Twenty-eight people were murdered in Kansas last year  in domestic violence-related homicides.  There were 24,159 reported incidents of domestic violence in the state in 2011;  14,550 resulted in arrests.

Although the 2011 statistics have not yet been released to the public, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt shared the information Saturday night during Jana’s Capital Campaign Kick-off in Hays.

Schmidt was a state senator when Jana Mackey’s mother and stepfather, Christie and Curt Brungardt of Hays, first testified to the Kansas legislature about Jana’s death July 3, 2008, and the need for Kansas to strengthen its laws regarding domestic violence.

Jana’s friends and family have since created Jana’s Campaign Inc. to reduce domestic and dating violence at the local, state and national levels.

“We are extreme pleased with the initial fundraising response,” said capital campaign chair and board member Kelley Parker of Manitou Springs, Colorado.  “At this point, we are at nearly 70% of our goal of $100,000 to be raised over the next year.”