Domestic violence's reach is insidious
72 killed, more affected in state

Susie Steckner
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 17, 2004 12:00 AM

An uncle kills his niece. A son beats his father to death. A wife strangles her husband. A man fatally shoots his ex-girlfriend and then himself.

At least 72 times in Arizona this year, someone has died because of domestic violence. Most of the victims and suspects knew each other intimately; the rest were family members or an innocent bystander, the latest numbers show.

Arizona's death toll breaks the stereotypical "husband kills wife" scenario, showing how domestic violence reaches into families, neighborhoods, the workplace and beyond.

"People don't recognize the lethality of this," said Doreen Nicholas, a training coordinator for the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which tracked the deaths.

"We still hear these minimizing and demeaning remarks about domestic violence, like 'that little family feud over there,' " she said. "People don't understand the ripple effect of domestic violence."

The coalition's review shows such effects:

• In one Phoenix case, a taxi driver picking up a fare got caught in between a couple arguing and was shot to death. He leaves behind a wife and child, as well as an employer and co-workers, police say.

• In a handful of cases, victims were killed in front of their children. Those children are now without one parent, or both if the other is in jail or is dead. What's more, experts say exposure to domestic violence, much less a death, causes myriad issues for a child: difficulty learning in school, mental health problems, challenges with basic activities such as sleeping, and the tendency to turn to drugs to cope later in life.

• Several of the cases involved public places, including a park, a shopping mall garage, a motel and a freeway.

The Valley's most recent domestic violence killing came earlier this month, which is national Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The Phoenix couple had fought before, notably in March, while they were still engaged, police said. According to a police account of that fight, Isaac Jackson threw a glass at his fiancee's throat. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but police had no record of arresting him.

The couple later married. On Oct. 1, Isaac was arguing with his now-wife, Lawana, 32, police said. This time Lawana wanted a divorce, said Phoenix police spokeswoman Sgt. Lauri Williams. Police say Isaac shot her to death while the couple's four children, ages eight months to 15 years old, were at the west Phoenix home. He later shot himself.

Nationally, roughly 2,000 to 3,000 people a year die a domestic violence-related death, according to Neil Websdale, director of the National Domestic Violence Fatality Review Initiative based at Northern Arizona University.

But the total number is even higher given indirect causes of death, he said. There's the victim who flees an abusive house, ends up homeless and later dies on the street. Or the victim who can't endure abuse any longer and commits suicide.

"If you really broaden the net, the deaths traceable to domestic violence are actually quite considerable," said Websdale, also a professor of criminal justice at NAU and author of the book Understanding Domestic Homicide.

Thirty states track such deaths through formal fatality review teams and look for ways to improve government and other services to stem the tide of deaths. In Arizona, there is no state mandate to do that, so instead Nicholas' organization, a non-profit advocacy group, tracks deaths using news reports.

The coalition has tallied 72 deaths as of Oct. 2, closing in on last year's total of 90. The fatality review includes not only victim deaths, but also deaths that occur when a suspect commits suicide or when a law enforcement officer kills a suspect.

Nicholas and others say the fatality review punctuates the general prevalence of domestic violence among families.

Take the DOVES program for victims who are seniors. Nearly 200 women and men seek support groups and housing because they have been abused by spouses and partners, or their children.

Such abuse between a parent and child or other relative "happens so much more than it's being reported," said Alice Ghareib, director of program, which is run by the Area Agency on Aging. "The victim number one . . . doesn't want to report it to police. Who wants to see their child go to jail?

"Then there's that fear of retaliation. This person is stronger, has more power. 'What's going to happen to me if I tell police that my nephew Tony locks me in the closet?' "

Nicholas said the review also shatters the notion that such violence only occurs in low-income or inner-city areas. The coalition's fatality review includes incidents in Fountain Hills and Scottsdale.

But she acknowledges that advocates have a long way to go in their fight against domestic violence.

"People are in such denial about this happening in their neighborhood," she said. "We still aren't there with the community understanding."

Reporter Emily Bittner contributed to this article. Reach Steckner at susie.steckner@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8543.


http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1017domesticdeaths.html

Are you from Arizona?My nephew is there facing Armed Robbery,false imprisonment charges!We are all scared,he moved out there from Alabama(home)2 years ago to be with his girl,(he was only 17 then),and she was a heroin addict & 5 years older and I HATE HER ,he became one too,didnt want her to have to "work" for money for drugs so apparently he got himself in a jam & that liar EX g/f of his is no where to be seen or heard from good thing for her ass,do you know if there is a youthful offender's act there ?They done away with all that in Alabama when I was a kid,although at 18(1987,Im 35 now)I was convicted of opiate sales and distribution,and larceny and was able to take the youthful offender act,and only served 6 months off 2 years,(Jasper is close to Georgia,I was caught in Bremen , Ga. off I 20 returning to Ala. to drop in Birmingham..never made it so ooops!lol!so with about 100 dilaudas and stolen credit cards,so that was Ga. Law,never even got a speeding ticket ever since,want to help him we've always had a special bond.Those are heavy time doers now in Ala. and Ga.,that I KNOW,especially opiates is class a felony requiring a maximum..so you can see why Im so scared for him,his charge in my day,10 do 2 5 do 3 etc.,now 10 to 20 to 20 to life!HELP!




