Child Custody Exchange Ends in Murder-Suicide
The ex-boyfriend of a mother of three children shot and killed her, then took his own life during what authorities say was supposed to be a custody exchange in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. The murder-suicide happened in front of the mother’s three children, aged 1, 4, and 6. According to the victim’s mother, the ex-boyfriend had an “unpredictable” temper and was the “type of person you could never calm down if he got upset.”
Pennsylvania has a type of order called a Protection from Abuse (PFA) order. This is an order that can help protect someone from future incidents of domestic violence. While there is no telling whether a PFA order would have averted this tragic situation, it is something that anyone who has been exposed to domestic violence, or even the threat of domestic violence, should consider. The LLF Law Firm’s Family Law Team can help with PFA orders. Call us at 888.535.3686 or use our online contact form to reach out. We will schedule a confidential consultation to review your case and explain what we can do to help.
The Upper Darby Murder-Suicide
News reports indicate that the murder-suicide took place when the victim was in her car in front of the ex-boyfriend’s home with three of her children, two of whom she shared with the ex-boyfriend. An argument between the victim and the ex-boyfriend followed, and the ex-boyfriend shot the victim and then himself. She was declared dead at the scene; the ex-boyfriend was taken to a hospital and eventually removed from life support and died as well.
Protection From Abuse Orders
In Pennsylvania, anybody who alleges domestic violence or the threat of domestic violence by a member of their household, an intimate partner, or someone with whom they share a child can ask a court to issue a Protection from Abuse Order. A PFA order can order the person it names – the target of the PFA – not to commit abuse against the person or persons protected by the PFA order. It can also direct them not to threaten, harass, or stalk the person.
The PFA order can restrict the accused abuser from contacting the person protected by the PFA order. It can order them to turn over any guns or dangerous weapons to authorities. It can order the target to leave the family home if they have been living there with the person that the PFA order protects. Where child custody is an issue, it can direct that exchanges and visits be limited and supervised.
Violation of a PFA order can land the accused abuser in jail for up to six months.
The LLF Law Firm Can Help With PFA Orders
If you are in a situation where you are being abused by someone close to you, or if the person has not abused you but is threatening to do so, contact the LLF Law Firm’s Family Law Team for help. We know what steps to take to quickly get you the help you need, including emergency, temporary, and permanent PFA orders.
Call us at 888.535.3686, or use our online contact form. We will quickly schedule a confidential consultation where you can tell us about your situation, and we can explain how we can help.