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Dating Violence and Your Teen:

In February 2009, teen pop star Chris Brown allegedly beat and verbally threatened his celebrity girlfriend Rihanna inside his car before leaving her and driving off. Rihanna is 21 years old; Brown is 19.
While stories such as this don't usually make national headlines, Brown and Rihanna have spotlighted a very real issue amongst teens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teen dating abuse affects 1 out of every 11 high school students.

Teen dating violence, as defined by the Crime and Violence Prevention Center (CVPC), includes hitting, yelling, threatening, name calling, or any other form of verbal, sexual, emotional, or physical abuse. It affects every race, gender, religion, and socioeconomic class, and occurs in both heterosexual and gay relationships. Although both men and women can be the abuser, the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center (NYVPRC) states that females ages 16-24 are almost three times more likely to be the victim of partner abuse than the national average of any other age group.

Teens who are involved in an abusive relationship usually do not tell loved ones of their situation, so it is important for parents, guardians, and close friends to recognize any warning signs. Alarmingly, a recent survey conducted by the NYVPRC found that 81% of parents either believe teen dating violence is not an issue, or admit they don't know if it's an issue. To help raise awareness, NYVPRC provides some signs to be conscious of, including:


-Unexplained bruising, scratches, or injuries
-Signs a teen is afraid of his/her boyfriend or girlfriend
-Controlling behavior exhibited by a boyfriend or girlfriend, and acting jealous and/or possessive
-Critical and insulting behavior by a teen's boyfriend or girlfriend
-Abusive behavior by a boyfriend or girlfriend toward other people or things
-The need for the teen to apologize for his/her boyfriend or girlfriend's behavior
-Loss of interest in school, activities, or hobbies
-Sudden appearance and behavior changes
-Mood changes such as acting depressed, secretive, anxious, or acting out
-Starting to use drugs and/or alcohol
Although some of these signs are part of normal teen behavior, there is a cause for concern if these changes happen suddenly or without explanation.

St. Louis man charged in killing of girlfriend

ST. LOUIS — Prosecutors today have charged a woman’s boyfriend for her slaying, St. Louis police said.

Police said that Dajuan Keith Drake, 29, of the 1600 block of North 18th Street, has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Drake is being held in the St. Louis city jail in lieu of a $750,000 bond.

Prosecutors accuse Drake of shooting the victim — Kenyetta Brown, 18, of the 6200 block of Emma Avenue — in her head and body. Police went to the teen’s home and found her body at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Man indicted in teen girlfriend's beating death :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime

Man indicted in teen girlfriend's beating death :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime

Four teens charged as adults in gang-rape case

RICHMOND -- Four teenagers face potential life sentences in connection with the gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl outside her homecoming dance at Richmond High School, Contra Costa County prosecutors said Wednesday.
Three minors — 15, 16 and 17 — are each charged with felony rape with a foreign object. The charges all carry an enhancement that they acted in concert, which could make them eligible for life in prison if found true, Deputy District Attorney Dara Cashman said.

The 16-year-old also has been charged with robbery. Cashman charged a fourth suspect, 19-year-old Manuel Ortega, with robbery, assault causing great bodily injury, rape in concert and an enhancement that also makes him eligible for life in prison.

The youths were charged as adults "because this crime speaks to a high degree of callousness and viciousness," said Contra Costa Deputy District Attorney Dan Cabral, head of the office's juvenile division.

Cashman and Richmond police detectives said Wednesday that they expect to make more arrests in the case. A fifth suspect arrested Tuesday night, 21-year-old Salvador Rodriguez, remains in custody but has not been charged.

Police say the suspects all participated in the two-hour assault in a shadowy courtyard while students partied in a gym across campus Saturday night.

Detectives continued searching for more suspects Wednesday. They can only estimate how many participated in the rape — perhaps seven — after the victim fell into a drunken stupor in their company.

Police say the victim left the dance about 9:30 p.m. and walked north on 23rd Street, intending to phone her father for a ride home. But before she did, a classmate called to her from behind a chain-link fence that separates a campus courtyard from the street.

"Her friend called to her, then hopped the fence and escorted her" up Emeric Avenue to a low gate that led into a campus parking lot, Lt. Mark Gagan said.

They joined up with a group of other teens and young adults hanging out and drinking in the poorly lit courtyard.

The victim drank a large amount of brandy in a short amount of time while socializing, police said, then collapsed. Someone dragged her to a bench, where several people stripped her, beat her, stole her jewelry and other belongings, and raped her.

The sexual assault continued for about two hours, detectives estimate, with several men and boys taking part, possibly including some who arrived after the attack began, as word spread.

News of the ongoing rape eventually reached Raul Rubio from passers-by, as he stood on a corner with friends about a block from campus. After verifying the claim, he went to his girlfriend's nearby home, and she called 9-1-1.

Richmond police spent the next four days interviewing dozens of teens and young adults, leading them to the suspects. Detectives have recovered some of the victim's property, including her cell phone, Detective Ken Greco said.

