Topeka ? The parents of Jana Mackey, a Kansas University law student who was killed in 2008 by her ex-boyfriend, urged support of legislation aimed at reducing domestic violence.

“We believe it is our personal responsibility to use the story of Jana’s life and the story of her death to help reduce violence against women,” said Mackey’s mother Christie Brungardt. “It is our deep desire to turn this tragedy into something positive,” she said during a news conference Thursday at the YWCA.

Mackey, who was murdered in July 2008 in Lawrence, was well-known for her work on many social justice issues. Adolfo Garcia-Nunez, who was arrested in New Jersey in connection with Mackey’s death, committed suicide in a holding cell.

Christie Brungardt and Mackey’s stepfather Curt Brungardt, both of Hays, called for passage of a bill that would require a domestic violence tag be placed on all legal documents associated with a criminal act related to an intimate relationship. The measure would also require courts to order an assessment of the domestic violence offender and recommend interventions and treatments.

The legislation is expected to be considered during the 2010 session that starts next month.

Christie Brungardt, the mother of murder victim Jana Mackey, speaks Thursday at a news conference in support of legislation to reduce domestic violence. A photo of Mackey is on a screen beside Brungardt.