Dad murders mom; two children left motherless (Gretna, Louisiana)

Dad ALEXANDER HAYES has been identified as the killer of the mother of their two children.

You often see articles like this that piously lecture women on "getting help" and that they need to "take threats seriously" especially when there is a gun in the home. As if women were too stupid to know that there's a risk. Believe me, the vast majority are fully aware of the danger.

Sure, some women will benefit from information about services in the community.

But there's also another subtext here: That it's really the fault of women for not being organized enough to obtain all these domestic violence services out there, and that if they did, they'd be okay.

But read the article carefully. The murdered mom HAD obtained an order of protection. So maybe we need to look at why the system is failing the victims of domestic violence and why abusers are not being held accountable for their actions--not on all the tasks the victims presumably need to accomplish in order to create the illusion that they and their children will be safe.

http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Couple-identified-in-Gretna-murder-suicide/MeSDJoeCt0GN-CMnu1_IVg.cspx

Couple identified in Gretna murder-suicide
Reported by: Sandra Gonzalez, Reporter

Last Update: 9/23 7:19 pm

Gretna – Two children lost their parents. Their mother of victim of murder. Their dad of suicide.
This Gretna incident happens one day after a report found in Louisiana women are murdered by men at a higher rate than anywhere else in the country.

Chaos broke out on Wall boulevard in Gretna.

"I heard the gunshots and I heard some screaming and that made me come out on the balcony so when I came out on the balcony I see a whole lot of police coming out here," said a neighbor who did not wish to be identified.

One neighbor who does not want to identified, can't believe his neighbors, are dead.

The Jefferson's Parish Sheriff's Office says 42-year-old Alexander Hayes and 38-year-old Florence Stoot were found shot in the head, in what's being investigated as a murder suicide.

"Every morning you know she would come out with the kids and put the kids in the truck, bring them to school, and you know I'd see them together," the neighbor said.

Sheriff's spokesman Col. John Fortunato says the couple had recently separated, and the man had been served with a restraining order last week.

"It appears as though he shot her and then turned the gun on himself when EMT's rolled him over this morning they found a semi automatic handgun and shell casings immediately in the area where both victims are lying," Fortunato said.

Neighbors tell us the couple had two children, who were probably just dropped off at school.

"They got kids. They be with each other and I'd see them hugging and kissing. I didn't see no neglect or nothing bad you know," the neighbor said.

This crime comes one day after the Violence Policy Center released shocking statistics about Louisiana. The report looked at the FBI's murder data for 2007. Researchers found women in Louisiana are killed by men at a rate of 2.53 per hundred thousand. That's nearly double the national rate.

Mary Claire Landry, Director of Domestic Violence services through Catholic Charities says the Family Justice Center in New Orleans is a one stop shop for women to get help, before its too late.

"We provide emergency housing. We will get them safely into a safe place, we provide children services, support services, crisis counseling. We do the safety planning with them. We connect them with as many resources as possible," Landry said.

For now, homicide investigators are trying to piece together what started the violent spiral, that ended with this family tragedy.

There is help for women trapped in a violent relationship. Call the Crescent House Crisis line at 504-866-9554.

Landry says women need to take threats seriously, especially if there are firearms in the home.