The department offers a $20,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.

The victim remained hospitalized Wednesday in stable condition, police said.

Teen Knowingly Pointed Loaded Gun At Girl

Boy Charged With Murder In Girlfriend's Death

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Deputies released new information Thursday in connection with the death of a 17-year-old girl who was shot in what deputies now say was a case of Russian roulette gone wrong.

Deputies said that Phillip Alexander Cannon, 16, told them that he knew the gun he pointed at his girlfriend, Kelly Nicole Kimbrell, was loaded. Cannon told deputies that one chamber in the gun was empty, and he thought that was the one the gun was set on. Cannon said he pointed the gun at Kimbrell, and said, "I'm going to shoot you," before he pulled the trigger.

Kimbrell was wounded in the chest and died at the scene just after 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Deputies had initially thought the shooting was accidental, but after interviewing Cannon and speaking to the solicitor, Cannon was charged with murder.

Investigators said that Cannon and Kimbrell were part of a group of teens who had skipped school at Boiling Springs High School. Cannon told deputies that they had "skipped school to get high."

Investigators said that they found marijuana in the apartment, but that they won't know if the students had used drugs until they get back the results of toxicology tests.

Officials said that Cannon and Kimbrell were boyfriend and girlfriend, but Thursday, Kimbrell's mother told WYFF News 4 that her daughter was not dating Cannon, and that she had been dating someone else for more than a year.

Deputies said that the .357-magnum handgun belonged to Cannon's father and the shooting happened in the apartment at The Haven on Maidstone Drive that the 16-year-old shared with his father.

According to sheriff's investigators, the gun was readily accessible in the home. State law does not require weapons to be concealed or locked up inside of residences.

Cannon's attorney, N. Douglas Brannon, said that Cannon waived his right to an arraignment Thursday night and signed a document on which he also indicated a not guilty plea.

Cannon is in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice, but officials will not say where he is being held, so it is unclear if he is in Spartanburg or if he has been moved to Columbia.

On Thursday, officials at Boiling Springs High School said that they were trying to make the day as "normal" as possible, though counselors were available on campus to help any students who needed grief counseling.

Why Is the Charge Murder?

Spartanburg County sheriff's Deputy Maj. Dan Johnson said, "One factor that's weighed heavily in the investigation is the fact he did have some knowledge the gun did have some live rounds in the handgun."

The sheriff's office said that there are other factors that cannot be discussed at this time.

Spartanburg County Coroner Jim Burnett ruled Kimbrell's death a homicide. In a written statement, Burnett said: "An accidental death would a death where the individuals involved would not foresee the result. It is my opinion that the handling of a loaded, deadly weapon (a firearm) can be foreseen as possibly leading to death or serious injury."

He also wrote the defendant "did fire at the gun at the victim intentionally knowing the gun was loaded."

The solicitor's office said that a murder charge is based on the presence of malice aforethought and lack of justification.

Stop Dating Violence Part 1 - Southern Wesleyan University - traci fant's MySpace Blog |

Stop Dating Violence Part 1 - Southern Wesleyan University - traci fant's MySpace Blog |

Cheerleader Killer Gets Life Sentence

Yolanda Thompson And Husband Lured, Stabbed Teen; Dumped Body

UNION, S.C. -- A Union County woman who pleaded guilty to helping kill her husband's teenage girlfriend was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday.

Yolanda Thompson's sentence was handed down just before noon on Friday.

Yolanda Thompson addressed the judge during her murder sentencing.


Prosecutors said Thompson and her husband lured 16-year-old Union High School cheerleader Marisha Jeter to a parking lot in January 2008. The Thompsons beat Jeter to the ground, stabbed her multiple times, and then dumped the girl's body over a bridge and burned her car.

"I am not an awful person, but I did do an awful thing," Yolanda told the court. "I allowed myself to be in a vulnerable situation that escalated to something that I regret and I'm extremely sorry for."

Six people spoke to the court on behalf of Thompson, including her parents, her aunt and friends of the family. They all asked the judge for mercy.

"My actions have broken a lot of hearts and has caused a flow of many tears that I don't have the power to heal," Yolanda told the court.

Yolanda's attorney painted her as a loving, intelligent woman whose inability to have a normal relationship with a man came from ongoing abuse when she was a child.

"What you have emerging is someone with extraordinary intellectual capacity, strong work ethic and then a very stunted or impaired emotional development," said attorney Harry Dest.

Marisha Jeter's brother, uncle and father addressed the court.

"They talk about [Yolanda] being abused, but she wasn't stabbed 33 times and her throat was cut and then thrown into a river -- that's worse than abuse," said Manning Jeter, Marisha's father.

Jeter's relatives talked about the fact that the teen's mother could not be in court due to the toll the case has taken on her health.

"I would like to ask just everybody, just please, just pray for my family," Jeter told WYFF News4's Mike McCormick.

