The 21-year-old woman was tragically killed in June.
A small park in Denver has been dedicated to the memory of Isabella Thallas, a 21-year-old murder victim shot and killed in June 2020 by a man while she was out walking her dog. Thallas died on a routine walk with her boyfriend and dog in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood. A neighbor took issue with the couple and fired upon them, injuring her boyfriend, and taking the life of the vibrant 21-year-old.
Isabella Thallas. Courtesy of Ana Thallas, GoFundMe.
Thallas was immortalized in a mural painted by local artist Detour (Thomas Evans). And now, she has a park dedicated to her. The mural at 17th and Park looks over a small park—Thallas’s mother, Ana Thallas, worked with the Denver Parks and Recreation department to renovate and make a beautiful place. White lettering has been added to the mural, giving the park the unofficial name of Bella Joy Gardens. Ana Thallas hopes to get the park officially named after her.
A bench in the park was also dedicated in her memory; a place that, a few months ago, was cluttered with overgrown trees and trash. It is now a clean and bright place, a new basketball court with a new mural by Detour. The bench bears a plaque in Isabella’s honor and was dedicated on Friday, August 21, in a ceremony attended by family, friends, and first responders. The plaque reads: “Forever beside you, never forgotten, we love you to the moon and back.”
“It’s not just for us, but for any other family who lost a loved one as a result of gun violence,” said Ana. “Even though it’s a place of mourning for me, it’ll create some joy and closure for people that I hope can come,” said Ana Thallas.
She says she would rather visit her daughter in a beautiful park, not a cemetery, or the memorial where she was killed. The park is full of life and color, a place to celebrate her daughter’s life, not the dark and violent act that took her away. Plans for the park include adding flowerbeds in pink and purple, Isabella’s favorite colors. Her mother hopes they will attract butterflies, which her daughter loved.
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