Home Sweet Home

Jennifer Jacobs, 30, had a lot to be proud of. She had been a police officer and then went on to become a state trooper. And like others who wear the uniform, likely she was very proud of the uniform, the accomplishment, and what it represented. Fellow co-workers have said “She was always helpful, energetic; no task was to menial for her. She was just one of those employees. She was a pleasure to work with.” And they said she loved her job.

But more than the job, she had another role to be proud of.  She was the mother of three children. Two children from a previous relationship, one child from her most recent marriage.

Ferral Scott Jacobs, 36, was the father of her three year old child, but their marriage had ended recently. Neighbors who knew both liked both of them. One said “They were nice neighbors. I wouldn’t ask for anybody to be any better. I’m telling the truth,” and another said “Mr. Jacobs was a fine man as far as I know. I liked him.”

Jennifer Jacobs died Thursday night. She was not killed in a traffic stop, not a hostage standoff situation and not apprehending a felon. She was off duty and being a mother.

Jennifer Nelson had gone to the home of her ex-husband to pick up her children when a dispute developed. Allegedly Scott Nelson used a handgun to shoot her and then pulled the trigger on himself. Police officers say the dispute was over the divorce and custody issues of the youngest child.

Law enforcement was alerted to the shooting by a 911 call. When they arrived they found Jennifer Jacobs dead, Scott Jacobs injured. Scott Jacobs was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The children are now with relatives.

wtvynews4.com                wsfa.com               wtvm.com 

 timesdaily.com                                                 al.com

Law enforcement is traditionally a male occupation, though the number of females choosing law enforcement as a career is increasing. But to succeed in law enforcement, to even pass the courses- you have to be smart and capable of being tough. She succeeded and did it well enough to gain the approval of her fellow officers. She chose and was succeeding at a career that is frequently acknowledged as being dangerous.

Yet you don’t expect to need to be tough at home, with family or even with ex-family members. She was off duty and taking care of her responsibilities as a mother.

Custody and child support issues get heated, usually on both sides. In general if in a relationship with someone controlling or prone to violence, often those issues can best be discussed over the telephone.

Domestic violence can and does show up in nice families, with nice people, smart and tough people.

Sometime just before 2 pm on Monday police recieved  a 911 from James Morris, 51. He allegedly told the dispatcher that his wife had come home from work for lunch, and had planned to return to work. He said he had gone to work that day, but had come home because he was sick. He said he and his wife had been in a struggle, and that he had shot her. He also stated he was armed with a shotgun.

Police who responded to the home report they heard a single shot being fired. Upon searching the home they found Royceanne Miller, 49, on the back deck. She was covered in a blanket and according to reports she had been shot once in the back, near the lumbar spine.

They found James Morris on the back patio. He was in a chair with the shotgun by his side. He was dead from what they are calling an “apparent self-inflicted injury.”

Detectives say it did appear there had been a struggle in the home as there were several decorative items that had been knocked over. Police say there had been no previous calls to the home for domestic violence.

Royceanne Miller was still alive. She was taken to the hospital where she has undergone 4 surgeries. She remains in critical condition. She did not have health insurance, and the community is banding together to come up with funds to try to assist with her health care costs.

Domestic violence detective Tommy Roberts is reviewing the case to determine the cause and “I’m going to try to piece this together to hopefully prevent this from happening in the future.”

murfreeboropost.com (911 call at link)  knoxnews.com

dnj.midsouthnews.com                murfreeboropost.com

newschannel5.com                     dnj.midsouthnews.com 

They are calling them domestic violence detectives, though they do not explain the term. Somehow the thought that perhaps they have assembled a team that deals with only domestic violence cases is somehow reassuring to me.

Just the action of appointing a DV team does acknowlege there is a difference between DV and other types of cases. Experience will help a lot, and if there is training also, then they may be taking a step ahead.  If they are actually talking to survivors- finding out what worked for them and what didn’t, then they will really be making major strides.

Steve Wolfgang, 46, is a father of two elementary school age children. Neighbors describe him as “He was the type of guy who had a lot of friends, the type of guy you took a liking to. He was easygoing, just a laid-back person.” “I can’t see him hurting a fly.” Steve was a coal miner, but after hurting his back at work he was often in intense pain. But neighbors say that didn’t stop him from being a friend and helping out when he could.

Four years ago he married Sherry, 42. The mother of two adult children, Sherry was working in a shirt factory, but she quit to stay home with Wolfgang’s two children. Neighbors describe her as “happy-go-lucky.”

Neighbors say the couple appeared to get along well. They tended a vegtable garden together, camped, and visited with neighbors.

Monday at 12:07 pm firefighters responded to a report of a vehicle fire. As they were extinguishing the blaze, Steve Wolfgang came out of the woods. He told firefighters it was his car and that he set it on fire. He was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries and was later arrested for arson. During that time it was determined that Sherry Wolfgang was missing.

After his arraignment on the arson charges, Wolfgang spoke with reporters. He denied knowing the whereabouts of his wife. He allegedly stated “I think she left me,” “I couldn’t raise my children without her. I wanted to die.” He denied knowing what happened to his wife and said he thought she left him.

