Father Using Slain Daughter's Tragic Story To Curb Dating Violence

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It's been nearly nine years since a high school cheerleader was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend.

Today, the painful details of the crime were relived at Gateway High School.

On Aug. 14, 2007, Demi Cuccia, a junior at Gateway High School, celebrated her 16th birthday.

The next day, she got her driver's permit and a few hours later, her life was over.

She was stabbed 16 times by her ex-boyfriend. She had broken up with him just two weeks earlier.

"As a parent, when you lose a child to a violent homicide, it's kind of like you're numb and you just live in this disbelief for so long," Dr. Gary Cuccia, Demi's father, said.

In many ways, Gary still can't believe it.

The tragedy plays out in his mind almost every day. The details are agonizing, but the pain doesn't stop him from telling Demi's story.

"I know Demi's story is touching lives and making a difference," Gary said.

In about five years, Cuccia has done close to 200 powerful school assemblies.

Returning to Gateway, where his daughter walked the halls, was especially emotional.

"We want to talk to the kids about healthy relationships versus unhealthy relationships and the warning signs and what would maybe be a red flag of something that's unhealthy," Gary said.

His mission is two-fold - to honor Demi's life and to prevent another senseless death.

Statistics show that 1-in-3 teens experience some form of dating abuse.

"If you're in an unhealthy relationship or you just broke up with somebody that has these tendencies, that's the most dangerous time, don't allow yourself to be put in the situation where something bad can happen," Gary said.

Cuccia said he plans to continue visiting schools and sharing his daughter's story. In the meantime, Demi's former-boyfriend, John Mullarkey, remains in prison serving a life sentence.

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