Did you know that the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq was 6,614, but the number of women, in the same period, killed as the result of domestic violence in the US was 11,766? That is an unbelievable number in my mind. A staggering thought, but it gets worse.
1 in 3 women in the United States will report being a victim of domestic violence at some point in their lives and for women between the ages of 16-44, the number one cause of death is at the hands of a spouse.
When you hear that 1 in 3 women who are victims of homicide, have been killed by their partner or when a gun is present in a home, the chance that a woman will be killed by her lover goes up 270%, its no wonder that at Advanced Bio Treatment, we unfortunately see our fair share of these heartbreaking tragedies.
One case we were recently called out to undertake, involved a case of domestic violence which had led to the death of the head of the household. The abuser. The twist in the script was intriguing to say the least.
The call had come into our Orlando/Tampa office, and soon we were on our way out to the Leesburg family home, located in a particularly rural part of Florida.
On the drive, we were able to learn more about what had occurred at this residence which had seen the bloody end to a man’s life. The police report we obtained explained that the home had been occupied by a married couple who had recently separated after years of recorded physical abuse at the hands of the husband against his wife.
After she had gotten the courage to have him removed from the home, she went to court to get a restraining order, and to file for sole custody of the couple’s 2 year old son.
Apparently, this was a trigger for the husband and father, who grabbed his hunting knife, and headed to the home the couple had shared to confront his soon to be ex-wife, completely disregarding the terms of the restraining order.
Once at the house, an argument had taken place in the front door/porch area of the home and in the ensuing fight, the man pulled out the bowie knife and began mercilessly stabbing his child’s mother in the abdomen, torso and face.
Managing to pull away from him, she ran into the home, trying to shut the front door as she did so, but her irate husband began beating down the door. Bleeding profusely, and quickly weakening, Jane Doe, made her way to the closet in the master bedroom where she was able to retrieve her cell phone and a .38 caliber revolver.
As the front door panels splintered beneath the pounding fists of the murderous man, she placed a call to the police, who dispatched officers to the scene. However, before they could reach the residence, the man broke through the portal and charged the grievously injured woman with knife raised, ready to finish the job he started.
With the last of her strength, she lifted the gun and pulled the trigger. He stopped in his tracks, before spinning around and running out into the front yard, where he collapsed and died from a fatal gunshot wound to the heart. How poetic.
Once inside the home, the amount of blood that was covering the floors, walls and doors testified to the horror that had taken place. The most disturbing sight in my mind, was the image of a child’s car seat, splattered with the blood of his mother.
All in all, the clean up was very routine. Using special lighting, we were able to thoroughly remove every trace of blood evidence. Which wasn’t easy because there was so much.
To sanitize the home after we had scrubbed away all of the bodily fluids, we used a combination of steam and specialized chemicals which ensure the safety of future inhabitants by eliminating any and all pathogens commonly found at these scenes.
Then we repaired and restored any damaged structures, like the door and door frame. The idea is to leave our clients with a totally remediated home, with no reminders of the terrible event left behind to hold them back from the healing process or bring up traumatic memories.
Finally, once the home was finished, we were able to stand back and be proud of our handiwork. I felt good that this mother, who was still recovering from her injuries at a local hospital, and her young son would be able to move forward with their lives without having to live under the shadow of fear.
You don’t want to try and attempt to clean up a crime scene or accident scene. Blood and other bodily fluids can contain dangerous pathogens which pose a significant risk to human health. Our scene cleanup technicians will decontaminate and remove any blood, tissue or bodily fluids a crime and trauma scene has left behind. Advanced Bio Treatment is a professional scene cleaning company.
Regardless of whether the scene is at your home and personal property, a commercial business, or industrial site, we’ll strictly adhere to OSHA regulations and API Worksafe guidelines in our cleanup efforts. We only deploy EPA registered hospital grade cleansers and disinfectants.
If you need trauma or accidental death cleanup guidance, have questions about your payment options or current insurance policy covers don’t hesitate to give Advanced Bio Treatment a call at: 800-295-1684.
photo credit: publik16 via photopin cc