Domestic violence's reach is insidious
72 killed, more affected in state

Susie Steckner
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 17, 2004 12:00 AM

An uncle kills his niece. A son beats his father to death. A wife strangles her husband. A man fatally shoots his ex-girlfriend and then himself.

At least 72 times in Arizona this year, someone has died because of domestic violence. Most of the victims and suspects knew each other intimately; the rest were family members or an innocent bystander, the latest numbers show.

Arizona's death toll breaks the stereotypical "husband kills wife" scenario, showing how domestic violence reaches into families, neighborhoods, the workplace and beyond.

"People don't recognize the lethality of this," said Doreen Nicholas, a training coordinator for the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which tracked the deaths.

"We still hear these minimizing and demeaning remarks about domestic violence, like 'that little family feud over there,' " she said. "People don't understand the ripple effect of domestic violence."

The coalition's review shows such effects:

• In one Phoenix case, a taxi driver picking up a fare got caught in between a couple arguing and was shot to death. He leaves behind a wife and child, as well as an employer and co-workers, police say.

• In a handful of cases, victims were killed in front of their children. Those children are now without one parent, or both if the other is in jail or is dead. What's more, experts say exposure to domestic violence, much less a death, causes myriad issues for a child: difficulty learning in school, mental health problems, challenges with basic activities such as sleeping, and the tendency to turn to drugs to cope later in life.

• Several of the cases involved public places, including a park, a shopping mall garage, a motel and a freeway.

The Valley's most recent domestic violence killing came earlier this month, which is national Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The Phoenix couple had fought before, notably in March, while they were still engaged, police said. According to a police account of that fight, Isaac Jackson threw a glass at his fiancee's throat. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but police had no record of arresting him.

The couple later married. On Oct. 1, Isaac was arguing with his now-wife, Lawana, 32, police said. This time Lawana wanted a divorce, said Phoenix police spokeswoman Sgt. Lauri Williams. Police say Isaac shot her to death while the couple's four children, ages eight months to 15 years old, were at the west Phoenix home. He later shot himself.

Nationally, roughly 2,000 to 3,000 people a year die a domestic violence-related death, according to Neil Websdale, director of the National Domestic Violence Fatality Review Initiative based at Northern Arizona University.

But the total number is even higher given indirect causes of death, he said. There's the victim who flees an abusive house, ends up homeless and later dies on the street. Or the victim who can't endure abuse any longer and commits suicide.

"If you really broaden the net, the deaths traceable to domestic violence are actually quite considerable," said Websdale, also a professor of criminal justice at NAU and author of the book Understanding Domestic Homicide.

Thirty states track such deaths through formal fatality review teams and look for ways to improve government and other services to stem the tide of deaths. In Arizona, there is no state mandate to do that, so instead Nicholas' organization, a non-profit advocacy group, tracks deaths using news reports.

The coalition has tallied 72 deaths as of Oct. 2, closing in on last year's total of 90. The fatality review includes not only victim deaths, but also deaths that occur when a suspect commits suicide or when a law enforcement officer kills a suspect.

Nicholas and others say the fatality review punctuates the general prevalence of domestic violence among families.

Take the DOVES program for victims who are seniors. Nearly 200 women and men seek support groups and housing because they have been abused by spouses and partners, or their children.

Such abuse between a parent and child or other relative "happens so much more than it's being reported," said Alice Ghareib, director of program, which is run by the Area Agency on Aging. "The victim number one . . . doesn't want to report it to police. Who wants to see their child go to jail?

"Then there's that fear of retaliation. This person is stronger, has more power. 'What's going to happen to me if I tell police that my nephew Tony locks me in the closet?' "

Nicholas said the review also shatters the notion that such violence only occurs in low-income or inner-city areas. The coalition's fatality review includes incidents in Fountain Hills and Scottsdale.

But she acknowledges that advocates have a long way to go in their fight against domestic violence.

"People are in such denial about this happening in their neighborhood," she said. "We still aren't there with the community understanding."

Reporter Emily Bittner contributed to this article. Reach Steckner at susie.steckner@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8543.


http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1017domesticdeaths.html :eek: :eek: :(