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Cheryl Darrisse

by Lynne Ober

This is the story of not only recovering from a personal tragedy, but also having the strength to turn that tragedy into good for others.

In January 2000 Cheryl’s sister, thirty-two year old Sandra ‘Sandy’ Berfiled, was killed by a pipe bomb left for her by a stalker. Unlike many stalker victims, Sandy had no previous personal relationship with her stalker, Stephen Caruso, a Medford handyman living at home with his mom. Sandy was a waitress at Bickford’s where Caruso was a frequent customer. At one point, he asked her out on a date and she politely declined and said she didn’t date customers. Then began a series of stalking events that escalated. At one point Caruso was caught vandalizing her car, tried, convicted, and put in jail, but later got early release. Within six months of his release, Sandy was dead. He built a pipe bomb and left a package with her sister’s return address. Sandy opened it and died instantly. Caruso is now serving life with no chance of parole for the murder.

Cheryl and her family had to pick up the pieces. Cheryl is a dynamic individual who has decided that Sandy’s death can best be remembered by helping others and that’s exactly what she’s doing.

When Cheryl graduated from high school, she began working. Realizing that she needed more education, she applied and was one of forty students accepted to the Chelsea Soldier’s Home Nursing Program. “They only accept forty because the tuition is free. I had to buy uniforms and books. It’s a one-year program. You go to school from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. for one year. Once you’re done you still have to pass your boards. I don’t know if I could do it again, but I did it then.” Cheryl worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at a Lawrence Hospital while going to school and was hired as an LPN as soon as she passed her nursing boards.

Today she is a stay-at-home mom. She and her husband moved to New Hampshire, but he still commutes to Massachusetts to work. They have three daughters: Chantel is one, Cassandra is three and Kailee is five. “Cassandra was born one year after my sister’s death on the anniversary of her death. She’s my sister’s name sake,” Cheryl explains.

During the trial Cheryl and her family learned that Caruso had used the Internet to gather a large body of information not only about Sandy, but also about the whole family. “He even had our social security numbers,” explains Cheryl. “That’s really frightening.”

With the help of Massachusetts State Senator Pamela P. Resor, Chapter 265 of the General Laws has been amended to protect stalking victims who have not had a personal relationship with the stalker. “Sandy’s Law,” as it is known in Massachusetts was the first step along a trail to help victims of stalkers.

“I’ve been talking to Senator Bob Clegg about designating January as Stalker’s Awareness Month in New Hampshire. This goes along with a program that The National Center for Victims has started. We want to make everyone more aware of this type of dangerous harassment.” Clegg is sponsoring Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 6, which would designate January as stalking awareness month in New Hampshire.

Cheryl didn’t stop there. She’s founded a non-profit organization called Feel Safe Again. “My ultimate goal is to help you Feel Safe Again, by teaching you how to be safe again,” Cheryl states. The goals of this group and its Board are to provide one place where victims of stalkers can go for assistance. “We want people to receive support and education about staling and stalkers. We want people to become survivors of stalking and not be victims.” To do that Cheryl wants to develop a national resource for safety tips, resources against stalkers, and education about stalking.

The group has started an online Support Group for Victims of Stalking and is offering monthly support group meetings in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. “These are free and confidential,” stated Cheryl.

Cheryl is being interviewed this week for a segment on the Montel Williams’ Show. “He’s doing a whole segment on stalking. They called me and asked me to participate. I’m not sure when it will be aired, but I’ll be doing the interviews this week. I just want to help others so that they can survive a stalking experience,” said Cheryl.

To get more information about this non-profit organization, visit www.FeelSafeAgain.org or call 1-888-99B-SAFE.