‘She was like a fresh breath of air’: Springfield community remembers Emma Shafer one year after her death

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Police are still investigating the death of 24-year-old Emma Shafer, one year later. She was found stabbed to death in her apartment in Springfield. Now, friends and those she worked closely with are remembering the impact Shafer had on a community she cared deeply about.

The Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens in Springfield is filled with all kinds of plants and fresh produce. But if you take a closer look, you’ll notice a mural dedicated to a young Springfield woman. It’s just one way Emma Shafer’s memory continues to live on in the community.

“Emma was like a little sister to me. She was warm. She was sweet. She was caring,” community advocate Nick Dodson described. “She was so authentic and real. She was like a fresh breath of air to our entire community.”

A year ago, the 24-year-old was found stabbed to death in her apartment in Springfield. Her ex-boyfriend Gabrel Calixto Pichardo is accused of killing her. Police are still looking for him.

“Everywhere we went, Emma was there,” said Pastor Susan Philips from First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. “This last year has been really hard for many of us because we go to those same places and her absence is so profound. And it’s also inspired so many people to get more involved and to show up in deeper ways, and to make sure the things that have been part of Emma’s vision continue to be part of our future, too.”

Shafer’s parents and sisters posted on Facebook, saying “our hearts are still very heavy and we miss her terribly, but each day we have tried to look for the glimmers and love we know she sends our way and find ways to honor her memory.”

Shafer was known for her strong activism throughout the city, working with a number of groups including the Faith Coalition for the Common Good, Resistor Sisterhood, and the Springfield Immigrant Advocacy Network.

Dodson witnessed Shafer’s passion for social justice and building a better community firsthand.

“Every day I try to pay honor to her,” he said, “by reminding myself and other folks that inspire me to keep doing the right thing, and the thing that matters for all of us and not just some of us.”

Philips is also engaged in advocacy work in the community. She said Shafer’s impact continues to be felt.

“The ways in which her family has inspired others to show up and make a difference, to share your love for your community and your neighbors, that is moving to me and I think it has helped others grieve and — kind of like Emma — see a path forward.”

Francesca Butler, a friend of Shafer, also shared a poem with WCIA she wrote in memory of her.

“I see our friend every day in the morning dew and sunbeams, in the hopes of our children and the kindness of our community,” part of the poem reads. “She offers compassion, a loving ear, through the strength of her heart she will always be here.”

Shafer had three nieces and nephews.

State and federal agencies continue to look for Gabriel Calixto Pichardo. He was charged with three counts of first degree murder and one count of aggravated domestic battery in connection to her death.

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