A gay doctor is in police custody after he was found Thursday in his Seattle apartment covered in blood with his partner and their adopted son, both stabbed to death, The Seattle Times reports (via The Advocate).
Louis C. Chen, a 39-year-old endocrinologist, is being held on two counts of aggravated murder. He and his family were discovered by coworker Madonna Carlson, a registered nurse and manager of endocrinology at the Benaroya Diabetes Center at Virginia Mason Medical Center, after Chen didn’t show up for work.
The Times makes no explicit mention of a history of domestic violence — those interviewed said they saw no indication anything was wrong — but Chen’s partner, 29-year-old Eric A. Cooper, had a residence history that suggests he had made attempts to leave.
According the Times‘ survey of public records on Chen and Cooper, “In July, both men were listed as residents of the 17th-floor apartment at 910 Eighth Ave., but it appears the younger man had since moved out.” (Studies show that victims of domestic violence experience increased risk of death when they leave the relationship.)
In a later article, the Times writes, “Property records show that Chen and Cooper shared an address in North Carolina and had moved into the First Hill apartment together in July. Public records additionally show that Cooper had returned to North Carolina at some point.”
Chen’s attorney, Raymond McFarland, declined to comment on the case. Regardless of Chen’s guilt, innocence or possible motives, the case serves as a chilling reminder that domestic violence occurs in all communities, all too often undetected until it is too late.
To learn more about domestic violence in LGBTQ relationships, check out the online resources at The Network/La Red and The Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project and the local resources at Bradley Angle. If you or someone you know is being abused, you can call Bradley Angle’s 24-hour hotline at 503-281-2442. In cases of immediate physical danger, call 911.
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