violence victim opens grief center to help others

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — One woman has worked to turn a source of pain into a source of community.

Donovan Holt, 33, was arrested in San Antonio, Texas in connection to his wife's death more than a year after the 2023 incident. His wife, April Holt, was found unresponsive in the bathroom of the couple's Antioch home with a plastic bag taped around her neck.

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April's mother, Jamie Dickerson, advocated for justice for months following her death after it was originally listed as a suicide. However, Dickerson's advocacy didn't stop there. She decided to help others who were struggling to move forward after loss.

"I tell myself every day, 'Well, God still has purpose. There's still purpose,'" Dickerson said.

Dickerson invited News 2 inside her new grief center in Shelbyville. Inside there are clear signs of hope and joy. Those may not be the typical feelings in a grief center, but Dickerson said it's an indication that her daughter's presence is there.

"I've come to realize after losing April, that grief affects you physically, mentally, emotionally [and] in so many different ways," Dickerson said. "I know by helping people heal, it builds a stronger community."

Dickerson told News 2 that she hopes the grief center is a place where those in mourning can find others who understand.

"You often feel like you just have this title of mother of murdered child above you," Dickerson added. "The kids feel like it just says, 'My mom was murdered,' and they walk around and they feel like they're different from everybody else. When you walk in these doors, I want you to feel like, 'Hey, everyone in here is grieving. Everybody has this weight on their shoulders.'"

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After learning new details about the circumstances surrounding April's death, Dickerson went to to Nashville police with the suspicion that her daughter was murdered. For months, even as April's case was closing, she said that she met with Metro police about evidence.

After collecting a recorded confession from Donovan, her efforts paid off — the cause of death was changed to a homicide. On Wednesday, Donovan pleaded guilty to reckless homicide, tampering with evidence and false reporting. He is set to go before a judge for sentencing in January.

"Making a difference is all that matters to me now," Dickerson added. "I want to make a difference."