Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne, parents of Lauren Dunne Astley, testified before the Joint Committee on Education Tuesday.
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne took another step Tuesday in their efforts to prevent what happened to their daughter from happening to anyone else. Dunne and Astley testified during a legislative hearing of the Joint Committee on Education Tuesday, asking lawmakers to pass bills designed to bring violence prevention classes and healthy relationship education to all Massachusetts schools. Their own daughter, Lauren Dunne Astley, was murdered by her Wayland High School classmate and former boyfriend in July 2011. Nathaniel Fujita is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the crime "We need to keep track of our priorities, and relationships are the beginning and end of what people are about," Malcolm Astley …
Monday, May 13, 2013
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne, parents of slain Wayland teen Lauren Astley, will testify in hearing on three health/sex education bills
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne will appear before legislators on Beacon Hill Tuesday as part of their continuing efforts to prevent teen dating violence, which claimed their daughter's life in 2011. Astley and Dunne are the parents of Lauren Dunne Astley, a Wayland teenager murdered by her ex-boyfriend in the summer of 2011. Nathaniel Fujita is currently serving a sentence of life without parole for her murder. According to a press release, Astley and Dunne will be testifying during a hearing on three health/sex education bills "that aim to mandate sexual education and violence prevention programs in Massachusetts’s schools." Following their daughter's death, Astley and Dunne established the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund, which seeks, …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne were guests Monday on "Katie," a talk show hosted by Katie Couric. They discussed their ability to move forward in the wake of their daughter, Lauren Astley's, murder at the hands of Nathaniel Fujita.
"Extraordinary grace." Such were the words Katie Couric used to introduce two of the guests on Monday's episode of "Katie." Those two guests were Malcolm Astley of Wayland and Mary Dunne of Weston, parents of Lauren Astley, the Wayland teenager killed in July 2011 by her ex-boyfriend and Wayland High School classmate Nathaniel Fujita. "If you were her parents and she was your only child, how could you possible go on?" Couric asked in her introduction. "But they have managed to and with extraordinary grace." Couric then went on to briefly describe the circumstances of Astley's murder, Fujita's arrest and then his conviction of first-degree murder just weeks ago in Courtroom 530 at Middlesex Superior Court. Couric focused in on the day of …
Monday, March 25, 2013
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne will be featured guests on today's episode of "Katie," to talk about their ability to "embrace the man who murdered their daughter."
Malcolm Astley of Wayland and Mary Dunne of Weston will be featured guests on a national talk show Monday to discuss their ability to "embrace the man who murdered their daughter," Lauren Astley. Astley and Dunne will appear on "Katie," hosted by Katie Couric, Monday afternoon. "Katie" is broadcast on ABC at 3 p.m. According to the preview of the show, Astley and Dunne will be two of the guests during a show titled "Redemption" and featuring "an hour about forgiveness." " ... hear the powerful true stories of a woman who, after 20 years, forgave the person who shot her in the face, and parents who were able to embrace the man who murdered their daughter. Then, child star Todd Bridges on hitting rock bottom and how he was able to turn his …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne both gave victim's impact statements prior to the sentencing of Nathaniel Fujita, the man convicted of murdering their only daughter.
Other voices spoke boldly Thursday on behalf of a voice silenced after only 18 short years. Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne, parents of Lauren Astley, spoke up on behalf of their murdered daughter, poignantly reminding Judge Peter Lauriat what they lost when Nathaniel Fujita took her life. With his victim impact statement, Malcolm Astley told Lauriat "We need to acknowledge all of the fear, pain and distrust that resulted as collateral effects of the taking of [Lauren Astley's] life." "The causing of such pain and the taking of life has to be marked by significant consequences for the agent of the pain or society falls apart and so does the agent, I believe, in a vacuum." As Astley and Dunne spoke, Fujita sat quietly with his head bowed as …
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne focused on ending future violence against women in their statement after the sentencing of the man convicted in their daughter, Lauren Astley's, murder.
Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne were composed and looking forward as they addressed reporters Thursday afternoon at the Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn. Just hours after learning that Nathaniel Fujita had been found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of their daughter, Lauren Astley, Malcolm Astley and Dunne focused on future actions rather than the past. Saying that Lauren Astley's family experienced "immense grief and outrage at the loss of Lauren's sparkle," Malcolm Astley, speaking for he and Dunne, went on to say that they are "appalled at the similar murders of so many women in supposedly loving relationships." The Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund is dedicated to ending that violence in dating and domestic relationships, …
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Lauren Dunne Astley was murdered on July 3, 2011. On July 3, 2012, the community gathered to remember her sparkle.
“Sparkle” has in the past year embedded itself in the vernacular of the small town of Wayland, Mass. The joyful connotation of the word – “sparkle” – belies the tragic occasion for its rise to the consciousness of people connected through tragedy and, on Tuesday night, through remembrance. On July 3, 2012, friends, neighbors and family of Lauren Dunne Astley gathered in the meetinghouse of First Parish Wayland for a candlelight vigil to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the night the 18-year-old was murdered. Astley’s ex-boyfriend, Nathaniel Fujita, has been charged with the crime. And while the tragedy of the events of July 3, 2011, is still fresh in the minds of many, it was more likely the celebration of Astley’s sparkle that …
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Thursday, April 5, 2012
Malcolm Astley assisted his graduate school friend John LeCapitaine in presenting the research and model.
What if a culture of compassion could serve as a levy, lessening the waves of violence and abuse that crash over communities across Massachusetts and the country? It’s a question that has intrigued University of Wisconsin professor John LeCapitaine for a decade, but it’s one that took on new significance last summer when a graduate school friend, Malcolm Astley, suffered a heartbreaking tragedy. The body of Astley’s 18-year-old daughter, Lauren Dunne Astley, was found in a Wayland marsh on July 4 of last year. Police allege that her ex-boyfriend, fellow Wayland High School Class of 2011 graduate Nathaniel Fujita, murdered her. On March 29 LeCapitaine, with Astley’s assistance, presented his Developmental Model of Compassion to a crowd of …
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Malcolm Astley issued a statement on behalf of himself and Lauren Astley's mother that expressed hope for conversations promoting healthy relationships.
Malcolm Astley read a brief statement on behalf of himself and Lauren Astley’s mother, Mary Dunne, following the Aug. 23 arraignment of Nathaniel Fujita, the man accused of killing their daughter on July 3 in Wayland. As he has consistently done throughout the seven weeks since his daughter was murdered, Astley asserted his hope that Lauren’s death could serve as a means to preventing such tragedy from happening in the future. “Our hearts are with the many who continue to feel the shock and pain of the tragedy and to understand it as best we can,” Astley read from a prepared statement this afternoon while standing outside the main entrance of the Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn. Astley’s statement continued to say that he and …
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Lauren Astley's father, Malcolm Astley, talks about the daughter he lost and the brief moments of joy on to which he's holding.
A little more than a week has passed since the body of Lauren Astley was discovered in a marshy area just off Wayland’s Water Row. Just more than a week has passed since Wayland learned abruptly and staggeringly that even small, quiet suburbs can be touched by horror. Over the course of the past eight days, Wayland has learned the story of this tragedy, a tragedy that Wayland Superintendent Paul Stein said, “shouldn't happen anywhere – anywhere or to anyone.” But it did happen, and over the past eight days Wayland has also learned a lot about how to graciously cope and compassionately respond to such a tragedy. And it has learned this lesson from perhaps the least likely individual: the victim’s father, Malcolm. “Malcolm was quick and very…
Shannon E. O'Malley
2:15 pm on Tuesday, May 14, 2013
It was very powerful to hear their testimony today at the MA State House. Lauren's life with always be remembered. Her parents are doing amazing work that will help so many young people here in MA. I hope the bills pass. more ›