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Friends and family gather to remember missing woman found buried in backyard of Akron home

Woman killed, buried in backyard is remembered
Woman killed, buried in backyard is remembered
Posted at 7:54 AM, Sep 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-17 13:59:43-04

They wore her favorite colors and shared some emotional words as they mourned the death of Martha "Robin" Freitag.

"Very loving person, always smiling, give you the shirt off her back if it was her last one," said her cousin Steven Bonnette.

RELATEDAkron man who lived ataddresswhere human remains were found has been charged with murder

Friends and family of Freitag's came out by the dozens Sunday night to say goodbye, and they finished their tribute with a balloon release.

Police, the victim's family and even some members of his own family are blaming 52-year-old David Callaghan for her death.

"How dark do you have to be? How demonized do you have to be to take your loved ones life like that?" asked Callaghan's sister with tears in her eyes.

Pam Steely says she's known Freitag for over 15 years as her brother's girlfriend, she was like part of the family.

"She was very creative, she was forever doing things in her house, making curtains you know painting rooms," said Steely.

Steely says she hasn't talked to her brother for nearly a year, but still had a strong relationship with Freitag. She blames herself for not noticing the signs.

"I'm looking back at text messages, thinking I'm feeling guilty," she said.  "It wasn't like she would call me up and text me and say that she was being abused, she would just say they'd be in an argument and he's really mad and he's getting in my face."

According to Akron Police, the 53-year-old was found dead in a fire pit in her own backyard. Her family reported her missing and had been searching for her body for weeks. For now they have closure, but both sides of the family want justice.

"And the way that she was found, who does that? What part of your soul is gone? How much of your soul is left?" asked Steely.

Callaghan was given a $2 million bond at his arraignment on Monday.