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2023 Fatality Review Report
In 2023, six women died at the hands of their intimate partner in Tarrant County.
What is Fatality Review?
The Tarrant County Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Adult Fatality Review Team was reaffirmed by the Tarrant County Commissioners Court in 2016. The Fatality Review team is led by the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office in partnership with SafeHaven, Tarrant County’s only state designated Family Violence Program.
The team consists of appointed collaborators who conduct in-depth case analysis. Each collaborator provides relevant information to both gather data and paint a picture of the couple’s relationship prior to the homicide. Each collaborator is also independently doing critical, life-saving work in the field of IPV.
Through the review process, the team seeks to determine the details around each IPV homicide, and to explore possible systemic, policy, and practice improvements in our county and beyond. A combination of research and the passion of our community indicates a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to IPV in Tarrant County is the most effective way to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable. A reliable, trustworthy Adult Fatality Review Team is a critical component of an effective CCR. The team aims to initiate changes in our community’s response based on our findings identified in this report.
defining ipv homicide
Solely for purposes of reviewing homicides in the Fatality Review Team, the agreed upon definition of an IPV homicide is: “An ongoing pattern of abusive behavior that can include physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, or psychological aggression (including coercive control) by a former or current intimate partner that is motivated by the offender’s desire for power and control over the victim, where the relationship ends in homicide.”
It is important to note that this is not the legal definition, nor does this serve as a standard definition in healthcare, education, social services, or other industries. This definition is solely for purposes of this specific review and was agreed upon when the team was formed in its current iteration in 2016. It stems from a combination of the definitions offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Hofstra University’s Law School. This definition is intentionally more broad than the legal definition of Family or Dating Violence in the State of Texas.
Honoring the 2023 victims
"[She] had a generous, kind heart. She aspired to help people, even when she had no way to help them.”
“I miss you so much. I wish you were still here. Nobody can replace you. Now you aren’t able to see your first grandchild grow up. Why you, Mama?”
“She loved to be with people, to laugh, and to have fun. She was not afraid of a challenge, and she often looked for ways to help others.”
“[You were a] good grandma to (redacted). You guys had a lot of fun playing Play-Doh and water balloon fights! [You] will be missed!
“She loved kids. What she did is who she was. She always made sure everybody felt secure, loved.”
“The best mom in this world - strong, hard-working, and eager to get ahead. Her great love was her children and grandchildren.”
2023 by the numbers
tarrant county ipv homicides by year
digging deeper
By Kathryn Jacob, LMSW
SafeHaven President and CEO
In 2023, four homicides were completed or attempted murder-suicides, continuing a recent local and national trend of murder-suicide numbers rising in intimate partner violence. SafeHaven’s Kathryn Jacob explores untapped interventions in an effort to save lives – both victims and offenders.
By SafeHaven Staff
In 2023, a Tarrant County cafeteria worker was murdered in the parking lot of the elementary school where she worked. This tragedy underscores what we know - domestic violence poses a dangerous threat, not only to victims but to everyone around them.
We know from research that a woman is five times more likely to be murdered when her abuser has access to a gun. The identified domestic violence homicides in Tarrant County this year underscore the grim reality of this research, as all six homicides were due to gunshot wounds.
By SafeHaven Staff