The Jeter family asked the judge not to have mercy on Yolanda. The judge called it a "tragedy for everyone" and then handed down the sentence of life without parole.

It's the same sentence Yolanda's husband, Pernell, is serving. He pleaded guilty to the murder in September and by doing so, avoided a trial and the possibility of the death penalty.

Yolanda Thompson pleaded guilty to the murder in March but she wasn't sentenced then because she was supposed to participate in the prosecution of her husband at his trial.

Jeter's father said he's pleased with the sentences.

"Neither one of them has gotten what I feel they deserve, but being put where they're being put, there's no way they're going to ever be able to hurt anybody else and that gives me a little bit of relief," said Jeter.

Teen on Trial for Older Girlfriend's Murder

Teen on Trial for Older Girlfriend's Murder

1st Annual Speak Out Against Teen Violence Concert Jam. I hope they got the message!

Teen shot by police a suspect in girlfriend's slaying

KERRVILLE — Police are investigating whether a teenager shot dead by officers after brandishing a gun at a local park early Monday had killed his girlfriend, whose body was discovered at her home here about the same time.

Mario Ramirez, 17, died at Peterson Regional Medical Center of wounds suffered about 12:54 a.m. when, police say, he was shot by officers responding to a disturbance call at Guadalupe Street Park.

As that deadly encounter occurred, officers discovered the body of Ramirez's girlfriend, Linda Lopez, 20, at her home in the 400 block of Barker Street, Kerrville police Capt. David Knight said.

Knight said no one witnessed the shooting of Lopez, but he described Ramirez as “the prime suspect” in her death and suggested jealousy as a motive.

Autopsies are pending in Travis County on Lopez and Ramirez, who each were shot multiple times.

Knight did not identify the four officers — now on administrative duty — who shot at Ramirez when he reportedly pointed his handgun at them.

He said the Texas Rangers will investigate the officer-related shootings. The department also will conduct an internal review of the incident.

Knight said the “unfortunate events” unfolded after police received a 911 call at 12:50 a.m. from a man, as yet unidentified, who reported that an armed altercation was expected to occur at Guadalupe Street Park.

Responding officers found nothing but noticed an older-model Ford drive by and park about 150 yards away, Knight said.

The driver, later identified as Ramirez, emerged and walked toward the officers with a gun in his hand, Knight said, and the four officers fired when he refused to drop the gun and pointed it at them.

Police said they were checking to see if Ramirez fired his weapon.

At 12:51 a.m., police logged a 911 call from Lopez's 12-year-old brother, who reported Lopez was bleeding at their home. With police busy at the park, Kerr County sheriff's deputies responded to that call.

Neighbors of Lopez and Ramirez expressed shock over their violent deaths. Knight said the couple had an 8-month-old boy who, along with Lopez's brother, is being cared for by relatives.

“It's so sad,” said Mary Reid, who described Ramirez as “very nice, very respectful.”

Well-wishers left flowers and crosses on Lopez's porch.

“She was a good girl,” said Luis Chavez, 17, who recalled seeing Ramirez at the Lopez home almost daily.

“His parents were here today,” he said Monday.

Boyfriend Charged In Teen's Beating Death

Friday, August 11, 2006

ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- A 21-year-old man is accused of beating his 19-year-old girlfriend to death with a baseball bat Thursday night then dumping her body into a pool.

According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, Joshua Maulsby was arguing with Alicia Kay Castaneda at his home on Epsilon Court, between Kingsley Avenue and Doctors Lake Drive in Orange Park, just after 9 p.m.

After the woman reportedly threw shoes at Maulsby, he allegedly hit her with his fist. According to the arrest report, he then went out to his car and got a baseball bat, went back inside and struck Castaneda several times in the head.'

Maulsby told investigators that he thought Castaneda was dead, so he dragged her out the back door and threw her into the pool.

A some point, Maulsby's mother pulled Castaneda out of the pool and tried to give her CPR, then called police.

Maulsby was still in the house when deputies arrived and took him into custody. The arrest report said Maulsby had an abrasion on his right hand and blood splattered on his legs and feet.

Maulsby was charged with murder and booked into the Clay County Jail.

"Alicia was extremely bright, friendly, funny, generous, sensitive, compassionate, warm and loving," Castaneda's mother, Gwen Harvey, said in a statement. "Her beauty radiated inside and out. We all adored her more than words can ever say."

The couple were both graduates of Orange Park High School, where he was a star wrestler and she had an interest in journalism, which she was pursuing at the University of Central Florida.

"They'd been almost inseparable for the last nine months -- spending time together," Maulsby's father, Ken, said Friday.

The elder Maulsby said he spoke out so the public knows his son is mentally ill.
"I think he realized he did something, but I don't really think he understood the repercussions," Maulsby said.

Teen charge in beating, raping of girlfriend-Madison, WI

A Madison teenager has been charged with beating and raping his girlfriend in a five-hour attack in his apartment on North Street, after which the girl told Madison Police detectives she thought she was going to be beaten to death.

