Amber Carr, the sister of Atatiana Jefferson—the Fort Worth, Texas, woman murdered by a white former cop—died Monday morning at 33.
The family’s lawyer, Lee Merritt, confirmed the news on Twitter, affirming that Carr’s passing was peaceful.
“Amber Carr passed away peacefully this morning,” Merritt tweeted. “She was surrounded by family and loved ones. We are asking for your continued prayers and support as her two young sons deal with her transition.”
Amber Carr passed away peacefully this morning. She was surrounded by family and loved ones. We are asking for your continued prayers and support as her two young sons deal with her transition.https://t.co/Nrh7M4ArYs
— Lee Merritt (@MerrittForTexas) January 30, 2023
According to KXAS, Carr battled for a while with congestive heart failure, which isn’t foreign to the family because her mother, Yolanda Carr, died in January 2020 from the same thing. Their father, Marquis Jefferson, died two weeks after his daughter’s funeral.
Fort Worth City Councilman Chris Nettles addressed the news of Carr’s death on his Facebook page.
“We are heartbroken to hear about the passing of Amber Carr, sister to Ashely Carr & Atatiana Carr-Jefferson and mother to Zion & Zayden Carr,” Nettles wrote. “Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting Amber knew her smile lit up every room, and her love of family transcended time.”
He continued, “Our hearts and prayers are with the entire Carr family right now as they cope with another devastating loss. We are grateful for the time we shared with Amber on this earth and are comforted knowing she has reunited with her mother and sister.”
Carr supported Jefferson by attending her sister’s murder trial in December before returning to the hospital to be treated for her heart ailment.
Jefferson died on October 19, 2019, after playing video games with her nephew, Carr’s son, Zion. Jefferson heard noises outside and went to check it out after retrieving a gun from her purse. The noise came from former officer Aaron Dean, who responded to a call about Jefferson’s door being wide open despite the closed screen door.
Dean ultimately shot Jefferson through a window in her house without warning, killing her. The former law enforcement was eventually arrested and charged. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison, which Carr couldn’t witness due to her hospitalization.
While funeral arrangements are unknown, a GoFundMe was created to assist Carr’s sons with finding a home to live in with their aunt Ashley Carr permanently.