With a grant from the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Mainstay and Pisgah Legal Services have formed a domestic violence task force to come up with a comprehensive strategy to combat abuse and fatalities.
Mainstay Director Tanya Blackford said she's looking for a way to bring groups together and open the lines of communication.
"That's where the answers lie," she said.
Many task force members remember a time before budget cuts when agencies and law enforcement had more resources available to address the issue. They look to other counties they say have successful strategies that might be able to work in Henderson County.
They discuss strategies from having more officers focusing on domestic violence and creating a family court to advocating for stricter penalties, securing more funding for programs for offenders and offering supervised visitation services.
One of the biggest hurdles, however, is often the victims themselves. Many will refuse to prosecute their abusers out of fear or shame, continuing the cycle.
And there are deadly consequences. On Jan. 12, 2011, police found Victoria Jon-Baptiste, 27, dead at 1119 Park St. She was last seen alive about 6 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2011.
Her boyfriend, Eric Cornell Wilson, has been charged with her murder and is being held in the Henderson County jail. There was a history of domestic violence between the couple, according to court records.
Vanessa Mintz was found dead on Feb. 19, 2011 at Saluda Mountain Lodge of a gunshot wound to the head. Her husband, Travis McGraw, 45, of Hendesonville is charged with first-degree murder. McGraw remains in jail in lieu of a $750,000 secured bond. There was no apparent history of domestic violence between Mintz and McGraw.
On Jan. 5, Shelby Wilkie's body was found at about 8 p.m. at 705 Kanuga Lake Road. Wilkie's husband, Michael, 39, of Hendersonville was arrested and charged with the murder, according to police. Michael Wilkie is said to have confessed to his wife's killing.
Court records show that Michael Wilkie has a history of domestic violence charges. He has twice been charged with assault on a female, most recently an assault against Shelby Wilkie in March 2011, and he had completed Mainstay counseling in October as a condition of resolving that charge.
There were 107 domestic violence deaths in North Carolina in 2010, which represent 23 percent of the 468 murders committed in the state that year, according to the N.C. Department of Justice.
Missing link?
The local task force is designed to strengthen the relationship between the court system, law enforcement and Mainstay, officials say.
Members, which include personnel from Mainstay, Pisgah Legal Services, the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, Hendersonville Police Department, Henderson County Clerk of Court's Office and the District Attorney's Office, agree the task force is needed in the arsenal against domestic violence.
"It used to be different," Blackford said. "In the past, when I started at Mainstay eight years ago, we had a full-time advocate at the Sheriff's Office. There were domestic violence detectives at the Sheriff's Office and there were specific domestic violence court days at the courthouse. I think when many of these agencies started looking at budget cuts in the past, domestic violence was something that was cut."
Blackford said Henderson County doesn't have many services that surrounding counties like Buncombe have.
"We don't have a safe exchange place for families to safely drop off and exchange children when they are separated or divorced," she said. "We also have no supervised visitation services offered."
Baptiste's death sparked conversations that led to the idea of a task force.
"We started trying to look at what was missing when the first murder happened," Blackford said. "When a tragedy like that happens, we can look at what could have been done differently."
The task force has met twice, discussing gaps in the system, cases that might be at a higher risk and using models tried by other agencies that have had success.
"I would love for our community to have a family justice system or family court," Blackford said. "There also needs to be stricter laws and better treatment services. The problem is our state doesn't fund these services and neither does our county. Offenders are sentenced to a program (offered by Mainstay) that is not even funded. Mainstay is lucky to have partnered with Blue Ridge Health for those offenders who need additional services like mental health evaluations."
Blackford said the Sheriff's Office has come a long way in recent months, putting forth efforts to see where the gaps are and trying to help fill them in.
"There are now two officers in place working with Mainstay's victim advocates," she said.
The District Attorney's Office has reassigned an attorney to work only on domestic violence cases, Blackford said, and that has also been helpful.
"One of the biggest issues we face is getting the victims to court, but that is just once piece of the puzzle," she said. "The second and third pieces are that many times the family can't afford not to have the breadwinner. The victims are afraid of going out on their own and feel the domestic violence is more manageable than starting their life over."
District Attorney Jeff Hunt said that while domestic violence continues to be a problem in Henderson County and across the state, it does come and go.
"When it dies down we think we are handling them, but then we have a rise in homicides like recently," he said. "It will always be a problem. The historical problem is charges are brought, but at the victim's request, they want us to dismiss the case. We try to avoid that, but it is virtually impossible to try a case without the victim's cooperation."
