Duluth, MN: Murdered Mother's Son Speaks About Domestic Violence

Fri, 05/20/2011 - 9:26pm Community Crime & Courts Education Twin Ports


by Dan Hanger & photojournalist Kristian Tharaldson, FOX 21 News
DULUTH - Kay Marie Sisto was murdered by her husband one year ago this month, and this Sunday she will be remembered in a domestic violence walk and run.
Jordan Peterson, 21, one of Kay’s sons, said he misses his best friend and loving mom.
"She was probably the most gorgeous girl I knew,” Jordan said.
Last May, Kay was taken away from Jordan and his brothers in a worst case of domestic violence anyone could ever experience.
"She was the one person I always went to. I told her everything," Jordan said.
Through a severely possessive mind, Jordan's father shot and killed Kay in the family's home before killing himself.
“Never in a million years would have thought he would have done it. But he did,” Jordan said.
After 30 years of marriage, Jordan said his father changed so much that Kay wanted to finally get a divorce.
"She just wasn't happy. She didn't pay as much attention to him as he wanted her to. That was the control aspect," Jordan said.
And that control followed the deadly rage that no one thought would ever happen.
"I saw bullets probably five days before, and to my surprise, they were the bullets that shot her three times in the head," Jordan said.

As Jordan was preparing for the walk, he said he was hoping his tragedy will help prevent others from going through the same pain.
"Don't be passive about it. That's one of the things I regret absolutely entirely right now as being passive about the whole situation. He's not going to do it,” Jordan said.
Jordan said the warning signs were clear, but said it was hard to comprehend when it involved his own father.
"He didn't bathe. He isolated himself. He didn't want to collaborate with anyone else. All he wanted was her. He didn't care about us. What we did. It was just pure control,” Jordan said.
As Jordan tries to move forward, never forgetting his mother, he said he was focusing on getting his pre-medicine degree to make her proud.
"My mom always told me, Jordan, I want you to be my young doctor," he said.
And he said he was also hoping to keep her name alive for a long time to come through public awareness, like the upcoming memorial walk.
“She is continuing her legacy even after she's dead. And I'm trying, but it's hard. She was something I couldn't match to, but I can surely try,” Jordan smiled.