Crime Time
Episode 302
Domestic Violence, Killer Love and Warning Signs of Murder Explained by Laura Richards
Domestic violence, stalking, and the connection to murder is looked at from the cases of Levi Bellfield, Nicole Brown-Simpson, and Oscar Pistorius. How violent and obsessive relationships can be warning signs to the possibility of murder, and the ways friends, colleagues, and police can intervene on behalf of at-risk women is explained. Serial killer Levi Bellfield’s murderous hate of women, Nicole Brown Simpson’s distressed 911 call and ignored cries for help, and the violent past of Oscar Pistorius are all looked at in detail as we assess the risk of abusive relationships on Crime Time, hosted by Allison Hope Weiner.
Episode Breakdown
00:01 Welcoming Laura Richards to Crime Time.
02:39 Levi Bellfield and the investigation of a serial killer of girls and young women.
06:01 Domestic abuse & warning signs in a relationship with a killer.
10:43 Police connecting domestic abuse with risk of other violent crimes.
13:22 Falling through the cracks of police.
14:48 From abusing a partner, to attacking strangers.
18:16 Failure to convict on charges, but a guilty verdict nonetheless.
21:26 Advocacy for stalking victims-coming from personal experience.
23:30 Nicole Simpson and the domestic violence 911 call: “A Death Diary.”
28:27 Did Nicole Brown Simpson have a chance to survive OJ?
31:20 Stalking and domestic violence leading up to the death of Nicole Brown Simpson.
36:20 How friends can help a woman in distress.
40:37 The attraction to jealousy and possessiveness, and serious ramifications.
43:10 Oscar Pistorius update and reviewing his relationship history.
49:19 The scream, accounts from Reeva Steenkamp’s family, and a whirlwind relationship gone wrong.
52:57 Sentencing Oscar Pistorius.
53:50 Thanks and goodbye!
Guest Bio
Laura Richards left New Scotland Yard in 2007 to take up the role of advising ACPO after a decade of working on violent crime. She previously set up the first Homicide Prevention Unit in the UK, as well as the Violent Crime Intelligence Unit at New Scotland Yard and has trained at the National Centre for the Analysis of Violent Crime at the FBI.
Laura launched Paladin, the new National Stalking Advocacy Service on July 11 2013 to support high risk victims of stalking. This followed on from the highly successful Stalking Law Reform Inquiry in Parliament which culminated in the introduction of two specific offences of stalking on 25 November 2012. In 2010 Laura coordinated the UK’s first National Stalking Awareness Week in 2011 and was involved in setting up the National Stalking Helpline in 2010. Laura has won a number of awards for her work on stalking including the Charity Times Campaigning Team of the Year and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust’s ‘Taking Stalking Seriously’ Award. Laura developed the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and Honour based Violence Risk Checklist (DASH 2009) on behalf of ACPO and in partnership with Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA).
Laura initiated Multi-Agency Domestic Homicide Reviews in London in 2001 and has worked with the Home Office on developing the guidance, which was published on April 13th 2011. Laura is a reader of Domestic Homicide Reviews on behalf of the Home Office. Laura co-authored the book ‘Policing Domestic Violence’ published by Oxford University Press.
Hosts
Comments