Hunt said his prosecutorial district of Henderson, Transylvania and Polk counties has never had a family court system.
"It's a very expensive thing that has been tried in some districts on a trial basis," he said. "With the budget problems the state has had in recent years, family courts have disappeared."
Hunt said there are certain days the court hears domestic violence cases, which helps.
"A family court would be beneficial," he said. "I haven't pushed for it in recent years due to budget constraints. Reassigning someone to handle domestic violence cases has helped, but at the same time it has put a huge strain on our resources."
‘It's personal'
One of the biggest benefits and a reason the task force may be necessary, Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake said, is that the criminal justice system is a complicated animal for many victims to navigate.
"Any service agency that has anything to do with this has a stake in ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks," he said. "There is obviously a need for this task force. The numbers speak for themselves."
Blake said domestic violence can be a very personal thing and even a source of shame for some victims.
"It can be complicated for law enforcement as well," he said. "At the time of a domestic violence call, the victim usually wants to see the process through, but for some reason that changes many times. It's great to have all these agencies on hand to walk them through the process. Our department will be committed to ensuring the task force is successful. Anything we can do, we will."
Blake said the number of tragedies such as the three murders may be rising because of a lack of resources and commitment by law enforcement.
"Those two things may have a negative impact on victims, but I think this task force will help," he said. "As a father of three daughters, this is serious for me and it's personal."
Sheriff Charlie McDonald said the task force is a great tool because of staff cuts and a loss of resources in many of the agencies involved.
"We see the task force as a way to enhance efficiency and a way to multiply our efforts against domestic violence," he said.
McDonald has set up a two-man domestic violence team since he took office.
"I think the biggest fear for all those involved in the task force is that someone falls through the cracks and becomes another fatality," he said.
Community awareness
The radio group in Asheville that Shelby Wilkie worked for is hoping to increase community awareness about domestic violence to help prevent victims from being abused or even killed.
The Asheville Radio Group has started a public service announcement campaign that speaks out against domestic violence. The PSAs feature Wilkie's parents and women who have been victims, as well as prominent men in the community saying they don't abuse women.
Ken Carson, operations manager, and Tammy Jones, morning show host, sat down with the Times-News recently to talk about the PSAs.
"We are continuing the campaign on all of our stations," Carson said. "We started with the victims coming in an volunteering to tell their story. It was very emotional, yet therapeutic at the same time."
Carson, who directed the recordings, said it was hard when the women first came in.
"They didn't know what to say at first, but when the mic turned on they told their stories," he said. "For me the realization that anyone can be a victim was real and that there is not a stereotype."
Jones, who worked with Wilkie, said when the news of her death broke, she and her colleagues were shocked.
"We couldn't believe it," she said. "One of the things we learned is you never know what is going on in the life of someone sitting next to you. People don't talk about it. Living with an abusive situation is a secret that rarely gets known."
Jones said making these PSAs was the radio station's mantle to carry.
"We say this is our mission," Carson said. "We wanted to turn something negative into a positive. It's amazing how many people came through the station that has a story. Our stance is not only awareness, but for victims to immediately seek help and to talk to people and get out."
Reach Harbin at 828-694-7881 or john.harbin@blueridgenow.com.
Local murders lead to domestic violence task forceBy John Harbin
BlueRidgeNow.comJune 8, 2012 8:14 PM
Police believe three homicides in the last 14 months in Henderson and Polk counties were the result of domestic violence, prompting local agencies to join forces in an effort to prevent more of the unthinkable.
With a grant from the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Mainstay and Pisgah Legal Services have formed a domestic violence task force to come up with a comprehensive strategy to combat abuse and fatalities.
Mainstay Director Tanya Blackford said she's looking for a way to bring groups together and open the lines of communication.
"That's where the answers lie," she said.
Many task force members remember a time before budget cuts when agencies and law enforcement had more resources available to address the issue. They look to other counties they say have successful strategies that might be able to work in Henderson County.
They discuss strategies from having more officers focusing on domestic violence and creating a family court to advocating for stricter penalties, securing more funding for programs for offenders and offering supervised visitation services.
One of the biggest hurdles, however, is often the victims themselves. Many will refuse to prosecute their abusers out of fear or shame, continuing the cycle.
And there are deadly consequences. On Jan. 12, 2011, police found Victoria Jon-Baptiste, 27, dead at 1119 Park St. She was last seen alive about 6 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2011.
