The number of domestic violence homicides in Texas last was nearly double that of a decade ago, according to a nonprofit dedicated to family violence research and prevention.
Last year, more than 200 Texans lost their lives at the hands of their intimate partners, a significant increase from the 119 intimate partner murders recorded in 2013, per data from the Texas Council on Family Violence.
Of the 205 intimate partner murder victims in 2023, 179 were women, and 26 were men. The majority of incidents were in North Texas.
Out of the 254 counties in Texas, 64 counties reported at least one domestic violence homicide. Harris County saw the most deaths, at 35 women and 3 men. Dallas County followed shortly behind, with 22 women killed and 4 men killed. Following behind Harris and Dallas County are Bexar, Tarrant, Travis, and Hidalgo.
The data shows that men and women are more likely to be murdered by a current spouse or partner than by an ex.
Last year, 83 women were killed by their husbands, 5 men were killed by their wives, and 1 person in an LGBTQ+ marriage was killed. In contrast, 5 ex-wives were killed by their ex-husbands, and no ex-wives killed their ex-husbands.
Similarly, 66 women were killed by their boyfriends, 16 men were killed by their girlfriends, and 3 people in LGBTQ+ relationships died by intimate partner violence. However, 25 women were killed by ex-boyfriends, and 3 men were killed by ex-girlfriends.
Nearly 50 victims had sought help before they were murdered, and 52% had taken steps to end the abuse.
LaTasha Williams, founder of Cheryl’s Voice, a domestic violence nonprofit in Tarrant County, told The Dallas Express that resources for those suffering from abuse are limited in availability.
“There are not enough hotels that are partnering with agencies that are giving out hotel vouchers for victims, and there are not enough counselors that are specialized in trauma counseling that have availability. They’re full,” explained Williams.
“I think that’s a discouraging part for victims, from what I hear them say. They don’t have anybody, they don’t have money, and they don’t have resources. Then they feel like they have to stay in the situation.”
LaTasha Williams witnessed her father murder her mother before taking his own life when she was only one-and-a-half years old. Her mother, Cheryl, had attempted to move away from Williams’ father before he killed her, but the preventive measures did not help.
“He kidnapped us, and he was relentless,” Williams told The Dallas Express. “She had moved and left, and he was just attacking her, following her, and stalking her.”
At times, the relatives or friends of a domestic violence victim, and even total strangers, are caught up in the fallout between intimate partners and become victims themselves. Last year in Texas, 16 family members, friends, or bystanders were killed by the abusive intimate partners of domestic violence victims. The majority — 70% — of family members, friends, or bystanders who were either injured or killed during a domestic violence incident were struck by gunfire.
“It affects our community,” said Williams. “A lot of our mass shootings, if you look at the person that was the shooter, they have a history of abuse. Then some of them were targeting their intimate partner, and as a result, they killed some additional people.”
Williams related an incident that occurred in Fort Worth in July when a man drove to a car wash to find his girlfriend. The two got into an argument, and multiple bystanders were shot and killed or injured.
Two of the victims who died were sisters, a 15-month-old and a 4-year-old, and the third victim fatality was a man. Three other adults were injured.
“That’s a myth, where people think, ‘It’s not my business. I’m going to stay in my lane.’ But it could definitely affect you. If this person blows up, they could just shoot the block,” Williams said.
More Texas domestic violence victims are killed by a partner with a firearm than by all other means combined.
The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation reportedly increases the risk of homicide by 500%.
Texas law prohibits people convicted of certain domestic violence crimes from possessing firearms for five years following their conviction. This typically applies to those who commit assault for “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly caus[ing] bodily injury” to a member of the family or household.
However, this restriction does not apply to individuals convicted of violent assaults against a dating partner unless the abuser has been married to or lived with the victim. It also does not apply to someone convicted of threatening a family or household member with violent injury.
Due to the lax regulations, many offenders can obtain firearms, which often leads to a tragic fatality.
In March 2023, a 28-year-old Dallas woman, Ra’jean Jackson, was shot dead by her boyfriend, Devante Traylor, 30. Traylor reportedly had a history of violent assaults against a previous partner and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm at the time he killed Jackson.
For a list of resources for abuse victims in Dallas, including shelters, counseling, legal resources, emergency assistance, and hotlines, visit the link here. Immediate help is available 24/7 at the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE.
