Joey's family: Replace defaced memorial

(Times photo - Leigh T. Jimmie)

A sign for the late Josephine Harry, 7, was put up on U.S. Highway 491 south of Shiprock but was recently vandalized. Family members Nora M. Valentine, left, Tillman Muneta, center, and Corena Muneta stand with her portrait.

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C harmayne and Corena Muneta of Sanostee, N.M., are tired of looking at the vandalized memorial sign meant to honor a young Navajo girl who was killed by a drunken driver.

The sign commemorates Josephine "Joey" Harry, who was jogging along U.S. Highway 491 with her mother and cousin in October 1995.

She was 7 years old and a first grade student at Newcomb Elementary School.

"She had a great personality. She loved life," said Charmayne, who is Joey's cousin.

Joey was hit from behind by a vehicle driven by Danny Henderson of Sanostee, according to federal court records.

Her body was dragged 30 yards and she died there by the road. Family members declined to name the perpetrator, but court records show that Henderson eventually pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the accident. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison followed by three years of probation.

At the request of the family, the New Mexico Department of Transportation erected a small sign at the site that says "Please don't drink and drive," under which are the words "In memory of Josephine Harry." It has remained there for over a decade.

Most people respect roadside memorials in New Mexico, and it's a rare family that doesn't have a personal connection to at least one of them.

But early this year someone spray-painted "b***h" over Joey's name, leaving her family feeling insulted, disrespected and, above all, hurt that someone would do this.

"I noticed (the vandalism) back in January," Muneta said.

Joey's mother has not spoken out about the vandalism, but the Munetas and other family members are asking NMDOT to clean off the graffiti, or replace the sign.

According to Michael Sandoval, a public information officer for NMDOT, "The agreement has always been that the family pay for the sign and DOT will place the sign as close as possible to the fatality for at least one year."

The agency can remove a sign after a year but to his knowledge it has never done so, he continued in an e-mail addressed to Karyn Lujan, the NMDOT public information officer responsible for the northwestern part of the state.

In response to a query from the Navajo Times, Lujan stated in a March 30 e-mail, "I am responsible for District 5, where the sign is located. I will put in a sign replacement request this week and we can get it replaced as soon as possible."

Charmayne said, "It's heartbreaking knowing that a drunk driver took an innocent life, and it happens frequently. People need to stop and realize that innocent people are being hurt."