Stephanie Byrd had feared for years that her husband...would make good on his threat to kill her.

[redqueen]

Police say man shot estranged wife 25 times, then killed himself in Lawrenceville

Stephanie Byrd had feared for years that her husband, Bruce Anthony Byrd, would make good on his threat in 2005 to kill her.

On Friday afternoon, he did just that, shooting her repeatedly in the face, neck and chest as she lay on the floor of his mother's home in the 4600 block of Carlton Street in Lawrenceville, police said. Then, he shot himself. Both died at the scene.

Ms. Byrd's worries had intensified after she left him March 28, prompting verbal abuse from her husband that she found so frightening she obtained a restraining order, according to Pittsburgh police and documents at Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.

"He is begging me to come home and I feel unsafe seeing him or being in the house with him," Ms. Byrd wrote in her application for a protection-from-abuse order on April 4. "I do not want to stay in our marital home, I just want to safely get my belongings, dogs and be safe at work and in my new place of residence. I also want others at my work and residence to be safe from him."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/2-dead-in-lawrenceville-shooting-687099/#ixzz2T5Z6OJaz

[NYC_SKP]

1. Fuck.

I wish she'd have had more guidance and protection.

The weekend before a hearing for him would have to be a red-flag, be-on-guard, take-shelter, sort of thing:

Court records indicate Mr. Byrd was scheduled to go to trial Monday in Allegheny Common Pleas Court on a felony firearms violation and a misdemeanor charge of making a false statement.

Fuck.

[redqueen]

3. How would she know unless he told her about it?

Who could have guided and protected her by sharing the information about his court date?

[NYC_SKP]

4. That's my point, why can't the courts let victims know?

If there were restraining orders and the like, then a mechanism could be in place to let estranged spouses know about these things.

Wishful thinking, I guess.

[librechik]

5. in Colorado crime victims get a notification of court proceedings and often restitution

we have a great victim assistance program here. I wish that were true everywhere else.

[cherokeeprogressive]

2. I hope Tony burns in hell from the neck down

While spending eternity standing on his head neck deep in rattlesnake shit on a bed of nails.

[11 Bravo]

6. And I'll bet he had previously violated the restraining order. It is fucking outrageous ...

how often the terms of a restraining order are ignored with virtual impunity. In my opinion there should be zero second chances. The FIRST time he violates the order, throw his ass in jail. And I'm talking serious time. Tragically, this won't help those unfortunate women for whom that first violation is also the last, but it's a start.

[demosincebirth]

7. So sad. Something has to be done before shit like this happens. We need stricter laws.

Restraining orders to some of these cowardly abusers are about as useless as a piece of toilet paper.