BOONE COUNTY – Boone County courtroom paperwork present double murder suspect JT McLean violated his courtroom order of safety along with his ex-wife in 2018.
Police are nonetheless looking for McLean after the murders of Fulton elementary trainer Allison Abitz and her 11-year-old daughter, Jozee Abitz, on Sunday night time. A warrant for McLean’s arrest has been issued with a $1 million money solely bond.
Photograph of JT McLean taken in January 2021
McLean is the “long-term boyfriend” of Allison, in response to previous KOMU 8 reporting. McLean was the final particular person believed to have contact with the Abitz’s, however the sheriff’s workplace doesn’t but know a motive behind the killings.
The suspect has a courtroom order of safety and a case of stalking towards his ex-wife, who’s presently in hiding for security. McLean doesn’t have any recorded situations of home violence with Allison or Jozee Abitz.
“I used to be not stunned [when I heard], a majority of these violence are prevalent in relationships,” Elizabeth Herrera Eichenberger mentioned. “It was form of an anticipated final result, sadly.”
Herrera Eichenberger is the manager director at True North of Columbia, a home and sexual violence shelter for victims. She defined patterns of home violence can escalate to deadly conditions.
“Home violence is a criminal offense of energy and management, and youngsters are additionally vulnerable to the sort of violence,” Herrera Eichenberger mentioned. “So I wasn’t stunned as a result of he [McLean] has a historical past of orders of safety of home violence.”
In response to courtroom paperwork, McLean has a historical past with home violence and stalking prices along with his ex-wife. The suspect is presently in violation of his courtroom order of safety. He was positioned on two years unsupervised probation and was launched from jail after 60 days.
The possible trigger assertion from a 2018 case involving home violence along with his ex-wife states McLean violated the order of safety by “attempting to speak” along with his ex-wife.
McLean pled responsible to violating his order of safety in March 2021. McLean’s stalking prices have been filed in August 2017.
Herrera Eichenberger defined home violence survivors generally endure from historical past of abuse from abusers.
“It is very, very tough for anyone to vary their sample of conduct,” Herrera Eichenberger mentioned. “This typically occurs when [an abuser] has develop into snug with behaving in relationships like this.”
Practically 42% of Missouri ladies and over 35% of Missouri males expertise home violence, in response to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Of the situations that have been reported, there was a ten% improve from 2014 to 2018.
“Missouri ranks quantity two in america for males murdering ladies at the next fee,” Herrera Eichenberger mentioned. “An individual with a historical past of home violence is 500 instances extra prone to homicide their vital different.”
Warning signs somebody could also be affected by home abuse are:
- Reserved and distant conduct
- Reveals extreme privateness regarding their private life
- Bodily indicators of abuse or makes an attempt to masks bodily indicators of abuse
- Newly developed drug or alcohol habit
True North of Columbia provides free sources for anybody liable to home violence. The disaster hotline is 573-875-1370.
