HARFORD COUNTY, Md. — He spent days on the run, now police have arrested a man in the murder of his estranged wife.
Kisha Blackwell (46) did all she could to keep him away, taking out a protection from abuse order and now her death shines a light on the question of what more could have been done to save her life.
Just hours after doctors pronounced Blackwell dead in the hospital, police confirmed the arrest of Jamar Wise in Pennsylvania.
The 42-year-old's arrest followed days on the run after police say he shot his estranged wife at her home on Majesty Lane, Tuesday.
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Her home was the center of that crime scene and now her death is the center of questions concerning how she could've been better protected.
"I don’t want anybody listening [to] be discouraged from getting a protective order. But it is concerning when the respondent, the abuser doesn’t follow the protective order,” said Dorothy Lennig, House of Ruth.
She’s the Legal Clinic Director at the House of Ruth and has worked countless similar cases.
Court records show the couple separated in July and months later in September, the court ordered Wise not to contact harass or abuse Blackwell, even demanding he turned over any guns; yet, he had one to shoot her with.
That’s an issue Lennig and state legislators aim to tackle in the general assembly just weeks away.
"I think this bill, if it passes, would encourage law enforcement to set up really good system for tracking. (guns) Of course that only covers guns that are registered,” Lennig stated.
Blackwell’s murder followed weeks of reports citing unwanted communication from Wise, even following her home at times which police charged him for.
But it was still not enough to prevent Blackwell's death.
"Of course it’s horrible and the worse part of my job is when my clients who are killed, or people who we are working with are killed, or anybody’s who’s killed as a result of intimate partner violence,” Lennig expressed.
Before things ever take a violent turn, Lennig advices individuals to notice the signs of abuse early, whether physical or emotional and if you or a loved one feels your safety is in jeopardy by an abuser, help is never too far away.
“Every county has a domestic violence program. We really encourage people to call and get services or either help with a protective order, safety planning with shelter, just having a chance to talk with somebody,” Lennig shared.