Her boyfriend, Eric Cornell Wilson, has been charged with her murder and is being held in the Henderson County jail. There was a history of domestic violence between the couple, according to court records.
Vanessa Mintz was found dead on Feb. 19, 2011 at Saluda Mountain Lodge of a gunshot wound to the head. Her husband, Travis McGraw, 45, of Hendesonville is charged with first-degree murder. McGraw remains in jail in lieu of a $750,000 secured bond. There was no apparent history of domestic violence between Mintz and McGraw.
On Jan. 5, Shelby Wilkie's body was found at about 8 p.m. at 705 Kanuga Lake Road. Wilkie's husband, Michael, 39, of Hendersonville was arrested and charged with the murder, according to police. Michael Wilkie is said to have confessed to his wife's killing.
Court records show that Michael Wilkie has a history of domestic violence charges. He has twice been charged with assault on a female, most recently an assault against Shelby Wilkie in March 2011, and he had completed Mainstay counseling in October as a condition of resolving that charge.
There were 107 domestic violence deaths in North Carolina in 2010, which represent 23 percent of the 468 murders committed in the state that year, according to the N.C. Department of Justice.
Missing link?
The local task force is designed to strengthen the relationship between the court system, law enforcement and Mainstay, officials say.
Members, which include personnel from Mainstay, Pisgah Legal Services, the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, Hendersonville Police Department, Henderson County Clerk of Court's Office and the District Attorney's Office, agree the task force is needed in the arsenal against domestic violence.
"It used to be different," Blackford said. "In the past, when I started at Mainstay eight years ago, we had a full-time advocate at the Sheriff's Office. There were domestic violence detectives at the Sheriff's Office and there were specific domestic violence court days at the courthouse. I think when many of these agencies started looking at budget cuts in the past, domestic violence was something that was cut."
Blackford said Henderson County doesn't have many services that surrounding counties like Buncombe have.
"We don't have a safe exchange place for families to safely drop off and exchange children when they are separated or divorced," she said. "We also have no supervised visitation services offered."
Baptiste's death sparked conversations that led to the idea of a task force.
"We started trying to look at what was missing when the first murder happened," Blackford said. "When a tragedy like that happens, we can look at what could have been done differently."
The task force has met twice, discussing gaps in the system, cases that might be at a higher risk and using models tried by other agencies that have had success.
"I would love for our community to have a family justice system or family court," Blackford said. "There also needs to be stricter laws and better treatment services. The problem is our state doesn't fund these services and neither does our county. Offenders are sentenced to a program (offered by Mainstay) that is not even funded. Mainstay is lucky to have partnered with Blue Ridge Health for those offenders who need additional services like mental health evaluations."
Blackford said the Sheriff's Office has come a long way in recent months, putting forth efforts to see where the gaps are and trying to help fill them in.
"There are now two officers in place working with Mainstay's victim advocates," she said.
The District Attorney's Office has reassigned an attorney to work only on domestic violence cases, Blackford said, and that has also been helpful.
"One of the biggest issues we face is getting the victims to court, but that is just once piece of the puzzle," she said. "The second and third pieces are that many times the family can't afford not to have the breadwinner. The victims are afraid of going out on their own and feel the domestic violence is more manageable than starting their life over."
District Attorney Jeff Hunt said that while domestic violence continues to be a problem in Henderson County and across the state, it does come and go.
"When it dies down we think we are handling them, but then we have a rise in homicides like recently," he said. "It will always be a problem. The historical problem is charges are brought, but at the victim's request, they want us to dismiss the case. We try to avoid that, but it is virtually impossible to try a case without the victim's cooperation."
Hunt said his prosecutorial district of Henderson, Transylvania and Polk counties has never had a family court system.
"It's a very expensive thing that has been tried in some districts on a trial basis," he said. "With the budget problems the state has had in recent years, family courts have disappeared."
Hunt said there are certain days the court hears domestic violence cases, which helps.
"A family court would be beneficial," he said. "I haven't pushed for it in recent years due to budget constraints. Reassigning someone to handle domestic violence cases has helped, but at the same time it has put a huge strain on our resources."
‘It's personal'
One of the biggest benefits and a reason the task force may be necessary, Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake said, is that the criminal justice system is a complicated animal for many victims to navigate.
"Any service agency that has anything to do with this has a stake in ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks," he said. "There is obviously a need for this task force. The numbers speak for themselves."
