HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 09-16 Family killings frustrate domestic violence groups MPR Family killings frustrate domestic violence groups
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Riham Feshir•Sep 16,2015
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4min 37sec(http://www•mpmews.org/listen?name=/minnesota/news/features/zoi$/o9/�6/1$o916_feshir_2oiso9i6_64.mp3)
The ldllings of a Iake Minnetonka family apparently by their husband-father led Becky Smith to a sad,familiar duty—updating the Minnesota
Coalirion for Battered Women's count of domesticviolence deaths.
On its Facebookpage,her group posted smiling images of Karen Short and her children(
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type=i&theater/1 Cole,Madison and Brooklyn under its"Live F7ee�+nthout Violence'banner,part of a yeaz-old pubhc awareness campazgn to
rewgnize the lives of victims.
For family advocates and law enforcement,it was a grim reminder of how consistent the numbers aze in Minnesota—and howhazd it is to change
them.
The battered women's coalition counts between 2o and 4o domesticviolence ldllings each yeaz.The Sborts'deaths pushed the number of"intimate
partner"family ldllings to zo in Minnesota so far this year.Iast yeaz,z3 people 3ied in intimate partner homicides.In 2oi3,the number was 38.
"There was a moment in August where we had to raise the'Live Free Without Piolence'flag four weeks in a row,"said Smith,the battered women
coalition's program manager."We ask people to put these materials in the public eye so they can then generate conversations."
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The"Live Free Without Violence"suggests public agencies,businesses and individuals place flags,banners,windowdecals or social media photos in t e
public eye for one full weekafter a death is reported.MembersLip grewfrom about 8o participants to Soo this year.
Of the 2o victims,five women died by murder-suiode.In addition to Karen Short,the campaign has honored Ianaea Hazrison,Esther Muchina-Dobie,
Cazol Alexander-Pickart and Shelley Walley.
Minnesota Coalirion for Battered Women Executive Director Liz Richards said she's ofren surprised and disturbed by the public s astonishment with
domesticviolence homicides when they happen in their owu communities.More than 6z,000 victims of domesticviolence seekhelp each year in
Minnesota,she said.
"It says to me to me that there is a disconnect,"Richazds said,"that people lmow about domestic violence but they think that it's happening somewhere
else."
The Short family case debunks a myth that domestic abuse only happens in impoverished communities,advocates say.The family lived in a$2 miIlion
mansion and Brian Short,a former nurse,was the CEO of a company.
Each domestic violence homicide case presents unique circumstances,but many shaze a common theme:male perpetrator,intimate partner,female
victim and a fireazm.
But advocates haven't been able to point to one indicator that eaplains why domestic abuse turns deadly.It's a wmplex issue,which Richazds said,
makes it"very difficult to look at how you make this stop."
Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell has seen three domestic violence homicides in his St.Paul suburb this yeaz.He said some of the cases aze simply
not on the radaz because police haven't had prior contact with the family.
Schnell and the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women,along with other groups,are studying a proposal similar to a Californialawpassed lastyeaz
that allows family members or law enforcement to petirion the court to take guns away from individuals who may be at risk of hamvng themselves or
others.
The restraining order against gun possession is not a"magic solution"but a mechanism that may reduce the number of domestic homicides,Schnell
said.
"We begin to ask the question if that gun had not been present in the home,would we have had the same outcome?"Schnell said."Certainly there aze
other instruments of lethality,lmives,etc.,but the gun becomes something that is a game changer."
The proposal is one of a number of items on the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women's public policy legislarive agenda.While optimistic about its
potential,Richards has concerns about how well the lawwould be enforced to ensure the abuser never has access to firearms.
It's a similaz challenge to tweak order for protection laws to keep victims safe.Under the law,abusers cannot legally obtain fireazms,which Richaz ds
says sometimes discourages victims fromfiling the orders.
"One of the things we will somerimes heaz from some victims is'I would get an order for protection but if it's going to implicate his ability to go hunting,
I think iYs going to inflame things and I don't want to go in and get relief then,"'Richazds said.
Although 25 Percent of the reported domesticviolence homicide cases so fu in 2oi5 in Minnesota have been murder-suicide,it's raze when compazed
to al]homiades and all suicides nationwide,according to Metropolitan State University Criminal Justice Professor James Densley.
Murder-suicides account for less than o.i of every ioo,000 people,according to Densley's research.That number compazes to four homicides out of
ioo,000 and i2 suicides out of ioo,000 people. .
"If you]ook at it just as a subsection of intimate partner homicide,perhaps it's not as surprising...that so many murder-suicides occur in those
domestic situations,"he said.
Murder-suicide trends have consis[ently shown that the perpetrator is male,Densely said.But they often don't show a history of domestic violence,
drug abuse,alcoholism or unemployment like other suicide cases. — —
"4Vhat you see with murder-suicide is maybe some degree of feeling a sense of helplessness and that the suicide is the route out,"he added.°But also
you don t want to leave those troubles with the family and so it is the murder of the family which lifts the burden from the perspective of the murderer
and they take their own life to do the same thing."
A spokesperson for the Hennepin County Sheriff s Office says police aze still investigating the Short case.The funeral for the family is setfor Sunday
v✓ith visitation at 2 p.m.and service at 4 p.m.at Grace Church in Fden Prairie.
Clanficarion:An earlier uersion of ihe story said the rate of murder-suicides was o.i of every ioo,000 deaths and i2 suicides out of ioo,000
fataliries.The story above clarifies that the measure is out of�oo,000 people,not deaths.
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MPR News Update Riham Feshir•Reporter
2:52 PM•Sep 16,2015 rfeshir_ Ca��—o�°fO'651-2_ 9���z20'n�h- a�--"�feshv
MPR News Update Riham Feslvr is a general assignment reporter for MPRr
6:44 AM•Sep 17,2015