Remembering Vicki Berk

 

A New Beginning

All Vicki Berk wanted in this world was to live a happy, abuse-free life and to be a great mom to her three young sons. She was on her way to achieving these goals by 1985. In late 1984, Vicki Berk made the decision to divorce her abusive husband, Otto Berk III. Berk had verbally and physically abused Vicki for several years and was now starting to abuse Vicki’s young son by another marriage, as well as their own two young sons.

Otto Berk III was a sadistic, vicious control freak and was determined to destroy the new life Vicki had created for her family. Within four months after their divorce, Otto Berk III had seven criminal charges against him for harassing Vicki. Columbus, Ohio Police had been summoned to Vicki’s house 16 times to protect her. Vicki knew her ex-husband would not stop until he destroyed her. Although Vicki lived every day in terror, she never let it show for the benefit of her children.

“Every Wound Was Meant to Kill”

On January 4, 1985, at approximately 6:40 a.m., Vicki Berk left for work as she did every morning. Her three young sons – ages 11, 6, and 5 – were asleep upstairs. Wendy, Vicki’s roommate, watched Vicki walk to the detached garage. Wendy kept an eye on Vicki every morning because she worried Otto would get Vicki on her way to the garage.

As Wendy monitored Vicki, she saw a shadow coming around the north side of the garage. Wendy ran to the garage and, as she approached, she could hear Vicki screaming for Otto to leave her alone. Wendy ran into the garage and found Otto on top of Vicki. He was stabbing her in the chest with a knife. Wendy unsuccessfully tried to pull Otto off Vicki. Wendy then ran into the house and called the police. By the time police officers arrived, Otto Berk III was gone. They found Vicki on the garage floor. She had suffered 14 stab wounds.

A Columbus Police Lieutenant who reviewed the case stated, “Every wound was meant to kill.” In Vicki’s purse, which was riddled with holes because Vicki had used it to protect herself, her family found a letter Vicki was going to mail to the local newspaper that day. In the letter, Vicki prophesied her own death at the hands of Otto Berk III. It would later be learned that Vicki’s three young sons heard their mother screaming that morning. These young boys had to listen to their mother die at the hands of their father.

No Remorse

Police arrested Otto Berk III a little over an hour after the stabbing. Authorities learned that Berk has been arrested two months prior to Vicki’s murder after he broke into Vicki’s home thorough a basement window. Berk was wearing black gloves and was armed with a hunting knife. Police made it to the home before Otto Berk III made it upstairs.

At the time of his arrest, Berk had six charges pending against him. Those charges included criminal damaging, assault, two charges of violating a restraining order, criminal trespassing and telephone harassment. Police also had filed a charge against Berk for resisting arrest. In December 1984, a weak justice system allowed Otto Berk III to be out on bond after being convicted of an assault against Vicki. The judge in the case wanted to wait until after the Christmas and New Year holidays to send Otto Berk to jail. That decision would cost Vicki her life.

Throughout his interrogation, Otto Berk III expressed absolutely no remorse. He showed no emotion as he described Vicki’s murder. Otto Berk III actually had the audacity to whine and complain HE was a victim of the legal system. At trial Berk claimed he stabbed Vicki in self-defense. A jury saw straight through him and convicted Otto Berk III of aggravated murder. He was sentenced to Life in prison.

Vicki Berk did everything possible to protect herself. The justice system failed Vicki Berk. We must be her voice and make sure it does not fail her again.