A GoFundMe appeal has been launched to support the two sons of Vikki Soloman, a beauty business owner who was allegedly murdered by her ex-partner. The fundraiser was set up by her close friend, Karen Lennen, to help ease the financial burden on Reece and Jude as they face an "unimaginable" future without their mother.
Vikki Soloman, 44, from Edinburgh, died after emergency services were called to a property in the East Craigs area at around 8.45pm on Monday, July 20. Lee Greenan, 46, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court charged with her murder and was remanded in custody. The Scottish Prison Service later confirmed Greenan had been found dead at HMP Edinburgh on Sunday. It is understood he died by suicide.
Friend's appeal for Vikki's sons
Karen Lennen described Vikki as "the rock of her family" whose greatest joy was watching her sons grow up. She wrote: "Our hearts were shattered by the sudden and devastating loss of Vikki. She was a devoted and wonderful mother, the rock of her family, and a fabulous friend to so many."
Karen added: "Vikki dedicated her life to providing for her sons, Reece and Jude. Watching them grow into the wonderful young men they are today brought her immense joy and pride. To Vikki, the boys and everyone grieving: you will never walk alone. Her tragic passing has left an unimaginable void in their lives and placed an overwhelming burden on the boys as they try to come to terms with this heartbreaking loss."
Financial support for the future
Karen said the appeal would help ease some of the financial pressure now facing the family while giving Reece and Jude the support they need for the future. She added: "As they grieve the loss of their beloved mum, we want Reece and Jude to be surrounded by as much love and support as possible. We also want to do everything we can to help relieve the financial burden they now face. Your donation will help provide them with stability and support for the future, giving them the opportunity to move forward and pursue their dreams."
Previous tragedy for the family
This is not the first tragedy to strike the family. Chris Lindsay, the late father of one of her sons, died in mysterious circumstances while on holiday in Spain 15 years ago when their boy was just three months old. Chris passed away in a Costa del Sol hospital aged 34 in October 2011, five days after he was found collapsed in a street. A post-mortem found he died from multiple organ failure, but Chris's family believed he was attacked. Speaking at the time, Vikki said her partner had been working hard to provide for their son and his death had left the family bereft.
Vikki went on to devote herself to raising her boys and worked tirelessly to provide for them. She ran Vikki Soloman Aesthetics in Edinburgh and had been working with politicians at Holyrood in recent years to ensure safe practices in the beauty industry.
Shocking confession and tributes
We previously told how Greenan stunned pub punters after walking into his local bar, the Mid Yoken, covered in blood and confessing he had killed his ex-partner, Vikki. An eyewitness described the shocking scenes as "like something out of a movie".
Vikki has been remembered as "beautiful" and "a diamond" by friends in tributes following her death. Karen thanked everyone who had reached out, describing her friend as an "intelligent, kind, brave, generous, wonderful soul sister". She wrote: "I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has messaged or called me over the last few days. I truly appreciate all of your kind words and the memories you've shared of Vikki. It has reminded me just how deeply she was loved by so many people. I'm still trying to come to terms with everything that has happened, but right now my main priority is to support her family in any way I can. We've set up a GoFundMe page for her boys, who were absolutely her world. If you're able to help in any way, no matter how big or small, it would mean so much. Thank you all again for your love, kindness and support."
