Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Hanna Mack,

the 6 year old killed in a community near Navarro Mills. The little girl

with a penchant for tiaras and princess dresses was sexually assaulted

and hung in a Navarro Mills garage. A young neighbor has been charged

with capital murder in the crime.

For friends and family, it’s been a difficult year, and with little

relief in sight.

“We’re still very much struggling,” said Sandy Runion, Hanna’s

grandmother. “It’s still very raw, still very painful. This anniversary

is painful because it’s making us kind of relive it.”

One obstacle to moving on is that the other two girls, Kimberly and

Haley, remain legal custodians of the state. They live in Waxahachie

with their maternal aunt, Julie Seymore, according to Marissa Gonzales

with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Their mother and grandparents see them on regular supervised visits, but

Dana Mack still hopes to get her children back permanently. The next

status review hearing is scheduled for Nov. 24. A decision about where

the girls will go permanently isn’t expected until March 2009, Gonzales

said.

Dana Mack, Hanna’s mother, has changed her life around, according to

friends and family. She never did return to her job at the local cafe,

and she left the rented house in Navarro Mills after Hanna’s death. She

lives with her parents and works as a CNA at a Corsicana nursing home.

She is trying to buy a house in Blooming Grove.

This anniversary is looming over Dana, her mother said.

“It seems like a long time to you, but it isn’t to us,” Runion said.

On Wednesday, Dana Mack went to the cemetery, but friends and family

also gathered at the house to show support.

“We had a whole lot of people praying for us and lifting us up,” Runion

said. “Everyday is hard, but some days are harder, and that was one of

them.”

Another obstacle to overcome is the still-unresolved criminal case. A

preliminary hearing for the suspect was scheduled for Sept. 15, but that

has been delayed, and no new date has been set.

Regardless of when it comes to trial, Navarro County District Attorney

Lowell Thompson said he is still seeking the death penalty against

20-year-old Shaun Earl Arender, who has been charged with the crime.

Arender remains in the Navarro County Justice Center jail in lieu of

$2.5 million bond.

His attorneys are Mark Griffith of Waxahachie, and Kerri Donica of

Corsicana.

Donica said they are working hard, but she didn’t elaborate on their

defense strategy.

Kevin Wayne Anders, 33, the live-in boyfriend of Dana Mack, remains in

the county jail on charges of possession of child pornography. His bond

is set at $100,000. He has not been charged in connection with the murder.

His attorney, Alex Tandy in Hurst, attempted to get the bond reduced so

his client could get out, but the motion was rejected.

“I have no idea why this thing is going on so long,” Tandy said. “We

thought something would have been moving by this point.”

The barn where Hanna died is gone, torn down by hand in a community-wide

effort less than a month after the slaying. A shiny, new open carport

sits in its place. The house next door sits empty, as well. On the front

door is posted an appraisal with a bottom line of $74,159, but below

that is a hand-written note “I’m asking $55,000.”

The mark-down hasn’t helped, said owner Peggy Kindrick.

“I can’t sell it, I can’t lease it,” she said.

Although it’s been a year, the neighbors still have it on their minds,

Kindrick said.

“I think the trial will help. I hope it starts the healing,” she said.

The trailer where Dana and her three girls once lived next to the

Runions is gone. Where it once stood is a shaded garden of roses,

flowering shrubs and a water feature.

A small white sign marks it as “Hanna’s Garden.” Sandy spends time out

there, either working with her hands adding to it, or just sitting there

under the shade trees that stand over it.

She wanted to plant trees and flowers on Hanna’s grave, but the cemetery

limits displays.

“We figured, we have land, we can do what we want,” Runion explained.

“It’s therapeutic.”

“It’s helped the whole family,” Runion said. “We want to celebrate her

life, not her death. It helps having the garden.”

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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com