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Gene Kennedy reporting The Utah Domestic Violence Council just released a list today of deaths related to domestic violence for 2007, and there is some good news to report. According to the council, domestic violence deaths are at the lowest they've been in five years. Still, there were 18 deaths this year, including a disturbing one yesterday in the Millcreek area.
Linda Swasey's neighbor frantically knocked on her door yesterday. The woman was bleeding from her throat and stomach. "I just can't get it out of my head, you know," Swasey said. "All I can see is her face when she came to the door. She said, ‘He stabbed me.'"
The victim survived but is in serious condition. As for the husband, sheriff's investigators say he hanged himself from a carport.
That was the 18th domestic violence-related death of 2007. According to Utah's Domestic Violence Council, the numbers have consistently dropped since 2003.
"The deaths are down. I'm not sure I can say the same for domestic violence in general," said Mark Nash, chairman of the council's domestic violence-related deaths committee. For example, last month police found a woman chained to an engine block by her boyfriend.
As for high-profile domestic deaths, two stand out on the list of 18. In October, prosecutors charged Sherman Lynch in the death of Patricia Rothermich. He allegedly ran her down with his truck. Equally disturbing, police say a man in Beaver gunned down his ex-wife's boyfriend in a crowded restaurant earlier this month.
One-third of this year's domestic deaths involved suicide. A Sandy woman was awakened on an October morning by her husband stabbing her. She survived, but he took his life in a nearby bedroom.
Finally, there was a striking case at the beginning of 2007. An SUV exploded behind a Salt Lake City convenience store, killing Duston and Andrea Riley. Salt Lake City police say surveillance video showed Duston spraying gasoline in the truck as Andrea watched.
The Utah Domestic Violence Council says it's important to remember these cases so the community understands how domestic problems can lead to deadly results.
