BELFAST — The parents and best friend of a slain Dexter family traveled to the Waldo County Sheriff's Office to make a donation to the Waldo County Domestic Community Response Team Aug. 17. Amy Lake, along with her children Monica and Coty, were murdered by her estranged husband, Steven Lake, in 2011. Amy Lake had previously sought protection from Steven, who had violated protection from abuse orders four times prior to the June 13, murders.

The funds will be used to bring a proximity alert system to Waldo County.

While the program isn't yet up and running, according to Sheriff Jeffrey Trafton, he said he hopes to sign a contract for the equipment within a couple of weeks.

The monitoring system will allow victims of domestic abuse to know if their abuser is within a specific proximity. It's a system that Amy Lake's parents believe would have saved her life, had it been available and in use.

"We can see that they would be alive today if Steven had been wearing [a monitor],” said Amy’s father, Ralph Bagley. "No doubt in my mind."

Kelly Gay, a close from and colleague of Amy Lake, agreed.

"If Amy had had even five minutes of warning that Steven was in the area she could have got out," she said.

Steven, Amy, Coty and Monica Lake were all found deceased in the home Amy shared with her children. All died of shotgun wounds.

Sheriff Trafton, who was a cousin to Amy Lake, said the Waldo County Sheriff's Office already has an inmate in mind for the monitoring system.

"We have a [domestic abuser] that's coming out [of incarceration] that we think might be a candidate. We're very concerned," he said.

"Domestic violence is a huge problem, not just in Waldo County," Trafton said. "It's a problem we've been fighting since I began my career. It's also one of the most disturbing [types of] crime," he said.

The hope is that the monitoring program will not only save lives, but also help victims of domestic violence with day-to-day life.

"[The monitoring system] can give someone peace of mind to sleep at night," Gay said.

According to Gay, who taught in an adjacent classroom from Amy for 17 years, the AMC (Amy, Monica, Coty) Memorial 5k began as a way to keep busy, for both her and the Bagleys. The proceeds from previous runs have gone towards different scholarships, but this year Guay had a different idea.

"We decided to donate to something life-saving instead," she said.

Amy's parents only wish a similar program had been in place 2011.

"You never know how many lives you save, you only know the ones you lost," Gay said.

Despite a first year goal of bringing the program to all of Maine, meeting that goal proved to be impossible. Despite this, Gay and the Bagleys remain committed.

"If we have to go county by county in Maine [introducing the monitoring program], we will," Gay said.

Amy's parents and best friend remembered a friendly, athletic girl who excelled at sports during her high school career. Her children, Monica and Coty, shared her athleticism and love of sports, said Amy’s mother, Linda Bagley.

"[Monica] loved snowmobiling and had lots of friends," she said. "Coty would have graduated this past June."

Ralph Bagley smiled while recounting for reporters what a good child Amy had been.

"There's not time enough to tell everything about Amy and the children," he said.

As for Amy and the children's legacy, the annual 5K in their honor serves as a reminder of how beloved they were, not only to family and friends, but to an entire community.

Guay said around 700 people showed up for this year's 5K, all wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the smiling faces of Amy, Monica and Coty.

"People remember," Ralph Bagley said.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com