s death

About 40 people gathered outside Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave., on Thursday for a memorial service commemorating Shannon Martin, a Kansas University student who was stabbed to death nearly a year ago in Costa Rica, eight days before she was to graduate.

“Shannon was one of those people, who, when she came into a room, just lit it up,” said Thad Holcombe, director at Ecumenical Christian Ministries. “She lived life with a passion for everything she did, and she did a lot.”

Martin was slain May 13, 2001, in the Pacific Coast town of Golfito, where she was finishing research for a class.

The service coincided with a vegetarian luncheon held every Thursday at Ecumenical Christian Ministries. Martin, an animal lover, was one of the luncheon’s original organizers.

“The important thing in life is to leave a legacy of friendship behind,” said Martin’s mother, Jeanette Stauffer. “She did that. I still get letters from Shannon’s friends and people who knew her, saying how much she meant to them.”

Standing a few feet away from a tree planted in memory of her daughter last year, Stauffer encouraged the group to also plant “lots of flowers, trees and shrubs in memory of Shannon.”

Martin’s sister, Cheri Martin, played guitar and sang “My Friends,” a song written by folk singer Dar Williams. “It was one of my sister’s favorite songs,” Cheri Martin said.

A 27-year-old woman has been jailed in connection with Martin’s death, but Costa Rican authorities have said they believe two other people also were involved.