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TAYLORSVILLE -- Hundreds of people gathered in a Taylorsville funeral home Wednesday to memorialize a woman police say was gunned down by her former mother-in-law.
Some of the children 34-year-old Tatyana Nikitina taught at the Head Start preschool where she was shot and killed last week attended the service. Her mother, father and a sister were also there, as was Nikitina's fiance, Rod Hernandez.
"It's been a devastating day," Hernandez said.
But he added that the family was also uplifted by the support from the community and volunteers.
"This being a violent crime, and, you know, what happened, it made it even worse," Hernandez said.
Hernandez said when she walked into the room, Nikitina would light it up like the sun. He said a lot of children loved her at the Head Start program.
Nikitina's body has been cremated, but her family has not announced a burial date and location, wishing to keep that information private.
Her former mother-in-law, 70-year-old Mary Nance Hanson, remains on jail, awaiting formal charges in the killing.
Nikitina and her ex-husband, Dale Jankowski, had been involved in bitter legal dispute over custody of the couple's children at the time she was killed.
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