According to one report Wolfgang told family members that he and Sherry had been drinking and had begun arguing. That Sherry said she was leaving and packed her bags and taken her wedding rings off. That he had passed out and when he woke he found Sherry gone and her packed bags still at the home.

Sherry Wolfgang’s family did not buy  the story. As Sherry’s sister pointed out, both Sherry’s vehicle and Wolfgang’s vehicle were accounted for as well as the fact that he had dropped her packed bags off with family members.

Search’s were begun for Sherry Wolfgang in both the wooded area where the vehicle was located and a nearby creek. Searchers were contending with cold temperatures both with the air temperature and with the water temperature at about 40 degrees. The water is murky and rapid. There risk’s for the searcher’s of hypothermia, of falling into the water.

Currently Wolfgang is being held on charges of 2 counts of arson, and one count each of risking catastrophe and criminal mischief.

Despite the denials to reporters and family members, court documents show that Wolfgang may have been telling the police a different story. Allegedly at the hospital Wolfgang told state police that he and his wife had argued. Allegedly he had knocked her down, attempted to strangle her and shoved towels in her mouth. In the affidavit police stated “When that failed Steven then knelt on his wife’s chest and began to strike her chest with her knees” and that she died. He allegedly put her into a metal trunk, took it to the creek and threw it in. Allegedly he also left some clothing at the scene along the creek and that has been recovered. And allegedly before driving his wife’s body to the creek, Wolfgang left a note in the kitchen of the home admitting his guilt.

Wolfgang has not been charged with the murder of Sherry Wolfgang. According to the district attorney he cannot place a charge of murder until the body is found.  “Under Pennsylvania law, you cannot arrest someone on a confession alone.”

Steve Wolfgang’s children are now with relatives.

philly.com      dailyitem.com    zwire.com    wnep.com

mcall.com      wnep.com    pennlive.com     zwire.com

It is often hard to admit. But ‘nice’ people do sometimes commit murder. And if faced with a crime they do lie to friends, relatives, and police. Sometimes even when faced with overwhelming evidence they will continue to lie about a crime.

Here, Wolfgang is accused of telling the police what happened, but of continuing to lie to the public and to relatives. Many times the thought of facing censure from family and friends is worse than the thoughts of going to prison.

With no charges for the murder, he is being held only on the arson. But if convicted on the arson, there will be time for the body to be found. And discarded bodies have a habit of popping up unexpectedly. Though you can count on additional trauma to the person who locates the remains. In the meantime, searchers are facing risks in order to try to locate her remains and give the family justice and the body of their loved one.

Though they have an idea of what happened, until her remains are found family will have no way to bury their loved one, no place to go to mourn the one they lost. And no recourse to justice for the crime that he allegedly has admitted to.

Three weeks ago Rachelle Peterson, 28, went looking for a place to live. The new landlord said he was told “She came to me and said she needed a place to live and she was just in a situation she needed to get out of.” He describes her as desperate and says her children appeared to be her first priority. “She had two kids that lived with her and fortunately they weren’t there at the time that it happened.” Sunday those children were spending time with their extended family.

Police say that on Sunday they were called to the new address for a domestic dispute. There they found Rachelle Peterson stabbed to death. Though they are not giving many details of the crime, they do describe it as extremely brutal and vicious. And they say they do believe it was a domestic dispute.

Police took her husband Cedric Peterson, 38, into custody at his home on Sunday. He was later charged with 1 st degree murder and aggravated burglary.

49abcnews.com wibw.com 49abcnews.com kansas.com

I hate it when they call it a domestic “dispute.” It is probably just me, but when I hear “dispute” I think of two people arguing. And this sounds like much more than an argument.  

This story isn’t about domestic violence. It is more about the rage that can blind someone set on domestic violence, and the way that domestic violence can endanger the community.

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A 17 year old boyfriend and his girlfriend were attending a party and allegedly they quarreled. The girl left the party and the boy followed.

A 17 year old girl called police and told them someone had struck the back of her vehicle with their vehicle. Reportedly the victim said the suspect struck her vehicle about 15 times and pushed her through stop signs. Dispatchers advised her to lead the suspect toward police who were responding to the report.

State police and deputies caught up with the suspect and the suspect took off, beginning a chase which reached speeds up to 90 miles per hour.

When they got him stopped, police say the suspect driver told them that he thought his girlfriend was in the car. He wanted to talk to her and get a goodnight kiss. He also told police that he was talking on his cellphone with his girlfriend, and telling her to stop. She told him she was stopped and didn’t know what he was talking about.

Possible charges will be assault with a vehicle, fleeing police, and drunk driving.

azcentral.com

 Whoops! Wrong Girl!

He wanted to make up. He wanted his goodnight kiss.

She just wanted to go on her way and go about doing whatever she had been doing safely. She just wanted to be safe.

Police just wanted to stop an allegedly dangerous driver. Police just wanted to stay safe.

The other drivers on the highways just wanted to be safe.

His target…. evidently stopped and was waiting for him.

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I just love the way the British puts it.

Drunken kiss-seeker rams wrong car