Article: Domestic Violence Rising

November 23, 2011
By Bryan Navarro


CENTRAL POINT, Ore. -- Tuesday's likely murder suicide is the fourth case of deadly domestic violence in the Rogue Valley.

Four cases and eight victims have died in Jackson County since January. Officials say what's most shocking is that in the past four months, there have been three deadly cases of domestic violence.

Early Tuesday morning, Makaila Upton was killed in a domestic dispute. In September, Jessica Bethany was murdered, Tabasha Paige Criado and her four children in July, and Bonnie Payne in March.

Community Works officials who help abuse victims say there's no clear reason for the increase in our area. They say in most cases when domestic violence turns deadly, it's because the aggressor feels like he may be losing control and wants to gain it back. Community Works officials also say many times we look at how the victim could have helped herself, but they say we should also be looking at how the aggressor is acting.

Medford Police say in recent years, there has been an increasing number homicides and domestic abuse cases. So far this year, there have been six homicides. Last year, there were five. During the four years before, there was an average of less than two per year.