Jump in domestic violence homicides baffles investigators

Keith Paul

Monday, July 2, 2001 | 11:15 a.m.

Howard V. Brown Sr. was scheduled to be in court last month to face charges of beating his girlfriend. But the day before the court date, an argument was heard in the couple's home that ended in Joanne Williams becoming the year's 17th domestic-violence homicide.

Her death pushed the number of slayings related to domestic violence for the first six months of this year past last year's total.

The total number of domestic-violence homicides is mirroring a rise in all homicides -- 75 -- during the first six months of this year in Metro Police's jurisdiction.

This comes after the department last year recorded 16 domestic violence homicides and 95 slayings total -- the first time in 10 years there were less than 100 in Metro's jurisdiction.

Police and domestic violence experts are struggling to find a reason for the increase this year, but note that Williams' slaying is an example of how women sometimes refuse to leave a violent relationship.

"The national average is a woman will return to a batterer seven to 10 times before she will leave for good," said Sgt. Tom Wagner of Metro Police's domestic violence unit. "We try and educate people to get them out of the situation before it turns deadly."

Homicides are up not only in Metro's jurisdiction -- Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County -- but throughout the Las Vegas Valley this year. North Las Vegas has already surpassed last year's total of 10 homicides, with 14 so far this year, and Henderson has had five homicides so far this year, compared with eight last year. Henderson had no homicides in 1999.

Metro Lt. Wayne Petersen said there is no pattern among the domestic slayings this year and can pinpoint no reason for the increase over last year.

"This year is really more in line with 1999, 1998 and 1997, when domestic homicides were about 20 to 25 percent of the total," Petersen, head of the homicide unit, said. "I can't explain why the homicides and the domestic homicides are up this year, as I can't explain why they were down last year. It seems that last year may have been an anomaly."

"I can't give you any reasoning for the increase," said Charleen Aydt-Stann, an advocate at Safe Nest, a shelter for battered women and their children. "One is too many, let alone 17. It shouldn't be happening at all."

Metro several years ago made preventing and investigating domestic violence a priority and created a unit dedicated to the issue.

"I don't think there is anything we can do that will prevent someone from erupting and taking someone's life," Wagner said. "We keep trying to educate people and helping and urging them to leave the situation."

Jacquelyn Campbell, an associate dean in the School of Nursing at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said there may be no way of pointing to one factor for the increase, but the jump is worrisome.

"You have to wonder whether or not woman are sufficiently impressed with the kinds of risk factors they face," Campbell said. "Although the police may say they recognize the pattern, women living with an abusive man for a long time may not be as good at recognizing the situation."

That may be true in the case of Williams. When the police arrived at her home on June 18, she appeared fine and showed no signs of injury. She didn't tell police of a beating she apparently just received during an argument, police said. Her boyfriend, Brown, was gone.

The early morning of June 18 was not the first time police have been called to the apartment. In May, Williams also was beaten, and Brown was arrested, police said.

It was for the alleged May incident that Brown was supposed to be in court on June 19. Apparently Williams passed out because of her injuries after police left on June 18. Her boyfriend called for help after returning to the apartment.

She was taken to Sunrise Hospital, where she died from head injuries, according to a Metro arrest report.

After talking with detectives, "Brown admitted to hitting Williams during an argument," according to the arrest report

A neighbor also reported to police he heard arguing in the apartment above him and the "female half yelling for help."

While slayings such as Williams' are most often thought of as domestic violence, Petersen said a man killing his wife or girlfriend or a woman killing her husband or boyfriend is not the only category. Las Vegas has experienced a son killing his mother, a man killing his grandparents and aunt, a brother-in-law killing his brother-in-law and several other types of relationships this year.

Wagner said a more fitting title is family violence.

"We as a family need to be there for each other," Wagner said. "Instead we're beating and killing each other."

For women, leaving an abusive relationship is a process, Aydt-Stann said.

Women need to be ready to leave and then have all the necessities in line, such as a place to live and a way to earn money if they had not been working. They need to be able to feel safe from their abuser.

"It would be great if we didn't have anymore this year, but I have a feeling that isn't going to happen," Wagner said. "Last year was phenomenal. Now in the sixth month we surpassed the total for last year. What are we doing wrong? I don't know."