UNIONTOWN, Ohio — The Uniontown community is still grappling with what police called a quadruple murder homicide in August. Police found all five of the Dunham family members, two parents and three young children, dead inside their home on Carnation Avenue. Police said it was a domestic dispute that turned violent, with the father turning the gun on himself.
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The victims were Jason Dunham, 46; Melissa Dunham, 42; Renee Dunham, 15; Amber Dunham, 12; and Evan Dunham, 9. All died after being shot. Surviving family members and friends have now established a scholarship fund with one goal; to keep their memories alive in a positive light.
The Lake Community Hope Scholarship is now being offered through the Stark Community Partnership. This fund will provide annual scholarship assistance to graduating seniors from Lake High School who were engaged in extracurricular activities and community service beyond school. A close friend of the Dunham family told News 5 this is a true reflection of the values Melissa instilled in her children from a very young age. The kids were heavily involved in school sports, and the marching band, including Boys and Girl scouts. Renee, Amber, and Evan were Lake Local School students and Melissa was even a Lake High School graduate herself.
“Melissa was also involved with a lot of community service organizations, not only through her work but also found those opportunities for us as a Girl Scout troop to help our community,” said Angelia Laymon, a close family friend. “Those were all very important to her and she was teaching her kids those values in life of just how to be a good person and contribute to society in the best way, which is exactly what we want this scholarship to continue to embody.”
Laymon said family, friends, and the community are still processing the tragic losses but are hopeful the Dunham family legacy will inspire everyone to be the best they can be and to get involved in the community.
"This has been difficult," Laymon said. "It's been difficult for us. It's been difficult for our kids to just process this, but we're getting there. We hope that this scholarship will be a way for them to live on forever and that a little piece of them touches everybody in the best way possible."
The first scholarship will be available to seniors graduating in 2025 and the application process will begin in December 2024. The scholarship still needs more funding. If you would like to donate click here.
