Domestic Violence: A Recipe for Murder
Domestic violence is a growing problem in New York City; according to the New York Times, two of every three women murdered in 2012 were victims of domestic violence. Advanced Bio Treatment technicians see it all and with compassion and discretion they exact professionalism in every job. Andrew had been with Advanced Bio Treatment for just a few months when he responded to a murder cleanup call. He and a crew of two other technicians had the grueling, but necessary, job of helping a young family recover from a murder scene in their home that resulted from a domestic violence situation. To protect the minors involved and any pending investigation, fictitious names have been used in the recount of Andrew’s experience.
Cynthia had made more than five 911 calls in the past year when arguments with her boyfriend turned violent. She broke up with him after the second incident which left her with a black eye and a gash to the side of her head, and she vowed never to put up with violence from a man again.
Antoine just wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer and would disappear for a week or two and then show back up with flowers and toys for my kids. I still felt like I loved him, but things got worse each time he came back and I finally had to get a restraining order.
It was Valentine’s Day eve when Cynthia got a voicemail from Antoine asking to drop off a present, and Cynthia assumed that by ignoring his call she would avoid Antoine all together. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case and it only enraged Antoine who showed up to her home just before midnight. Antoine had been drinking and forced his way into Cynthia’s house despite her roommate demanding that he leave. Cynthia’s roommate called 911, but Antoine was unaffected and began tearing the home apart in search of Cynthia.
He had me cornered in my bedroom with my three kids. They were ducked behind the bed and I was there with them kneeling in front of them searching for a bat that I keep under my bed. He kept screaming that he was taking us all down with him, and my poor three-year-old was shrieking in terror. And then he lunged for her.
It was Cynthia’s roommate, Greta, who came into the room with a steak knife and began stabbing Antoine. She stabbed him over thirty times and Cynthia used the baseball bat she found under her bed to strike him repeatedly on the head and face.
Blood Cleanup: A Job Best Left to the Professionals
Andrew remembers the murder scene:
It was pretty horrendous when I arrived at the crime scene. Not only were we dealing with blood splattered and puddled all over a room and hallway, but there was also biological matter resulting from disembowelment and from the victim’s skull.
Not only was there blood and biological matter from Antoine’s murder, but Greta had cut her hand and arm severely, resulting in significant blood loss, while stabbing Antoine. This is a common injury that occurs in a stabbing situation due to the handle of the knife becoming slippery with blood and difficult to handle.
The cleanup was especially rigorous due to the amount of blood and the fact that it had seeped for hours throughout the investigation into the subflooring through to the ceiling below. Timely blood cleanup is essential and can be a dangerous matter because of the potential spread of communicable disease, so seeking professional help is necessary when dealing with blood and other body fluids remaining from a trauma scene, car accident, homicide, or suicide.
Advanced Bio Treatment technicians adhere to very specific practices to avoid exposure to and transmission of viruses and bacteria such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Ebola, Rica virus, and HIV, involving the use of specialized equipment that ensures the complete removal and decontamination of all exposed areas in addition to using devices with visual indicators of any remaining biohazard material invisible to the naked eye.
Cynthia and her family and Greta were able to return to their home after Advanced Bio Treatment technicians completed the murder scene cleanup. And Andrew knows all too well how a family struggles after a domestic tragedy,
I know there is a lot for a family to deal with after a traumatic event like this, but I am honored to have been involved in their quick return home. A family should never be left with the job of cleaning up after a trauma of this nature.
Cynthia and Greta were so grateful to Andrew and the Advanced Bio Treatment team that they wrote letters detailing their appreciation of the professionalism and compassion that they say was so pronounced. We at Advanced Bio Treatment are always humbled by the words of gratitude from relationships built with business owners and families in New York City and it’s surrounding areas and we look forward to being there for them in their times of need for years to come.
