The sister of the woman who was reportedly killed by her fiance last weekend in Plymouth urged early education and a change in society’s attitude toward domestic abuse victims at a meeting Thursday afternoon at the Freeborn County Courthouse.

Tanya Fure made the comments at a Freeborn County Domestic Violence Partnership meeting in front of about three dozen professionals, including law enforcement and advocates.

Trisha Nelson, 28, an Alden native, died Feb. 12 in a Plymouth intersection after being allegedly shot by her fiancé, Corey Perry. Perry reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot later that night after exchanging gunfire with police.

Fure, an Albert Lea resident, said domestic violence brings with it a sense of shame because the victim is told over a long period of time that if they were a better person the abuse wouldn’t happen.

She said until society reduces the shame it places on domestic abuse victims, victims will have a hard time finding the strength to leave an abusive environment.

She stressed that her mission of education will be a success if she can save one victim that is in a similar situation to her sister’s.

Fure stressed she couldn’t see the abuse her sister was suffering and that domestic violence doesn’t start as physical. It evolves to such from controlling small aspects of life and put-downs.

“People who perpetuate domestic violence are cowards,” Fure said.

Fure expressed love and appreciation of the way her sister lived life and loved her family.

“She was incredible,” Fure said.

She read a letter that expressed her hope that domestic violence can be prevented and urged victims to come forward.

Fure said that she plans on donating a portion of the up to $6,000 reimbursement that will be received for funeral services to Freeborn County to prevent domestic violence and to Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women.

She said though she finds public speaking difficult, she finds it necessary in the wake of her sister’s death.

“It’s the only way I’m able to heal from this,” she said.

A GoFundMe funeral fund set up for Nelson had raised $8,723 as of this morning.

Becky Rasmussen, executive director at Parent Resource Center, said though society tends to look at deaths attributed to domestic violence as a statistic, each story is one that needs to be heard and learned from for such cases to be prevented in the future.

Albert Lea resident Vicky Roden urged anyone being abused to get out while you can.

Audience members suggested that children should be educated that domestic violence is never OK.

Andrea Strom, member of the Freeborn County Domestic Violence Partnership, said domestic abuse doesn’t just affect two people.

“Domestic violence isn’t a private family matter,” Strom said.

Strom said she was troubled when she saw reports that said the perpetrator was a nice guy who snapped.

She expressed appreciation for Fure’s message that the blame needs to be placed on the abuser in a domestic abuse situation and that domestic violence isn’t a private family matter.

“She’s an amazingly strong woman,” Strom said of Fure.