Mitchell G. Lambert, 17, was charged Tuesday with two counts of sexual assault, false imprisonment, disorderly conduct and two counts of battery for the assault which allegedly took place on March 23, and a separate count of battery for allegedly beating the victim on March 16 in the same apartment. Lambert was originally charged with disorderly conduct in the case but when the victim told detectives of the sexual assault the first complaint issued against Lambert was dismissed and he was charge in a second complaint filed Tuesday with the sexual assaults and additional counts.

The 16-year-old girl was able to get away from Lambert as the two were walking down North Street after the March 23 beatings, when she said she was going to approach a man who was standing outside a home on North Street and ask him for a cigarette. Instead the victim told the man she had been beaten by her boyfriend and the man took her into the home and called police. Lambert, meanwhile, was beating on the door with a 12-inch copper pipe, the complaint says, until police arrived and arrested him.

When detectives talked to the girl again in April she told them of the horrific beating she received on March 23 and the rapes she endured under threats that she said Lambert made. She told detectives that Lambert "repeatedly punched her with clenched fists with a lighter in his had, striking her extremely hard," the complaint says. She said Lambert hit her "all over my body," the complaint says, including in the face, head and back.

Lambert kept the victim on a bench in the basement and each time she told him she wanted to leave and would get up from the bench he would punch her in the head. After several such incidents Lambert took his clothes off and ordered the girl to perform a sex act on him, punching her when she at first refused to comply, the complaint says.

The victim later told detectives that "she was fearful the defendant was going to beat her to death," so she did what he asked. Later he removed her clothes and forced her back onto the bench and raped her, the girl told detectives.

At some point during the five hours, Lambert also bit the girl's thigh hard enough to leave bite marks, and when she sought refuge as they were walking to get some food, the girl had three large lumps on her face from the beatings, police said. The girl said Lambert had been either drinking heavily or using drugs before the attacks, both on March 16 and March 23. Police said they smelled a strong odor of intoxicants on Lambert when he was arrested on March 23.

Cheerleader's Dad: Killer going to Hell

Pernell Thompson Guilty Of Fatally Stabbing Teen

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. --
A man accused of stabbing a 16-year-old cheerleader to death while his wife held the girl down pleaded guilty to murder Monday.

Thompson entered the guilty plea to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to life without parole.

Investigators said that Pernell Thompson, 22, stabbed Marisha Jeter to death while his wife, Yolanda Thompson, held Jeter down.

Investigators said that after the Thompsons killed Jeter, they threw her body in the Broad River and burned her car.

In court, the victim's father, Manning Jeter, told Thompson, "You're going to hell."

Yolanda Thompson pleaded guilty in March to all charges against her in connection to Jeter's death. Thompson agreed to cooperate in the prosecution and death penalty case against her husband.

Thompson was previously sentenced to five years for criminal conspiracy. She was to be sentenced for murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and possession of a knife during the commission of a violent crime after her husband's trial. Since there will be no trial, the solicitor said he is now in the process of scheduling her sentencing.

According to investigators, Thompson had a relationship with Jeter while he was married. He killed Jeter to prove his love to his wife, prosecutors said.

Pernell Thompson was a football player at Wingate University for three seasons. He was an all-state player in his senior season at Jonesville High School and he made the all-state academic team three years in a row.

Jeter was a Union County High School cheerleader. Her body was found by art students taking pictures of the river.

Her father, Manning Jeter, is a former trustee on the Union County School Board.

At the hearing, Jeter said, "Your Honor, I hold myself part of the blame and you know why I hold myself part of the blame? Because I didn't kill him when he was standing at my door. I didn't kill him when he was standing in my house. When he came to my house to do my baby harm, I still tried to forgive him and give him a chance."

To Jeter he said, "(I'll) never forgive you again. You stole my heart. You stole what God gave me."

Thompson apologized, saying, ""I apologize for the part I did play, but know that under normal situations, I would definitely never cause harm to Marisha and I would never allow harm to be done to Marisha. But being that -- being put in the situation I was in -- some mistakes happened that was really unfortunate to her and her family and I'm sorry."

He said, "I know that she's in Heaven. I know she's happy and that's one thing giving me peace. I pray -- I hope -- for your forgiveness. But I know I don't need it, I received forgiveness from her."

Jeter's final words to Thompson were: "You're going straight to hell and there ain't nothing nobody can ever do to help you."

Marisha Jeter's grandfather, Lewis Jeter Junior, passed away Thursday. His funeral is Tuesday.

"He grieved himself to death," Manning Jeter told WYFF News4's Mike McCormick.

Teen Shoots Self After Breakup

Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– A seventeen-year-old Park Forest man took his life after his girlfriend told him she was leaving him.