Blake said domestic violence can be a very personal thing and even a source of shame for some victims.
"It can be complicated for law enforcement as well," he said. "At the time of a domestic violence call, the victim usually wants to see the process through, but for some reason that changes many times. It's great to have all these agencies on hand to walk them through the process. Our department will be committed to ensuring the task force is successful. Anything we can do, we will."
Blake said the number of tragedies such as the three murders may be rising because of a lack of resources and commitment by law enforcement.
"Those two things may have a negative impact on victims, but I think this task force will help," he said. "As a father of three daughters, this is serious for me and it's personal."
Sheriff Charlie McDonald said the task force is a great tool because of staff cuts and a loss of resources in many of the agencies involved.
"We see the task force as a way to enhance efficiency and a way to multiply our efforts against domestic violence," he said.
McDonald has set up a two-man domestic violence team since he took office.
"I think the biggest fear for all those involved in the task force is that someone falls through the cracks and becomes another fatality," he said.
Community awareness
The radio group in Asheville that Shelby Wilkie worked for is hoping to increase community awareness about domestic violence to help prevent victims from being abused or even killed.
The Asheville Radio Group has started a public service announcement campaign that speaks out against domestic violence. The PSAs feature Wilkie's parents and women who have been victims, as well as prominent men in the community saying they don't abuse women.
Ken Carson, operations manager, and Tammy Jones, morning show host, sat down with the Times-News recently to talk about the PSAs.
"We are continuing the campaign on all of our stations," Carson said. "We started with the victims coming in an volunteering to tell their story. It was very emotional, yet therapeutic at the same time."
Carson, who directed the recordings, said it was hard when the women first came in.
"They didn't know what to say at first, but when the mic turned on they told their stories," he said. "For me the realization that anyone can be a victim was real and that there is not a stereotype."
Jones, who worked with Wilkie, said when the news of her death broke, she and her colleagues were shocked.
"We couldn't believe it," she said. "One of the things we learned is you never know what is going on in the life of someone sitting next to you. People don't talk about it. Living with an abusive situation is a secret that rarely gets known."
Jones said making these PSAs was the radio station's mantle to carry.
"We say this is our mission," Carson said. "We wanted to turn something negative into a positive. It's amazing how many people came through the station that has a story. Our stance is not only awareness, but for victims to immediately seek help and to talk to people and get out.
Vanessa Mintz was found dead on Feb. 19, 2011 at Saluda Mountain Lodge of a gunshot wound to the head. Her husband, Travis McGraw, 45, of Hendesonville is charged with first-degree murder. McGraw remains in jail in lieu of a $750,000 secured bond. There was no apparent history of domestic violence between Mintz and McGraw.
On Jan. 5, Shelby Wilkie's body was found at about 8 p.m. at 705 Kanuga Lake Road. Wilkie's husband, Michael, 39, of Hendersonville was arrested and charged with the murder, according to police. Michael Wilkie is said to have confessed to his wife's killing.
Court records show that Michael Wilkie has a history of domestic violence charges. He has twice been charged with assault on a female, most recently an assault against Shelby Wilkie in March 2011, and he had completed Mainstay counseling in October as a condition of resolving that charge.
There were 107 domestic violence deaths in North Carolina in 2010, which represent 23 percent of the 468 murders committed in the state that year, according to the N.C. Department of Justice.
Missing link?
The local task force is designed to strengthen the relationship between the court system, law enforcement and Mainstay, officials say.
Members, which include personnel from Mainstay, Pisgah Legal Services, the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, Hendersonville Police Department, Henderson County Clerk of Court's Office and the District Attorney's Office, agree the task force is needed in the arsenal against domestic violence.
"It used to be different," Blackford said. "In the past, when I started at Mainstay eight years ago, we had a full-time advocate at the Sheriff's Office. There were domestic violence detectives at the Sheriff's Office and there were specific domestic violence court days at the courthouse. I think when many of these agencies started looking at budget cuts in the past, domestic violence was something that was cut."
Blackford said Henderson County doesn't have many services that surrounding counties like Buncombe have.
"We don't have a safe exchange place for families to safely drop off and exchange children when they are separated or divorced," she said. "We also have no supervised visitation services offered."
Baptiste's death sparked conversations that led to the idea of a task force.
"We started trying to look at what was missing when the first murder happened," Blackford said. "When a tragedy like that happens, we can look at what could have been done differently."
The task force has met twice, discussing gaps in the system, cases that might be at a higher risk and using models tried by other agencies that have had success.
