How many more women have to die in domestic violence? : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

Early on May 27, an ex-boyfriend came armed with a handgun to the Greensboro home of my sister-in-law, Christina Maxa-Gross. The embodiment of terror, he berated her with threats and violent language for nearly two hours, then fired a round into her chest. After stealing her life, he turned the gun on himself.

Perhaps as tragic as Christina’s senseless death is the nightmare witnessed by her only son — my precious, exceptional 9-year-old nephew. Imagine him roused by arguing, hearing his mother plead for her assailant to stop, followed by a “something” (most likely gunfire) that he chronicles in his horrifying 911 call widely broadcast by the media (a separate issue in its own right), his trademark calm intact as he speaks with the dispatcher. That call haunts me beyond my deepest fears.

Now imagine a place where a man repeatedly assails women with near impunity. Punches, kicks, chokes and whips our mothers, sisters and daughters with hateful words for years. This is a place where women put their faith in the judicial system only to have their oppressors released to stalk them again. These atrocities occur before the eyes of the law and the courts.

I’m not writing about Grozny or Kabul. It is your home, Greensboro. It is your home, America.

Since 1996, her killer racked up a litany of charges, including driving while impaired, a hit-and-run, numerous speeding violations and felony possession of cocaine, before his violence against women showed up in the system.

From 2007 to 2011, he was charged with four counts of assault on a female and two counts of assault by strangulation. Four of those six charges involved Christina. Twice over those five years, her murderer was brought before the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office for wrapping his hands around the throat of Christina and also another woman.

Most abused women live in such agony and fear they never make the call to police or seek shelter. Christina was one of the few with enough spirit left to call the cops. She asked the judicial system to save her life.

Did the DA mandate anger management for the assaults? Did the DA mandate counseling? No. Did he put him in jail for more than a day? No. The district attorney dismissed three of his assault charges from 2007 to 2008.

That lapse of judgment infuriated me at the time. Then, when I read the statement from the killer’s attorney, Taylor Browne, that they had worked out a deal with the DA after the killer strangled Christina on Feb. 26, I burned with fury. As quoted by the News & Record, “He wouldn’t have served a single day in jail,” Browne said. “This is all sort of a shock.”

Wouldn’t have served a single day in jail. Ask the district attorney to explain that to the 9-year-old whose mother died in his arms.

How can Christina’s murder be a shock given her killer’s history? What does the District Attorney’s Office think about its decisions now? How many times can a troubled and disturbed man assault a woman before he is deemed too dangerous to walk among the public?

And how does a man with his record acquire a firearm? If it was registered, to whom? We may never have the answers to my family’s questions.

Christina’s murder is no isolated statistic. According to the North Carolina Coalition of Domestic Violence, there were 73 domestic violence murders in North Carolina in 2010. Because of the failure of the courts and their willingness to allow a dangerous repeat offender to walk our streets, our dear and beloved Christina is gone.

Now is the time to ask what we as a society can do to prevent another murder like Christina’s. Action must be taken before any other women are killed by the hands of murderous men and a broken judicial system that lets them roam the streets.

If you suspect your loved ones, neighbors, friends or acquaintances are victims of domestic violence, please don’t stay silent when you hear the arguing and fighting.

Trust your instincts and call the police or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233.

Michael Marlier lives in Charlotte.

Mialamasoul

June 7, 2011 - 1:24 pm EDT

Halleluiah for the clarity and sensibility of your article sir. Unfortunately, the silence in Greensboro regarding this matter is just deafening. Don't you think? The fact that I am the first (and only) to comment speaks volumes about folks "from around here" and perhaps answers the questions you posed in your piece. Thank you.

mmarlier

June 7, 2011 - 1:47 pm EDT

@ Mialamasoul: I appreciate your feedback and willingness to comment. The silence from the Guilford County District Attorney's Office is certainly deafening. But I commend the staff of the News & Record for reporting the tragic story of Christina's murder with respect and journalistic integrity. My family also praises the local police, EMTs, and first responders who answered my nephew's call and treated him with kindness and compassion. To be fair to the News & Record, my op-ed was only opened for comments yesterday and the fact over 140 individuals recommended the story through social media speaks volumes. Greensboro, use your voice and votes to shame those in office allowing predators and murderers to remain on the streets. Vote them out before anybody else loses a daughter, mother, sister, or loved one.