Officers Kessler and Lara were dispatched to a residence in the 300 block of South Orchard Drive on Wednesday, May 20, at 10:20 p.m., to investigate a 911 hang-up call. Officer Lara was the first officer to arrive on the scene. She spoke with a 15-year-old female who was in the living room. She allowed her to enter the residence. Officer Kessler arrived shortly afterward, observing that the juvenile was in hysterics, breathing heavily, and crying, according to police.

The teenager stated that her boyfriend, later identified as Carvis R. Johnson, 17, 305 S. Orchard Drive, Park Forest, had shot himself. Additional police units and paramedics were requested. Officers Kessler, Lara, and Corporal Sheets entered a bedroom where they were told they would find Johnson. Officer Kessler observed Johnson on the bedroom floor at the foot of the bed, with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Paramedics attended to Johnson and found no signs of life, according to police.

The teenager told police that she had been dating Johnson for the past 14 to 16 months. The two had broken up in the past and gotten back together, but Johnson had told her that if she ever broke up with him again, he would kill himself, according to police.

According to police, Johnson became distraught on this date when he was told that his girlfriend was leaving him. According to police, he took out a gun and reminded her what would happen if she were to break up with him. She asked him to stop what he was doing, turned to get her jacket, at which time she heard a bang and observed that he had shot himself.

Me speaking out at a rally in Union SC.

Strangers help woman escape abusive church and marriage

Survivor breaks her silence to speak at PADV events
Tranteegus Allen’s story reads like a made for TV movie. But it’s not; it happened in metro Atlanta. Allen was forced at the age of 17 to marry her pastor’s son, a boy she had grown up with. She experienced controlling abuse by both her husband and her church. Her husband, who took over his father’s church as pastor, would quote 1 Corinthians 7:4 “The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband” while he was raping her. She suffered a miscarriage because she was so badly beaten.
Despite years of controlling abuse from her husband and enslavement from her church, Allen found hope and faith again because of the kindness of strangers who refused to turn away and were willing to help her escape. “By sharing my story, I hope to encourage the faith-based community to support domestic violence survivors by learning more about the issue and collaborating with PADV or their local domestic violence program,” said Tranteegus Allen. “It is the obligation of the church to make every person accountable for their brothers and sisters in Christ.”
“The faith-based community needs to realize that domestic violence isn’t a ‘marital
problem,’ but rather a national epidemic affecting women from all religious backgrounds,” saidCathy Willis Spraetz, president and CEO for PADV. “A domestic violence survivor may struggle to understand what’s happening to her in relation to her faith. Therefore, it’s critical to communicate to her that she is not to blame nor is she responsible for his behavior.”

One in three women will experience intimate partner violence. Consider these facts:
• From August 2007 through August 2008, there were 78 deaths in Georgia as a
result of intimate partner violence.
• In 2007, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported 55,000 cases of family
violence in the state.
• Gwinnett County had the highest number of women murdered by a man.

Faith-based communities can:
• Seek expert assistance from PADV or other domestic violence advocacy
organizations.
• Schedule training on intimate partner violence for the congregation.
• Refer her only to specialized domestic violence advocacy programs, not to couples
counseling.
• Participate in Domestic Violence Awareness Month activities.
About DVAM Activities: The eighth annual Silent No More candlelight vigil and seventh
annual Domestic Violence Survivor Speak-Out events are held in October to observe National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, celebrate domestic violence survivors, and honor those who were killed because of domestic abuse. The vigil is hosted by Partnership Against Domestic Violence, Office of the Fulton County District Attorney Victim Services, Fulton Solicitor General’s Office Victim Services, YWCA of
Greater Atlanta, Hands On Atlanta and Zion Hill Community Development Corporation.
Activities will include inspiring music and uplifting dancing. The program will conclude with an immensely powerful personalized candlelight vigil to honor Georgia’s victims.
The Domestic Violence Survivor Speak-Out is hosted by Partnership Against Domestic
Violence, Gwinnett Family Violence Task Force and the Gwinnett Solicitor General’s Office.
Other activities at the event will include a musical performance and a “Remember My Name”
Rose Ceremony.
About PADV: Partnership Against Domestic Violence is the largest and one of the oldest nonprofit domestic violence organizations in Georgia. For more than 30 years, PADV has provided professional, compassionate, and empowering support to battered women and their children in metro Atlanta. Support includes a 24-hour crisis line, two emergency shelters in metro Atlanta, supportive housing, support groups, legal advocacy, and a teen dating violence prevention program. To learn more
about domestic violence and PADV visit www.padv.org
###

Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati Photo Gallery | Cincinnati.Com

A NEIGHBORHOOD GRIEVES- MOTHER AND CHILDREN MURDERED BY EX-BOYFRIEND
Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati Photo Gallery | Cincinnati.Com

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Pickens charged in triple homicide

Pendleton, Ohio-
Because 3-year-old Sha’Railyn Wright knew Mark Pickens name and might be able to tell police what she saw, she had to die, Hamilton County’s prosecutor said Tuesday.

Moments after a 19-year-old mother and her 9-month-old son were killed in their Pendleton apartment, Pickens walked over to within feet of Sha’Railyn and pointed a gun at her.

