CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Valerie McElroy, 58, a loving mom of two is remembered for always pouring into others.
“She was always my main motivation,” her daughter Candice Daniels said.
Daniels explained how her mom was always encouraging of her goals.
“My mom was my number one supporter. No matter how crazy it was. Whatever I wanted to do she always backed me up, always affirmed and supported me. That’s just the type of person my mother was,” explained Daniels.
With the support of McElroy, Daniels moved out of state and started several successful businesses.
“When I left Virginia, I always told her I was going to come back and get her. She was like ‘I know just do what you’ve got to do.’ I knew my mother was patient enough to wait for me. She was just so supportive of me,” Daniels said.
Early Monday morning, Daniels received heartbreaking news from her Aunt and Uncle saying her mom was found stabbed in her apartment.
Police reported that 61-year-old Anthony Johnson was also found hurt in the apartment on Robert Hall Boulevard Sunday around 11 p.m.
Officers searched the unit after a wellness check request. Johnson is now charged with first-degree murder.
“Me and my family we saw the signs. We always expressed our dislike with him. We always expressed that something just didn’t settle well with us, but we just didn’t want to be overbearing to our mother,” explained Daniels.
Daniels said the two dated on and off for two to three years but were broken up at the time of the incident.
“My sister was telling me that he was trying to stalk my mother and pop up at her job, pop up at her house unannounced,” she said.
Daniels explains she recently started to worry about her mom’s safety.
“I was trying to go to Virginia to make sure my mom was okay and then that’s when I got the call a few days later,” Daniels explained.
She wants people dealing with a toxic breakup or relationship to reach out for help to loved ones.
“Sometimes people need to know the lengths others will go for their safety,” she said. “You should protect them if you think something is wrong.”
Now as she mourns to loss of her mom, Daniels says she’s taking it one day at a time.
“Pull [ing] together resources to make sure my mother has an amazing funeral,” Daniels said.
Her family created a GoFundMe to help give McElroy a proper celebration of life.
Johnson’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 1, 2023.
If you or you know someone who may be a victim of domestic violence or child abuse, click here for a list of local and national resources.