A mother in North Carolina was killed in an apparent domestic violence incident. | Pixabay/ValynPi14 / 1 image
A mother in North Carolina was killed in an apparent domestic violence incident. | Pixabay/ValynPi14 / 1 image
A recent murder-suicide related to domestic violence has reignited conversations about how to get people out of those situations.
Law enforcement officials told WBTV that Joshua D. Laney allegedly killed himself after fatally shooting his former wife, Erica Thomas, in Waxhaw earlier this month, according to a March 7 report by the news outlet.
Thomas felt threatened by Laney and obtained multiple restraining orders, but still fell victim to deadly domestic violence, WBTV reported.
“We want to find a solution and say, ‘She could have done something differently,’” Jessie Lindberg, executive director of Turning Point Inc., told WBTV in a follow-up interview. “I don’t know if she could have unless she decided to leave the area.”
The idea of leaving, while costly and burdensome to the victim, is sometimes the best option if a person wants to stay safe, Lindberg said.
Turning Point recognizes that the decision to uproot oneself and leave the area is more complicated when children are involved, Lindberg said. The organization is committed to providing emergency and lifesaving resources for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse, according to its website.
Fleeing domestic violence begins with making a safety plan, Lindberg said.
“It’s a plan you put in place that dictates what I need to come with me,” she said. “Do I need all the vital documents? Birth certificate, proof of insurance, that type of thing,” Lindberg said on the newscast.
For more information about available resources, visit turningpointnc.org.
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