Americans Stunned by Rash of Domestic Violence Homicides Committed by Women

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Rebecca Stewart

Telephone: 513-479-3335

Americans Stunned by Rash of Domestic Violence Homicides Committed by Women

Washington, D.C. / June 24, 2019 – A recent rash of homicides committed by wives, ex-wives, and girlfriends is dramatically changing the way Americans view the domestic violence issue. Traditionally, domestic violence cases have been portrayed as men who abuse their female partners.

But eight recent homicides reveal a different picture:

June 20: Anne M. Valgora of Papillion, Nebraska was charged with use of a deadly weapon after she fatally shot her domestic partner, Steven Olson (1).
June 13: Army Sgt. Brandyn Paonessa of n Phenix, AL was killed by a shotgun blast fired by his wife, Brittnay Paonessa. The woman had previously driven a truck into their house, narrowly missing their four children (2).
June 8: Prosecutors revealed former Florida State University law professor Dan Markel was killed by hitmen who had been hired by the mother of his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson (3).
May 17: New York City police officer Valerie Cincinelli was arrested in connection with a plot to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband and her boyfriend’s teen daughter (4).
April 11: Laura Ann Buckingham of Tennessee pleaded guilty to solicitation to kill the father of her child, and was sentenced to 10 years probation (5).
February 11: Amy Murray, a Missouri jail nurse, was charged with poisoning her husband with antifreeze, in order that she could marry a jail inmate (6).
February 7: Three weeks after Michael Redlick, a former Memphis Grizzlies executive, was found dead in his home, authorities arrested his wife, Danielle Redlick, and charged her with fatally stabbing him (7).
February 7: Denise Williams was sentenced to life in prison without parole, after she was caught plotting to kill her ex-husband and blame his death on an alligator attack (8).

Even though homicide cases garner extensive media attention, the vast majority of domestic violence incidents involve lower level conflicts. According to the most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control, men are 31% more likely than women to be victims of domestic violence. Every year, 3.8% of men and 2.9% of women experience some type of violence at the hands of their partners (9).

Male victims often report that when they attempt to get help, they are told, “We only help women.”

The Coalition to End Domestic Violence urges federal lawmakers to reform the Violence Against Women Act to remove sex-specific provisions that are discriminatory in nature.

Citations:

The Coalition to End Domestic Violence is working to reform the Violence Against Women Act by addressing underlying causes of domestic violence, promoting family preservation, and ensuring due process.