Peace Corps Mourns the Loss of Volunteer

I am sad to report that Sam's dear friend and fellow volunteer, Tom Maresco, was killed on Friday night. Please keep Sam and Tom's family in your thoughts and prayers this week.

See e-mail below from Sam's dad:

All,

It is with a heavy heart that are writing to tell you Samantha’s best friend in the Peace Corps, Tom, was killed last night in Lesotho. It appears Samantha and Tom were talking a 5-minute walk from a local hotel to the Peace Corps compound in Maseru when they were approached by a man with a gun. The man shot and killed Tom and fired on Samantha as she fled. Fortunately, she was not hit and made it back to the Peace Corps compound unharmed.

The details of what exactly happened are still sketchy at this point. We have spoken to Samantha this morning and as you can imagine she is extremely distraught. We have also spoken to the local director of the Peace Corps in Lesotho as well as the Director of the Peace Corps in Washington DC. They have assured us she is safe. She is being evaluated by a doctor of the regional medical staff from South Africa who has been flown in to Lesotho. The Peace Corps is also bringing in a team of medical staff and social workers from DC to provide counseling and support.

At this point the information is very limited and we are uncertain of the next steps for Samantha. We have been assured by all parties she is safe and unharmed. So that is good news. We ask that your keep her in her thoughts and prayers as she tries to cope with the tragic event. We will keep you posted as we learn more.

Thank you for all of your support of Samantha.