The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs ( NCAVP ) has learned about the homicide of Jamie Johnson, age 36, in Pickens County, Alabama.
According to local media reports, 51 year-old Anita Hill has been arrested and charged with shooting her son's boyfriend of four years in the back at a Love's Truck Stop. As of now, local authorities are not investigating this as a hate violence homicide and are saying Hill's motive is that Johnson was in a "violent" relationship with her son.
This is the third high profile LGBTQ family violence homicide that we have responded to recently. In March, Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson were found dead in Galveston County, Texas behind a convenience store. The father of Britney Cosby, James Cosby, has been arrested for evidence tampering in relationship to the case, charges that might be upgraded to capital murder. In Tigard, Oregon, Jessica Dutro was just sentenced due to subjecting her son, 4-year old Zachary Dutro-Boggess, to frequent and severe beatings that resulted in his death because she believed he was gay.
In NCAVP's report Intimate Partner Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and HIV Affected Communities in 2012, at the link avp.org/storage/documents/ncavp_2012_ipvreport.final.pdf released on October 1st, 2013, NCAVP documented 21 LGBTQ intimate partner violence homicides in the United States in 2012. This is over three times the number of documented IPV homicides in 2010, and the highest number of IPV homicides ever recorded by the Coalition. The report also found that roughly half of the 21 IPV homicide victims were men ( 47.6% ). Additionally, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lesbians, gay men and bisexual people experience intimate partner violence at the same or higher rates as non-LGB people.
"This is the third high profile incident of family violence that NCAVP has responded to in the past two months," said Osman Ahmed, NCAVP's Research and Education Coordinator at the New York City Anti-Violence Project. "Violence affecting LGBTQ people can often come from people close to them, but it is seldom talked about. We must continue to raise awareness and create safety for LGBTQ people from all forms of violence."
NCAVP is working with local organization Equality Alabama to raise awareness of this homicide and to support the local communities affected by this violence.
"This event should serve as a wake-up call to the LGBT community, both in Alabama and elsewhere," said Ben Cooper, Chairman of Equality Alabama. "The event that occurred on April 15th reportedly stemmed, at least in part, as a reaction to an abusive relationship. Equality Alabama steadfastly condemns violence in any manner, but we must also acknowledge and work to provide stronger resources to those same-sex couples trapped in an abusive or otherwise unhealthy relationship."
NCAVP is a resource for anyone who experiences violence. For more information, or to locate an antiviolence program in your area, please contact us at info@ncavp.org or visit us online at cts.vresp.com/c/ .
Join NCAVP in our efforts to prevent and respond to LGBTQ and HIV-affected violence. To learn more about our national advocacy and receive technical assistance or support, contact us at info@ncavp.org .