Report: 13 people killed in domestic violence incidents in Jacksonville in 2018

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Standing before a crowd, a Jacksonville mom said the warning signs in her marriage were there.

"The jealousy, the controlling, the lies," she said. "It was mainly verbal abuse and controlling behavior, and I used to say, ‘Well, if he ever hits me, I'll leave.'"

One night she was home with her two kids when she said her husband's anger boiled over. When he hit her, her son called police.

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Officers tried to convince her to make him leave.

"I was embarrassed. I was scared for my children and I just felt like maybe this would never happen again, that it was his wake-up call to get the help he needed," she said.

As soon as officers left, things got worse.

"He disabled the car. He pulled the phone out of the house and he threatened the children and myself," she said. "I said, 'If I live through the night, I'll leave the next day.'"
With help from Hubbard House, she and her kids escaped.

On Tuesday, she shared the painful memories with a crowd of community leaders. Their mission this month is to raise awareness and empower domestic violence victims to get help.

According to new data, 13 people were killed in domestic violence incidents in Jacksonville last year.

Eighty-five percent were women.

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Most of the murders were committed with a gun.

"I think we need to pay closer attention to is the severity of domestic violence and that it does lead to murder," Gail Patin, with Hubbard House, said.

They're encouraging families to use the hashtag #detectdv and spread the word about resources on social media.

They said the support can mean the difference between life and death.

• Hubbard House, Inc., covering Duval and Baker counties: 904-354-3114
• Quigley House, covering Clay County: 904-284-0061
• Betty Griffin House, covering St. Johns County: 904-824-1555
• Micah's Place, covering Nassau County: 904-225-9979
• Statewide: 800-500-1119

• Jacksonville Area Legal Aid: 904-356-8371
• Jacksonville Bar Lawyer Referral Service: 904-399-5780
• Duval County Three Rivers Legal Services: 904-394-7450

Cox Media Group