Divorce is a touchy subject in any situation, but it can actually be a lifesaver for unhealthy or abusive relationships.
This proved to be true in a Decatur, AL, case in which Kay Letson Stevens was allegedly shot and killed on Saturday morning by her ex-husband, 63-year-old Roger Dale Stevens, reports AL.com. Kay had filed for a protective order against her ex-husband the previous year but was unfortunately denied.
When requesting the protection from abuse disorder, 62-year-old Kay listed a pattern of harassment and threats as her reasoning, including an event in which Roger Stevens allegedly went to the bakery where she worked, calling her a “cold-blooded (expletive)” and threatening, “I’ll kill you if I ever see you with another man.”
Roger Stevens then waited outside the Corner Bakery Saturday morning until Kay arrived at approximately 9:45 a.m., when he then shot her multiple times before fleeing the scene.
After 44 years of marriage, the couple had finalized their divorce just two days prior to the murder. Kay Stevens died several hours later.
Roger Stevens’ bail was set at $250,000, strangely enough by the same judge who had denied Kay’s protective request last year.
Around two-thirds of all divorces are filed by women, many of whom have faced similar situations. However, Kay Stevens is not the only one who suffered the consequences of an abusive relationship and a resulting dangerous divorce.
According to WHNT News in Huntsville, nine-month pregnant Kristen Henderson, along with her eight-year-old son, her mother, and her one-year-old nephew, were killed by Kristen’s ex-husband Christopher Henderson and his wife Rhonda Carlson.
After the victims were either shot or stabbed, the home was filled with gasoline and set ablaze.
Surveillance video showed Carlson entering the home on multiple occasions with both weapons and the can of gas, before both Carlson and Christopher Henderson fled the scene.
The couple’s motive stemmed from Carlson’s disdain towards Kristen after she states that she became homeless once Christopher Henderson left her.
While being questioned by Madison County Sheriff’s Office investigator Eugene Nash, Carlson stated, “I’m glad you caught me when you did because I don’t know if I could have lived with myself after what I’ve done.”
In this case, Kristen Henderson had actually been granted a protection order against her husband, although it would appear that Christopher was too dangerous to be swayed by legality, even though he had been the one who filed for divorce from Kristen a few months prior.