Each of the 143 red silhouettes on the State Capitol's south steps Tuesday represented a woman killed by a partner in 2005.

Five of those women are from Travis County -- including Jennifer Cave, 21, and Lena Kim Nguyen, 19.

Nguyen's ex-boyfriend faces capital murder charges for her death. And police believe the man accused of killing Cave was romantically involved with her.

Violence is not exclusive to marriage, Laura Wolf with the Texas Council on Family Violence said.

"It may be manifested in marriage around financial issues. For example, the wife is not allowed to have access to money. In a dating relationship, it may manifest itself in extreme jealousy or telling a dating partner what to wear," Wolf said.

Vanessa Anderson went to the Capitol Tuesday to honor her daughter, Rachel Anderson.

"Rachel was a wonderful, wonderful girl, full of life and this is her daughter Sophie," Anderson said.

But the purpose in being there is not just to remember. The loss of these families can help remind others of the threat of violence in relationships "and to know the signs of domestic violence, because we didn't," Anderson said.

Candace Smith knows the signs first hand. For her those red figures have added significance.

"It is very hard to see them because I should be one of them.
For some reason, I fought with him when he had a gun pressed to me and as we wrestled something distracted him and I got away. And I hid my children and I and my story is not on one of those," Smith said.

Smith put up with 18 years of emotional and mental abuse, before her abuser attacked her physically, she said.

She says she got out six weeks after that. She is now in a new relationship.

"I am living proof that there are survivors that there are happy endings," Smith said.