This month two women were killed in Butte County, and officials say both cases are likely connected to intimate partner domestic violence — acts committed by a current or former partner in a romantic relationship.
On April 13, Curtis Ector Morales was arrested on suspicion of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend, Dakota Morningstar, 32, in Oroville.
The incident followed a murder-suicide in Chico on April 3, where Chico State student Athena Marie Passidakis, 21, was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend, Alvin Almontelasha Wilson, 25. After a car chase with the Chico Police Department, Wilson shot Passidakis and then himself.
Both events are shocking, but Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey says unfortunately, they’re not uncommon.
A pervasive issue in Butte County
Last year, Ramsey said, his office reviewed 9,500 cases and more than 1,000 involved intimate partner or family violence.
“Domestic violence cases are a case that comes across our desk all the time,” Ramsey said.
While most domestic violence cases don’t end in homicide, Ramsey said when his office does review a murder connected to intimate partner violence, a pattern of abuse is usually a consistent part of the relationship.
“That’s what keeps us up late at night, is to decide is this the one that if I deny it, that is going to go later on and become a murder.”- Mike Ramsey, Butte County District Attorney
“You will see that domestic violence cases that turn into homicides have an arc to them, and an arc that this is not the first violent event that occurred,” Ramsey said. “It has worked its way up.”
He said the DA’s office tries to prosecute domestic violence cases as soon as they happen so the pattern stops.
“That's what keeps us up late at night, is to decide, is this the one that, if I deny it, that is going to go later on and become a murder” he said. “I mean, it's kind of a prosecutor's worst nightmare.”
Part of the effort is sending offenders to a batterers intervention program, which educates perpetrators on intimate partner violence and works to rehabilitate them.
Another part of the prosecution process is working with survivors and connecting them with assistance resources. The office’s Victim’s Assistance Bureau (VAB) can connect survivors and families with things like referrals to social service agencies, therapy and court assistance.
The VAB can also help survivors and families apply to services provided through the California Victim Compensation Board, which offers health programs, financial assistance, crime scene clean up, home security and funerals.
Changes in law — and silence — make prosecutions harder
Over the past 15 years, Ramsey said, cases involving intimate partner and family violence have gotten increasingly difficult to prosecute, largely due to changes in California legislation.
In the past, survivors were legally required to testify in court against their abuser. But in 2009, a new law was enacted that allowed survivors to refuse to stand as a witness without facing punishment.
Proponents of the law argued domestic violence survivors should be treated similarly to sexual assault survivors who were not legally compelled to testify
They also said incarcerating survivors could further endanger them, create more trauma and risk their children being placed in foster care.
“It's like we have to prove the case without the victim, and that sometimes is extraordinarily difficult. Do you try to get neighbors? You try to get other family members that have seen what went on, but many times you don't.”- Mike Ramsey, Butte County District Attorney
However, opponents like Ramsey believe the change in law disrupts the prosecution process, and ultimately gives more power to perpetrators.
Ramsey said the cyclical nature of abuse can lead survivors to reunite with perpetrators and fall back under their influence. He said that could give an abuser more control in how domestic violence cases are handled.
“[The change in legislation], in my mind, was extraordinarily wrong headed, and put that power and control back to the offender to tell the victim ‘you're not going to testify or else because it's up to you now, you victim can decide whether I'm going to be convicted or not,’” Ramsey said. “That was just devastating in my mind to trying to stop the scourge of domestic violence.”
When a survivor refuses to testify, Ramsey said his office has to approach the case almost as if they were prosecuting a murder.
“It's like we have to prove the case without the victim, and that sometimes is extraordinarily difficult,” he said. “Do you try to get neighbors? You try to get other family members that have seen what went on, but many times you don't.”
With no witnesses, Ramsey said the case will usually go “nowhere,” and get dropped due to a lack of evidence that won’t hold up in trial. He said this could open up the possibility of more violence within that relationship.
Ramsey urged people in abusive situations to seek help before things “explode.” He encourages survivors to get counseling and said family and friends can help by assisting survivors plan and connecting them to resources.
Where to find help
If you suspect a friend or family member is in an abusive relationship, Anastacia Snyder, executive director of Catalyst Domestic Violence Services, said to believe them, be patient and express your concern. She said it's common for survivors of domestic violence to still love their partner, making it hard to leave.
Catalyst’s has a 24/7 domestic abuse hotline that anyone can call on someone’s behalf. The hotline is for residents in Butte and Glenn counties to get help with long-term solutions for domestic and intimate partner violence. In an emergency, call 911.
The hotline can be reached at 800-895-8476.
In an emergency, call 911.
Other resources:
- Safe housing programs
- Drop-in services
- Accompaniment to a sexual assault forensic exam
- Therapy programs
- Legal advocacy
- Law enforcement advocacy
Also, find specific information made for children, immigrants and LGBTQ+ people.