She covered her head with her hands. Pickens fired, the bullet piercing Sha’Railyn’s hands and crashing into her brain, killing her, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said in announcing Pickens' capital murder indictment.

“These weren’t stray gunshots that killed the three. All were purposely executed,” Deters said.

Pickens, 19, of the West End, also is accused of shooting to death his former girlfriend, Noelle Washington, 19, and her 9-month-old son, Anthony Jones III. Washington was baby sitting Sha’Railyn at the time in her apartment in the 400 block of East 13th Street.

“It’s a level of violence that is grotesque in nature, something that we’ve never seen before,” an indignant Deters said.

In addition to shooting the 3-year-old in the top of the head, Pickens shot Washington in the back of the head as she held her son in her arms, Deters said. The infant was shot in the forehead.

Mother and son were buried the way they died – the infant in his mother’s arms.
“How do you explain an act like this?” Deters wondered.

Pickens has a penchant for violence, authorities allege, noting he already faces a 31-year prison term on charges stemming from felonious assault and attempted murder. In that incident , he is accused of shooting Anthony Jones II, the father of Washington’s infant, in a March 27 shooting.

Your Carolina | Preventing teen dating violence.

Video of me on Your Carolina discussing my role as MADE SC State Action Leader. For more info about MADE and teen dating abuse go to http://loveisnotabuse.com/ Your Carolina | Preventing teen dating violence.

Fort Lewis soldier charged in teen's death

Alcohol and drug use is one of the many signs of dating abuse. This story had a terrible outcome.

FORT LEWIS, Wash. —

The Army says a Fort Lewis soldier from Indiana will face a court martial in the death of his 16-year-old girlfriend.

Pvt. Timothy E. Bennitt is charged with involuntary manslaughter and drug crimes. His girlfriend, Leah King, died in his barracks Feb. 15 after an overdose of prescription pills.

No date for the court martial has been set.

Bennitt faces up to 82 years in prison, reduction in rank, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and a dishonorable discharge from the Army if convicted.

Prosecutors say Bennitt, 19 and originally from Rolling Prairie, Ind., provided King with oxymorphone, knowing she had a history of substance abuse, and allowed her to mix the painkiller with Xanax.

Information from: The News Tribune, http://www.thenewstribune.com

Teens Break Free From Dating Abuse

Read this story from Good Morning America:

Women Ages 16 to 24 Face Fastest-Growing Rate of Abuse in Relationships

At the beginning, Katie, Laura, Carrie and Shaina were just teenage girls in love.

"He would just always tell me how beautiful I was and how wonderful I was and how lucky he was to have me and I just was on cloud nine. I felt great," said Katie, now 19.

But eventually all of these girls found their boyfriends turning controlling and abusive.

"He told me what to do, what to wear, how to act, what to say, what am I doing next, what am I cooking, what am I eating. Everything," Laura said. "I pretty much stopped talking to my parents for the most part. I stopped talking to my friends. It was just me and him alone all the time."

Carrie said her boyfriend "wrote notes that listed what I should do for the day. … He wouldn't let me smile in class. He felt like I was, it was a way of me flirting with boys. … I just had no control of my own life."

Some, like Shaina, found themselves the victims of violence.

"He grabbed me by the ponytail and he threw me on the bed and he held me down, screaming at me in my face," she said.

They are among many young women who are verbally, physically and sexually abused by their boyfriends. According to the Justice Department, 16- to 24-year-old women are the victims of relationship abuse more than any other age group.

Getting Unstuck

"I was stuck," Carrie said. "I didn't have any friends. I didn't have anybody to help me. … It was very difficult."

Feeling coerced and trapped, most girls in abusive relationships see no way out. For Carrie, the turning point that finally enabled her to escape was a shameful request made by her manipulative boyfriend -- he asked her to sleep with an older guy while he watched.

"At that point, I was just totally overwrought by being this other person and I was just not doing that," she said. "It was just the breaking point."

Carrie made the break and reached out to her old friends, many of whom shared similar horror stories. The girls took the courageous step of leaving their violent boyfriends and then formed Teens Experiencing Abusive Relationships. They now travel the country, talking to groups about dating violence.

Through their Web site, they reach dozens of kids every day. Their efforts have helped not only those in abusive relationships, but also the friends who must watch them suffer.

Chinonye -- a founding member of TEAR -- was never a victim of abuse, but she had friends who were, and she knew how crucial it was for girls to have friends and family who recognized the signs of abuse and took the problem seriously.

"I think a lot of people portray it as these are young girls or these are young boys and this is just a young relationship, young love and it will end," Chinonye said. "But a lot of this has potential to go on forever and turn into domestic violence."

Carrie says she wants other girls to know they are not alone. "There's people out there who understand them, who know what they're going through. There's resources."

The Signs

"Good Morning America" parenting contributor Ann Pleshette Murphy said parents and friends who suspect a loved one is being abused should look for these signs:

Isolation from friends and family.