BigMike

June 7, 2011 - 3:13 pm EDT

The Guilford County district attorney's office should be held acountable for its failure to act. Their failure to do so caused this young woman to be killed. The mission that the district attorney's office claims to adhere to is, "It is the duty of this office to represent the State of North Carolina with integrity and professionalism, while protecting victims and their rights, in the pursuit of justice." (from the Guilford County district attorney's website). Their inability to protect this victim and her right to live without fear of violence and death is a grave violation of this mission statement and makes this reader wonder when they are going to be held acountable.

EStahl

June 7, 2011 - 3:51 pm EDT

The Guilford County DA has committed an egregious misdeed on the people of their county. Unfortunately, this is just one example from one county in the whole country. They should be held accountable for their misdeed and, as the DA is an elected official, perhaps a vote of no-confidence or elect a new DA come election; something, obviously, must change. Until the politicians once again fear their constituents, these grave undertakings (letting a man who clearly needs jail time go free) will continue.
Good on you, Mick, for voicing your opinion and getting the word out there. I wish you the best, sir.

nachos99

June 7, 2011 - 5:13 pm EDT

Perhaps part of the silence though was because there are some glaring omissions of fact in your editorial that no-one can point out without making it sound like they are blaming the victim. Your point would have been just as valid and almost as powerful if you had told the whole truth but it also would have had a little more integrity.

June 7, 2011 - 5:49 pm EDT

To my knowledge, nothing in this op-ed is inaccurate. Regardless of the choices we make and individuals we surround ourselves with, nothing excuses the fact her killer had cases dismissed repeatedly after displaying a clear penchant for violence against her and others. Christina didn't fire the shots nor deserve to be murdered and he shouldn't have had the opportunity to do so. To tell the whole truth (if anyone knows what that even is) would require an entire newspaper. My objective was to point out the problem of the courts making deals with people who are undeniably dangerous.

June 7, 2011 - 6:22 pm EDT

Didn't say there were inaccuracies, just facts left out. Never meant to imply in any way, shape or form that she deserved to be murdered, nor strangled. Whatever her reasons for refusing to testify multiple times, the system is very flawed, no disagreement there.

June 7, 2011 - 7:07 pm EDT

Geez, I'm still not getting my point across the way I wanted to and in fact had decided I would delete my original comment because there probably wasn't a way to get that point across without rubbing salt in your wound, which I definitely don't want to do. No way that I can find to delete it though. Bottom line, my prayers are with all who have been devastated by this awful violence.

Chuck1979

June 7, 2011 - 8:25 pm EDT

Obviously the particlar incident giving rise to the article was a case of male-on-female abuse. But the article itself addresses domestic violence in general terms - and men are just as likely as women to be the victims of domestic violence. So the language, such as "women... killed by the hands of murderous men" should be reformed.

Consider the first sentence of the third paragraph, but in a gender-reversed way: "Now imagine a place where a woman repeatedly assails men with near impunity. Punches, kicks, chokes and whips our fathers, brothers and sons with hateful words for years." For this there is no imagination necessary - only a TV remote control. And when it happens in real life, I assure the author as sincerely as I possibly can that the male victim is treated even LESS well than the female victim: Ordinarily he is accused of being the abuser himself, or is told that he probably deserved to get kicked in the nuts or hit with a rolling pin or whatever. And there are FAR fewer resources for him to obtain help.

I do not think that the author actually MEANS to exclude male victims of domestic violence - it is perhaps an unintended consequence (but nevertheless, it is a consequence) of using such language. Articles such as this, when they speak of domestic violence generally as violence against women, do a great disservice to half of the domestic violence victims and survivors in this country, and help perpetuate outdated stereotypes that keep these victims in abusive relationships.

June 7, 2011 - 9:37 pm EDT

@Chuck1979 & nachos99: Thank you both for sharing your honest opinions. I'm glad to see my opinion piece harboring civil, respectful exchanges over the issue of domestic violence. Chuck1979 is correct that domestic violence impacts all genders in every type of relationship. Of the twenty-one domestic violence homicides documented in North Carolina this year, seven involved males being murdered. The key issue we all agree on is dangerous individuals are allowed to walk our streets after coming before the courts for their actions and then repeatedly released to prey upon their victims.

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