Garden honors Champaign County slaying victim

Concord Twp. family to hold dedication ceremony today.

CONCORD TWP. — The family of a woman who was slain inside her Urbana apartment last March will hold a public memorial today to celebrate her life.

Jessica Rae Sacco, 21, was found suffocated and dismembered inside her apartment on West Light Street on March 30. Her ex-boyfriend, 25-year-old Matthew Puccio, and four friends have been charged in connection with her death.

“You really just feel like your soul has been ripped out,” said Susan Taynor, Sacco’s mother. “The feeling of loss at such a heinous act — it’s so mentally painful.”

Since her daughter’s death, Taynor said they’ve received an outpouring of support from the community. Many have donated flowers in her honor: Jessica’s dream, lavender and day lilies.

To commemorate her life, the family planted a memorial garden at 3457 Ohio 560 in Concord Twp. They’ll hold a public service to lay Sacco’s ashes to rest within the garden from 6 to 9 p.m. today.

“It’s not just a garden, it’s a memory for a lot of people (and) how this has affected a community,” Taynor said.

There will also be a dedication ceremony for the Urbana Police Division, which Taynor said did “an amazing job” arresting those accused in Sacco’s death.

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