(WWJ) – The brother of WWJ overnight anchor Jim Matthews is thanking those who have reached out in support of his family in wake of his murder last Friday in Chesterfield Township.
While Matthews’ 10-year-old son remains in critical but stable condition, his 5-year-old daughter has been released from the hospital and his girlfriend is also continuing to recover in stable condition.
Joe Nicolai, Matthews’ brother, told WWJ’s Charlie Langton Monday morning they are first and foremost in his mind.
“My mind is racing about a million different things at the same time and I keep going back and forth to the different things that need to be taken care of,” Nicolai said. “Mostly, now that my brother has passed away, it’s his children. It’s Hunter, a 10-year-old boy that’s going through brain surgery and ear surgery.”
Matthews’ son was found tied up in a closet suffering from severe blunt force trauma, but his aunt, Ashley Quigley said Monday in an update on the GoFundMe page supporting the family he had “a few victories of his own.”
Prosecutors on Monday charged 55-year-old Arthur Williamson with seven felonies, including first-degree murder. Many questions surrounding the attack remain, including Williamson’s relationship to the family. Nicolai says he hopes to learn why he was in his brother’s house.
He also wants to thank those who have reached out to console both himself and his family.
“It is absolutely amazing and wonderful how many people have reached out,” he said. “I never knew that my brother had touched so many people and touched so many lives in positive ways.”
He says his brother “probably didn’t know” the impact he had made on others’ lives.
“He was just an amazing, genuine guy and so many people have told me how amazing Jim was and Jim saved their lives,” Nicolai said. “I’ve got people telling me that (they) were in the lowest part of their lives and my brother brought them out of it and they’re successful now because of it. I had no idea that he was that amazing.”
As of Monday night the GoFundMe page has raised nearly $15,000 to support Matthews’ children as they recover. Quigley also thanked friends and local community members for all other donations the family has received, including clothes and toys.
"It warms my heart so much to see all of these strangers helping my family when these kids need it the most," Quigley wrote. "You guys are the light in our dark tunnel and even these words of kindness do not express my gratitude for you."
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