Holden, LA: 'Domestic Violence' Led to Murder-Suicide Pregnant Victim Survives, Gives Birth Prematurely2-year-old, 3 others dead in La. murder-suicide

Deadly gunman violated protective order 3 times

Posted: Sep 08, 2009 6:05 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 09, 2009 6:25 AM EDT

Dennis Carter Sr. (Source: Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office)

Dennis Carter Jr.

Mason Carter

Amber Carter
By Caroline Moses - bio | email

HOLDEN, LA (WAFB) - In the ongoing investigation of how and why a weekend triple murder and suicide happened, detectives now say the gunman was arrested three times for violating a protective order.

Livingston Parish deputies say Dennis Wayne Carter Sr. killed his wife, his son and his two-year-old grandson late Saturday night. Soon after, they caught up to him on I-12, but Carter took his own life before he could be apprehended. In addition to the lives taken, Carter also shot his pregnant daughter-in-law nine times. Her baby was delivered early and both remain hospitalized.

According to Livingston Parish court documents, Donna O'Berry Carter took out two restraining orders against her estranged husband and he took one out on her in March 2008. They also show both of them filed for divorce independently. Local family court judges say drawn out battles like this one are not that uncommon in abusive relationships. "There needs to be a dialogue going with not just the courts and legal system, but with police and the deputies," said Chief Family Court Judge Annette LaSalle.

LaSalle said Livingston Parish has no designated family court, which makes it even trickier to keep complicated cases like this one straight. On top of that, at least four different judges handled the Carters' case. "We have a better feel for the family if we're the only judge they've ever seen," said LaSalle. Authorities admitted multiple handlers could explain why Dennis Carter Sr. was able to easily bond out of jail, even after his third arrest for violating an order of protection.

It's an issue state Representative Pat Smith, D-Baton Rouge, said courts need to clear up and if it takes new legislation, she's ready to help. "If it is the fact that we need to increase the penalty, then I think that's something we need to do," she said. Right now, if someone violates an order of protection, the penalties are the same, whether it's their first violation or their third. Both Representative Smith and Judge LaSalle think that should change. "I really like your suggestion of enhanced penalty. That's something that should be considered a deterrent," said LaSalle.

Smith said with Judge LaSalle's help, she'll look into creating a new bill to possibly link penalties to the number of offenses. Livingston Parish sheriff deputies also like the idea. Judge LaSalle wants domestic violence victims out there to know that taking the first step of filing an order of protection is still a good idea. In this case, Donna Carter did not push further than that with any criminal charges, though.

By DOUG SIMPSON

,

AP

HOLDEN, La. (Sept. 7) – A Louisiana killing spree that left four family members dead, including a 2-year-old boy, marked the bloody culmination of an ongoing domestic dispute between the suspected gunman and his estranged wife, said the father of a woman who survived the shootings.

Dennis Carter Sr. shot and killed his wife, son and 2-year-old grandson, then shot himself to death as police tried to pull over his car about 20 minutes later, Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office Chief of Operations Perry Rushing said Sunday.

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Man Kills Family, Self

Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office / AP

5 photos

An ongoing domestic dispute apparently led a 50-year-old man to shoot his estranged wife, son and young grandson to death and seriously wound his pregnant daughter-in-law at their rural Louisiana home Saturday night, police said. Dennis Carter Sr., here in a previous booking photo, then killed himself as police tried to pull over his car 20 minutes later, authorities said.

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Man Kills Family, Self

An ongoing domestic dispute apparently led a 50-year-old man to shoot his estranged wife, son and young grandson to death and seriously wound his pregnant daughter-in-law at their rural Louisiana home Saturday night, police said. Dennis Carter Sr., here in a previous booking photo, then killed himself as police tried to pull over his car 20 minutes later, authorities said.

Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office / AP

Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office / AP

Also shot was Carter Sr.'s daughter-in-law, Amber Carter, who was six months pregnant and was in intensive care in a New Orleans hospital after giving birth to a healthy boy named Aubrey, said her father, Paul Williamson.

Williamson said Carter Sr., 50, had a history of assaulting his wife, Donna Carter, and recently tried to attack her with a machete. Donna Carter had a restraining order against him that her husband had repeatedly violated.

"This had been going on for quite some time," Williamson said. "It was one of those domestic violence things that just gets worse and worse."

A 16-month-old boy was in the house during the shootings but was not hurt. The child was related to the Carters but Rushing was not sure how.

Authorities were called to the home in Holden, about 30 miles east of Baton Rouge, around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Donna Carter, 49, and Dennis Carter Jr., 26, were dead inside. Found outside were Amber Carter, badly hurt, and their son, 2-year-old Masson Carter, who was dead.

Rushing said it appeared Amber and Masson Carter escaped from a second-floor window but it was not clear if the gunman shot them inside or followed them outside and shot them there. Williamson said his daughter had bullet wounds in her kidney and liver, plus spinal damage sustained when she leapt from the window, probably trying to escape her father-in-law.

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Rushing said deputies spotted Dennis Carter Sr. about 20 minutes after the shootings driving on a highway. When they tried to pull him over, he shot and killed himself.

"It's very unusual to have this many victims," Rushing said. "This is an anomaly by any stretch of the imagination."

In a statement released late Sunday, Stephen Alexander, a lawyer representing other family members of Carter Sr., said they were "obviously devastated by their tremendous loss and they ask that the media respect the family's privacy during the grieving process."

All the Carters lived at the house in Holden except Dennis Carter Sr., who used to live there but had recently moved to nearby Hammond. Williamson said Carter Jr. and wife Amber had been planning to move to another house.

Williamson described the senior Carter as a semi-employed mechanic. He said Carter Jr. was a scaffold builder; Amber Carter was a secretary at North Oaks Rehabilitation Center in Hammond, where Donna Carter worked as a data entry clerk.

Rushing said that state police ballistics experts were conducting tests on a gun found in the senior Carter's car.

HOLDEN, La. — A man shot his estranged wife, son and 2-year-old grandson to death and critically wounded his pregnant daughter-in-law at their rural Louisiana home, then killed himself as police tried to pull over his car 20 minutes later, authorities said.

The shootings appeared to stem from an ongoing dispute between 50-year-old Dennis Carter Sr. and his wife, Donna Carter, who had a restraining order against him, said Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office Chief of Operations Perry Rushing.

Another 16-month-old boy was in the house during the shootings but was not hurt. The child was related to the Carters but Rushing was not sure how.

Authorities were called to the home in Holden, about 30 miles east of Baton Rouge, around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Donna Carter, 49, and Dennis Carter Jr., 26, were dead inside. Dennis Carter Jr.'s wife, Amber Carter, was badly hurt and their son, Mason Carter, 2, was found dead outside.

Rushing said it appeared Amber and Mason Carter managed to escape out a second-floor window but it was not clear if Dennis Carter Sr. shot them inside or followed them outside and shot them there.

All of the Carters lived at the house in Holden except Dennis Carter Sr., who used to live there but had more recently been living in nearby Hammond.

Amber Carter, who was about six months pregnant, was taken to Baton Rouge General Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, though a supervisor there could not provide an update on her condition early Sunday.

Rushing said deputies spotted Dennis Carter Sr. about 20 minutes later driving on a highway. When they tried to pull him over, he shot and killed himself.

"It's very unusual to have this many victims," Rushing said. "This is an anomaly by any stretch of the imagination."

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