Mother of Slain Caseworker Honored as 'Unsung Heroine'

Peabody resident Kimberly Flynn, whose daughter -- 25-year-old Stephanie Moulton -- was murdered last year while on the job, was honored Wednesday at the Statehouse for in the wake of her daughter's death.

Flynn was among a group of Bay State women who received awards as "Unsung Heroines" from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.

Moulton was allegedly killed by Deshawn Chappell, a 27-year-old male patient at the clinic where Moulton worked in Revere on Jan. 20, 2011. The case against Chappell is ongoing, along with a .

In the wake of the tragedy and learning how exposed to danger many female caseworkers are at their workplaces, Flynn vowed such tragedy would never happen again and

State Sen. Fred Berry and the rest of Peabody's state delegation came alongside Flynn to support her in pursuing the new bill in the legislature. It was Berry who filed the bill and nominated Flynn for this award.

"I nominated Ms. Flynn for this recognition because of her commitment to transform a profound personal tragedy, the brutal murder of her daughter Stephanie Moulton, into an opportunity to help others," said Berry in a statement. "Ms. Flynn never intended to become an advocate, yet since her daughter’s death she has been the leading voice in the Commonwealth for better protections and safety standards for direct care workers in the field of mental health."

A ceremony was held Wednesday afternoon in the Great Hall at the Statehouse with News Center 5’s Liz Brunner acting as master of ceremonies to recognize women from across Massachusetts for their "outstanding contributions" to their communities or organizations they serve by working in partnership with state legislators. Elected officials from across the region and state were also in attendance to congratulate the women.

The event was sponsored by Tufts Health Plan, Verizon, MetroWest Athena and NSTAR.