The Big Picture: Griffin Man Kills Wife and Stepdaughter

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Griffin Man Kills Wife and Stepdaughter

A Griffin, GA man killed his wife and 19-year-old stepdaughter last night, one week after being served with divorce papers.

Friends and loved ones of a slain Griffin mother and daughter mourned their loss Monday night, as police continued to search for the husband and stepfather believed to have killed them.

The double shooting Monday afternoon marked the third and fourth murders this month in Griffin, where last year there was only one homicide, police said.

While police hunting Monday night for 49-year-old Kenneth Baker considered him to be armed and dangerous, those who knew Lynnale Baker, 38, and her 19-year-old daughter ShaeLinda Sanders said they were well-loved.

Monday afternoon, police say they received a call reporting the shootings.

Just after 1 p.m. Monday, Kenneth Baker phoned in what he had done to a family member.

"He told a relative he had killed his wife and stepdaughter," Griffin police chief Frank Strickland told the AJC.

Officers arrived at the home in the 100 block of Waterford Way and found Lynnale Baker and Sanders both shot to death at their home.

Strickland said Lynnale Baker had served her husband with divorce papers just a week ago. Shaelinda was about to graduate later this month from Griffin High School.

But Pattillo said domestic trouble had been brewing much longer.

"Ms. Lynnale was going to leave him last year, and he promised he would change," Patillo said.

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of having a plan when ending a violent relationship. There are many good reasons why women stay in abusive relationships, and fear that the violence will escalate if she tries to leave is high on that list. In fact, the most dangerous times in a violent relationship are pregnancy and when the relationship is ending. It is vitally important that women have a safe place to stay when they leave and have someone with whom to explore all of their rights and options. If you would like to plan to leave an abusive relationship, please call us at 404-370-7670. Outside metro Atlanta you can call 1-800-33-HAVEN. Outside Georgia, call 1-800-799-SAFE.

As always, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' family.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through physical, sexual, emotional, and/or financial abuse. Both men and women are capable of misusing power and perpetrating violence, and male victims are often just as afraid to call the police. More resources for female survivors exist, however, because overwhelmingly women and children suffer the most severe consequences (medical, legal, social, and financial) and therefore require the most intensive interventions.

Many women choose to stay in abusive relationships because they do not want their relationship to end...just the violence. Women often remain in, or return to, abusive relationships because their partners threaten to harm them and their loved ones if they attempt to leave. Commonly, women choose to leave when they become convinced that their life is at risk, or that their children are in danger.

Domestic violence is not just a "family matter". The violence will not stop until men and women come together with a common attitude of non-tolerance. We must speak out for those who may not feel safe speaking up, and our children must learn through our words and example that violence is never justified.