From the looks of Travis and Carla Williams' 2002 wedding picture, you would have thought only love and laughter would fill their future. Tuesday, they attended a court hearing in Hampton to finalize their divorce. Wednesday morning, their rocky relationship came to a fiery end.
"When someone leaves an abusive situation, they're 75 percent likely to be killed," said Beth Cross, the executive director of the H.E.R. Shelter.
Cross said details of Wednesday's tragic scene are hallmarks of an abusive relationship reaching a deadly end. Police found Carla outside of the burning home. Her 76-year-old grandmother and one-year-old daughter were found dead inside. Police shot at her husband Travis when they found him shooting at law enforcement from the roof of the couple's home. Travis later died at the hospital.
"There is a very public display in that case that he has lost power and control over his child and his family. Cross said.
NewsChannel 3 has learned through court documents that Carla filed for divorce in 2008 and got a protective order against him, but she changed her mind when they got back together in 2009.
In January of this year, she filed for divorce again after she said Travis beat her in their shower. She got another emergency protective order against him, too. He was banned from any contact with her for four days.
A judge then granted a two-year protective order; it did not keep him away from Carla and the baby, but banned him from hurting them, the least severe of three options for the protective order.
"It's already illegal to abuse someone," said Cross. "So to send a protective order that only constrained him to that was a little inconsistent with trying to restrain him from hurting her more."
Cross said outside of coming to a shelter, Carla did take the right steps to protect herself and her little girl. However, it seems it may not have been enough.
"There is a false sense of security there because no matter what's on paper, they're not behind the doors," Cross said.
