“On average, a woman will leave an abusive relationship seven times before she leaves for good.” source: domesticabuseshelter.org
On May 11, 2012, 31 year-old mother of three, Marissa Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in prison, convicted in just 12 minutes on three counts of aggravated assault.
The event surrounding her crime happened in August, 2010.
Nine days before the incident, Alexander had given birth. Her second husband, Rico Gray, wasn’t with her. He had been charged with domestic violence just a few weeks before, charges that he was not unfamiliar with.
According to thegrio.com, Gray testified, ”’I got five baby mammas, and I put my hands on every last one of them except for one.” [not sure which one]. “Two of those woman ‘got hit in the mouth’ by Gray because in his own words, they ‘just wouldn’t shut up.’”
After giving birth, she returned to the home, presumably to get her things. She claims she entered the home at a time when he would be working. Instead, Gray was there with his two children.
The story gets complicated here, but at some point Gray searched through Alexander’s phone and noticed a text to her ex-husband. Tempers flare. She was confronted by Gray about the communication at which point Alexander leaves the home and goes to her car. This is where the prosecutor took issue with Alexander. Instead of leaving in her car, she takes out a gun, returns to the home and fires a warning shot above Gray and his children’s heads. Gray runs. Alexander is later charged.
By her first husband’s account, Alexander had never been violent until she met Gray. Gray it appears had always been violent.
Eventually, Gray’s propensity for violence became the norm for Alexander. Now she’s facing 20 years.
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“BEI BEI SHUAI was 33 weeks pregnant in December 2010 when she learned that her boyfriend, Zhiliang Guan, had no interest in marrying her — and planned to return to his wife and two kids.” – Marie Claire