"I would love for our community to have a family justice system or family court," Blackford said. "There also needs to be stricter laws and better treatment services. The problem is our state doesn't fund these services and neither does our county. Offenders are sentenced to a program (offered by Mainstay) that is not even funded. Mainstay is lucky to have partnered with Blue Ridge Health for those offenders who need additional services like mental health evaluations."
Blackford said the Sheriff's Office has come a long way in recent months, putting forth efforts to see where the gaps are and trying to help fill them in.
"There are now two officers in place working with Mainstay's victim advocates," she said.
The District Attorney's Office has reassigned an attorney to work only on domestic violence cases, Blackford said, and that has also been helpful.
"One of the biggest issues we face is getting the victims to court, but that is just once piece of the puzzle," she said. "The second and third pieces are that many times the family can't afford not to have the breadwinner. The victims are afraid of going out on their own and feel the domestic violence is more manageable than starting their life over."
District Attorney Jeff Hunt said that while domestic violence continues to be a problem in Henderson County and across the state, it does come and go.
"When it dies down we think we are handling them, but then we have a rise in homicides like recently," he said. "It will always be a problem. The historical problem is charges are brought, but at the victim's request, they want us to dismiss the case. We try to avoid that, but it is virtually impossible to try a case without the victim's cooperation."
Hunt said his prosecutorial district of Henderson, Transylvania and Polk counties has never had a family court system.
"It's a very expensive thing that has been tried in some districts on a trial basis," he said. "With the budget problems the state has had in recent years, family courts have disappeared."
Hunt said there are certain days the court hears domestic violence cases, which helps.
"A family court would be beneficial," he said. "I haven't pushed for it in recent years due to budget constraints. Reassigning someone to handle domestic violence cases has helped, but at the same time it has put a huge strain on our resources."
‘It's personal'
One of the biggest benefits and a reason the task force may be necessary, Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake said, is that the criminal justice system is a complicated animal for many victims to navigate.
"Any service agency that has anything to do with this has a stake in ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks," he said. "There is obviously a need for this task force. The numbers speak for themselves."
Blake said domestic violence can be a very personal thing and even a source of shame for some victims.
"It can be complicated for law enforcement as well," he said. "At the time of a domestic violence call, the victim usually wants to see the process through, but for some reason that changes many times. It's great to have all these agencies on hand to walk them through the process. Our department will be committed to ensuring the task force is successful. Anything we can do, we will."
Blake said the number of tragedies such as the three murders may be rising because of a lack of resources and commitment by law enforcement.
"Those two things may have a negative impact on victims, but I think this task force will help," he said. "As a father of three daughters, this is serious for me and it's personal."
Sheriff Charlie McDonald said the task force is a great tool because of staff cuts and a loss of resources in many of the agencies involved.
"We see the task force as a way to enhance efficiency and a way to multiply our efforts against domestic violence," he said.
McDonald has set up a two-man domestic violence team since he took office.
"I think the biggest fear for all those involved in the task force is that someone falls through the cracks and becomes another fatality," he said.
Community awareness
The radio group in Asheville that Shelby Wilkie worked for is hoping to increase community awareness about domestic violence to help prevent victims from being abused or even killed.
The Asheville Radio Group has started a public service announcement campaign that speaks out against domestic violence. The PSAs feature Wilkie's parents and women who have been victims, as well as prominent men in the community saying they don't abuse women.
Ken Carson, operations manager, and Tammy Jones, morning show host, sat down with the Times-News recently to talk about the PSAs.
"We are continuing the campaign on all of our stations," Carson said. "We started with the victims coming in an volunteering to tell their story. It was very emotional, yet therapeutic at the same time."
Carson, who directed the recordings, said it was hard when the women first came in.
"They didn't know what to say at first, but when the mic turned on they told their stories," he said. "For me the realization that anyone can be a victim was real and that there is not a stereotype."
Jones, who worked with Wilkie, said when the news of her death broke, she and her colleagues were shocked.
"We couldn't believe it," she said. "One of the things we learned is you never know what is going on in the life of someone sitting next to you. People don't talk about it. Living with an abusive situation is a secret that rarely gets known."
Jones said making these PSAs was the radio station's mantle to carry.
"We say this is our mission," Carson said. "We wanted to turn something negative into a positive. It's amazing how many people came through the station that has a story. Our stance is not only awareness, but for victims to immediately seek help and to talk to people and get out."
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