A change in behavior or clothing.

A cycle of fighting followed by making up with gifts.

If parents suspect their daughter is in an abusive relationship, Murphy said, the most important thing for them to do is stress that they're on her side. If she won't talk to you, turn to her friends and encourage her to talk to someone she trusts.

D.A. Analyzes Chris Brown's Apology

HOUSTON - Houston police will be reviewing singer Chris Brown's public apology for beating his ex-girlfriend, R&B superstar Rihanna.

But this review is about learning, not legal action.

The videotaped apology, released Monday, is to be included in a program intended to sensitize patrol cops to the dynamics of domestic violence.

"The next time I do training with police officers, which will be in a few weeks, I'm going to also show that video and ask people what they think," said Jennifer Varela, a clinical social worker with the District Attorney's office.

Varela plans to pair the confessional video with another clip in which Chris Brown remembers growing up with domestic violence.

"I had a stepfather that used to abuse my mom when I was 7 or 8," Brown recalls in that three-year-old interview, "and I always said when I turn 15, 16, and get big, I'm gonna kill him."

The two clips together encapsulate the "cycle of domestic violence," according to Varela and Jane Waters, chief of the DA's Family Criminal Law section.

In Waters' eyes, the public was quick to condemn the victim when news broke in February that Rihanna had been battered by her singer boyfriend.

"There was a theory about it was really a car accident that caused the injuries, she gave him some sort of disease and they were blaming her without even knowing what had happened."

Waters says, the public apology should lay to rest that kind of chatter.

"I have told Rihanna countless times and I am telling you today that I am truly, truly sorry," Brown says in the two-minute clip.

Last month, Brown pled guilty to felony assault. His sentence: five-years' probation plus community service.

Mother of slain woman shatters silence on teen dating

Indianapolis - The brutal murder of a child would crush the heart of any parent. It was a real-life horror for an Indianapolis woman in a high-profile murder case. Debbie Norris is shattering the silence on teen dating abuse to make sure her daughter's legacy lives on.

The pain is still written all over her face. Debbie Norris is a mother in mourning.

"What I would give for just one more hug," Norris said.

Debbie Norris lives alone now in a home no longer filled with the love and laughter of her only child - 20-year-old Heather - murdered two years ago.

"I couldn't have asked for a better daughter," Norris said.

Heather was a basketball player at Perry Meridian High School, an avid reader of all things Harry Potter and a good friend to many.

"She had a good heart, a really good heart," said Norris, who misses snuggling on the couch watching television with Heather.

Debbie Norris is comforted by memories of Heather. Her house is filled with Heather's portraits and Heather's bedroom remains untouched since the day she was killed. Norris also cares for Heather's beloved cat, Mystie.

"She'll go down in her room and lay down there," Norris said.
Sometimes she dreams that Heather will return."I keep praying that she will walk through that door. That this isn't real," she said.

She feels that way because Heather's murder, in part, remains unsolved. Heather's former boyfriend Joshua Bean, convicted of the crime last September, is serving a 68-year prison sentence.


"He took my heart, my soul, my life," Norris said.

Bean confessed to stabbing Heather at his home, burning her body, dismembering it and tossing pieces in area dumpsters. But Heather's body has never been found.

"It's hard because there's no closure," Norris explained. "There's nothing physically there for me to look at to make it real. It's so hard to believe it sometimes."

So hard to believe that sometimes Debbie Norris holds onto the past, listening to Heather's voice on her cell phone. But in her heart, Norris knows Heather's voice is silenced. So she created a website in her memory called Heather's Voice.

"Heather is still alive as long as her voice is heard."

The website educates teenagers about dating violence and Norris takes Heather's story to schools, churches, and youth groups.

"I want them to know that this could happen to anybody. Never thought it would happen to us."

Debbie Norris tells teens the signs of dating abuse - signs she says Heather faced, as a teenager when she first started dating Joshua: jealousy, possessiveness, isolation and control. She saw Heather's personality change.

"When she would break up with him it was her bubbly self and when she was with him, she was quiet. She withdrew from her friends, from her family."

Heather filed domestic violence charges against Joshua twice for allegedly beating her. Debbie warns teens, "if you get hit once, you're going to get hit again. You have to take control of who you are and not let somebody control you."

From the depths of her sorrow, this mother speaks out to save other children. She says Heather would have done the same. "Heather walked out of the kitchen, stood in front of the window one day and she said, 'Mom,' out of the clear blue, she said, 'You know what? I believe I was put on this earth to help people.'"

In Heather's absence, Debbie Norris is helping as Heather's voice. "I think Heather would say, 'Gosh, Mom. Thanks. Thanks for doing this for me.'"

Sixty percent of teenage girls and 40 percent of teenage boys have faced dating violence. Teach your children to 'choose respect' through healthy relationships.

