"Estranged" dad murders mom while their 3 kids sleep, then flees home and abandons kids (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)

"Estranged" dad DONNELL PRICE stabbed his wife to death, the mother of their three children, then fled the home--effectively abandoning the children. Though the article doesn't point out the abandonment part. I guess the fathers rights people will bray what a great dad he was 'cause he didn't slaughter the kids too? Just left them traumatized, motherless, and alone at a murder scene?

Check out the second killer highlighted here, MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT FETTER. He tells us he just "lost it" in a discussion with the mother as who would have custody of the kids. You know, if the family courts had stuck to the "tender years" doctrine, we wouldn't have all these @$$hole criminals thinking their entitled to ownership/possession of the kids, either through the courts and/or through murdering or "disappearing" the mom.

Note that fathers rights are much stronger than they were 20 years ago, and yet the domestic violence murder rate is WAY UP. Giving them all those daddies "rights" sure didn't satisfy all their abuse and control needs now, did it? It just made all these criminals more narcissistic and entitled than ever.

And we still have the police "scratching their heads" over all the bloodbaths getting on. I'm thinking that mothers under siege need to get a gun and learn how to use it, because the authorities are committed to being clueless.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/12/estranged_husband_charged_in_a.html

Estranged husband charged in attack on Harrisburg School District teacher

Published: Friday, December 16, 2011, 6:00 AM
Updated: Friday, December 16, 2011, 10:20 AM
By ED KOMENDA, The Patriot-News

HARRISBURG — As her children slept, police said Tarina Price became yet another victim at the hands of someone who once shared her life.

During an argument, estranged husband Donnell Price stabbed her more than 10 times and then shot her at least four times in the head, police said, before fleeing her home in the 1600 block of Sycamore Street in Harrisburg.

Emergency crews rushed the 33-year-old Price, a mother of three and an eighth-grade school teacher, to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where she arrived in grave condition. Hospital officials confirmed late Thursday that Price had died.

Donnell Price, 40, later returned to the scene and was arrested, police said. He’s been charged with attempted homicide and related counts. At press time, there was no indication from authorities about what might have caused the incident or whether they had amended the charge to homicide.

It was the second alleged brutal example of domestic violence in the midstate in the last week and something those in law enforcement said they see all too often around the holidays.

On Saturday, police said 36-year-old Karen Marie Stump was killed by her fiance in the couple’s North Middleton Township home while their kids were inside. When officers arrived, they said they found Michael James Scott Fetter hugging the couple’s three children, and he allegedly told police he had strangled Stump.

Fetter, 44, who is charged with homicide, allegedly said to police that “I lost it” when he and Stump were arguing about separating and who would get custody of the kids.

Talking about the latest two cases, Dauphin County District Attorney Edward M. Marsico Jr. said they are examples of the domestic violence that continues to plague society.

“It’s horrible,” he said. “We see this type of case a lot during the holidays.”

Marsico, like many law enforcement officials, has continued to scratch his head at the recent outburst of domestic crimes across the state.

Pennsylvania had 133 domestic-violence deaths in 2010, according to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Five deaths were reported in Dauphin County in 2010. But this year so far, Dauphin County has seen a decline, logging only one homicide related to domestic violence. On average, about 390 domestic violence cases are reported to the Dauphin County YWCA every month. Yearly, the agency sees about 3,000 cases a year.

While there aren’t as many cases reported in Cumberland County — about 1,368 victims between July 2010 and June 2011 — the number of homicides has soared.

In 2010, authorities linked one death to domestic violence in Cumberland and Perry counties.

But in 2011? Eight.

Almost double the highest number of domestic violence deaths reported in Dauphin County.

Rhonda Hendrickson said you can look at all the statistics you want. But it’s no indication of how bad things are.

Hendrickson, director of Violence Intervention and Prevention Services for the YWCA, said there are hundreds of domestic violence cases that go unreported every year.

“The stats don’t show the whole picture,” she said. “It’s a growing problem.”

But why?

Randy Runkle, business manager at Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland and Perry Counties, believes it’s the crumbling economy that leads people to commit such violent acts.

“It’s harder for everybody,” Runkle said. “Money isn’t coming in like it used to.”

Others, like Hendrickson, believe it’s not money that causes brutal crimes in households but violent tendencies fueled by stress.

It “isn’t the holiday season or alcohol that causes this,” Hendrickson said. “You can’t blame it on those things. It’s the perpetrator’s fault.”

Agencies against domestic violence, such as Runkle’s and Hendrickson’s, do what they can to help. But the challenges have been hard to overcome.

“We continue to educate and help victims, but we’re not in the houses every day,” Runkle said.

Domestic violence agencies have also fallen victim to the economy, Runkle said.

“It’s hard to get money to keep going,” he added. “You can only do so much with what you’ve got.”

Friends of Tarina Price wish they had all the answers.

Donnell Price didn’t have a criminal record, according to court files. Police said he had two guns registered under his name.

On Thursday morning, co-workers at the Rowland School, where Price teaches eighth-grade English, couldn’t absorb what had really happened.

“It’s almost unbelievable,” Harrisburg School District Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney said.

Knight-Burney held a meeting with Rowland teachers to tell them the news.

They said Price fought for what she believes in.

“She was a very compassionate and caring teacher,” Knight-Burney said.

A graduate of Harrisburg High School, Price grew up wanting to be a teacher.

“She was good,” Knight-Burney said. “She was a great part of this community.”

Thursday night, school officials and community members gathered in Rowland’s gym to pray for Price. Pastors were on hand to provide counseling.

Today, the school’s staff and students plan to wear purple, the color of domestic violence awareness, in honor of their teacher.

Two students addressed the crowd at the gym, and one was overcome with emotions and broke down crying.

Many parents in the crowd were struggling to find answers to give their children about why Tarina Price won’t be in class.

“She is the best teacher a parent could ask for, and her absence will be noticed,” Tammy Hodges said. “Never thought I would have to explain something like this at home.”

Staff writer Joe Elias contributed to this report.