Teen held in ex-girlfriend's muder

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) - The New Bedford teenager accused of shooting two other teenagers, killing one of them, was ordered held without bail following his arraignment in District Court Friday morning.

Police arrested Erick Cournoyer, 17, of Collins Street Thursday night. He is charged with multiple felonies in connection with a shooting outside his home Wednesday night. Bianca Maria Rosado, 18, was killed in the shooting. Her boyfriend, 17-year-old Victor Camacho, was also shot, but survived.

Cournoyer is is charged with murder, armed assault with intent to murder and possession of an illegal firearm. During court proceedings, prosecutors revealed Cournoyer is the victim's ex-boyfriend.

Rosado and Camacho have a 15-month-old son together.

Outside court, family members of both victims were visibly upset.

"We love her and we miss her. The best goes out to her family," said Eddie Broyle, family member of Camacho. "[Victor's] a great kid a great father. He's a loving kid. That's all I got to say."

Family, friends in shock over couple's death

July 6, 2009 04:17 PM EDT

Greenwood - Eyewitness News is learning more about the events leading up to the shooting death of a Greenwood teenager. Police say a 21-year-old Ian York shot and killed his 19-year-old fiancee Kelly Roome over the weekend. It happened in Marysville, California, where the two shared an apartment. Police later shot and killed York in Santa Clara.

Some of Kelly Roome's friends say what happened Saturday wasn't the first sign of trouble.

"Everybody loved her because she was just fun," said BreAnn Archer, friend.

Her contagious smile is what friends remember about Kelly Roome. She was a fun-loving, strong-willed 19-year-old who loved her family and her fiance Ian York.

"That was her guy, Ian was," said Archer.

So it is with unparalleled sadness and confusion that her young friends now try to understand the violence that claimed her life. Police say Saturday night the couple had an argument in an apartment they shared in California, where York was stationed with the Air Force.

York opened fire, hitting Roome in the chest. She died at the hospital. York was killed in an apparent shootout with police Sunday.

"She was always, to me, invincible which is why I can't believe it," said Chrissa Freese, friend.

Friends of the recent graduate of Greenwood High school where she played basketball and was crowned homecoming queen still reel from the shock Monday and wonder if they could have seen it coming.

"He was like the really, really jealous type," said Archer.

Although they admit they didn't know him well, Roome's friends describe her fiance as controlling and say the two argued often. It was they believe a fit of jealousy that led to the argument and eventually Kelly's death.

"I was talking to her very best friend Kristin this morning and she said the fight had been about either her arm around another guy or touching another guy," said Freese.

Military service
Ian York, who was training to be a police officer, was a 2006 graduate of Greenwood High School. His family says he just returned from Kuwait in February. Since then, they say he was "depressed" and frustrated that he couldn't be home with his family.

For friends and family, there may never be enough answers.

"I don't know what drives somebody to kill but the reason that he did it we still don't know and it doesn't matter and it doesn't change anything. Our daughter is gone and we will never, ever get to see her again. All we have are these pictures," said Daniel Roome, Kelly's father.

All they have to hang onto are memories of a young girl with a passion for life and whose own ended too quickly.

Friends say Kelly Roome had lived in California a month but had broken off the engagement. She was planning to come home Saturday but a flight delay kept her there.

York's family speaks
York's family said Monday he was planning to turn himself in.

"He truly loved her that's why it's just so - it was a big mistake - a tragedy for both families. It shouldn't have been because I can't even imagine him doing something like this," said Cindy York, Ian York's mother.

York's mother said she was on the phone with her son when he was shot by police. She said he called to apologize about what happened.

Ian York's family is also in shock.

"He loved his family," said Tierra Hernandez, displaying photos of Ian York, who was her uncle. Hernandez says he treated her like a daughter.

The Airman 1st Class, who had a three-year-old son, was devoted to family. It is his family who now struggles to understand the circumstances surrounding his death.

"I don't know what happened, but that's not his character," said Cindy York. "He was going to turn himself in. That's what he said."

"She was on the phone. He said, 'Mom, they're right behind me. She said, 'Ian, stop.' Then she heard him get shot. I took the phone from her I said, 'Hello, hello?'" said Tabitha York, Ian's sister.

"He was calling everybody, texting everybody to say he was sorry, that it was an accident he didn't mean to do it," said Kevin York, Ian's father.

"He loved her. I know he loved her," said Tabitha York.

"It's just a sad situation," said Cindy York.

Military police and local authorities continue to investigate what happened this weekend. His family - and the family of the young woman shot to death - hope for answers soon.

Teen gets 25 years in slaying of girlfriend

A 19-year-old East Baltimore man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for executing his 14-year-old girlfriend, whom he had known for only a few weeks, by shooting her in her right temple at close range.

During the emotional hearing, in which Charles Jakes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a gun charge, the victim’s mother pounded her fists on a bench and screamed at the defendant: “Nothing you say will bring my child back. … Read the Bible. You reap what you sow.”

A 60 second PSA from seeitandstopit.org. For girls.