Lola and her husband Mac and children lived in a suburb outside of Atlanta GA. Mac was a batterer, and Lola was his victim. During one of his beatings, she screamed for a neighbor to call the police. When they called the police, they were told all the cops were busy on other calls, and to have the woman go down to the courthouse the next day to seek a warrant for the arrest of her husband.
Lola went down to the courthouse and told her story. The court staff took six photos of her injuries, gave her a protective order, and took her and the kids to a shelter. Mac got to her within a week or so: "Oh baby, baby, I will stop drinking and never hit you again." She left the shelter and returned to him. The abuse continued, and the case continued.
A few weeks later they both went to the prosecutor’s office, to drop the charges... Lola was told to speak to the advocate (who provided most of the information given here). Mac was brought into the prosecutor’s office and told that the State of Georgia was filing the charges. He was also shown the pictures of what he did to Lola. Meanwhile Lola was telling the advocate that Mac was threatening to kill her.
The charges were filed, and Lola left Mac. She found a new apartment and job. He plead "nolo contendere" and was put on a year’s probation and ordered to attend a one year batterer intervention pro gram. (Obviously, there was no lethality assessment.) One week before he was to start the program he found her, and killed her in the parking lot of her new apartment house.
When detectives were investigating her murder, they were told by Mac’s 12-year-old daughter that "I knew he would kill her, he told her that he would." She then gave the detectives a cassette from a Fisher Price recorder that she had made during one of the arguments in which Mac threatened to kill Lola. The transcript of that tape follows.
Source: Anne O’Dell <Anne2215@aol.com>
, formerly of the San Diego PD, now a presenter and consultant on DV
issues.
This transcript was a collaborative effort by the some of the Victim
Advocates in Phoenix, Ari
Mac: I don’t know where you get that from…and I ain’t never…gonna…that’s something I ain’t never gonna forget, you know…and I ain’t never gonna forget that. And you skanky motherfucker like you is…you go down there taking pictures, man, to make sure I can’t get out.
Lola: I didn’t ask them to take pictures of me. They just put me up against the wall…
Mac: You didn’t have no fuckin business going down there. Why? Why? Why? The hell did you leave and go right down, Lola?
Lola: Cause they told me to.
Mac: They don’t tell you what to do. Hey, look
at you, man. Man, you a sniveling ass
Lola: I do believe you; but I thought you were going to kill me without meaning to. That’s what I was afraid of.
Mac: If I’d a meant to kill you, Lola, I’d a killed your ass right then.
Lola: But I thought maybe you didn’t mean to. You woulda hit me so hard that you woulda killed me! Not knowing!
Mac: Oh yeah, well then why you go down there and take pictures?
Lola: Because I thought you might do it again without intentionally trying to kill me. I wanted you to know what you’ done. Because I knew what you were doing and you didn’t know.
Mac: You know something, Lola? I think it was all…you wanted to show me that, You, don’t beat my ass.
Lola: No I didn’t.
Mac: You don’t beat my ass and I don’t do nothing about it. I gonna get your ass locked up. I’m gonna put your ass in prison. But, I’m gonna tell you something. You are lucky. And you …think, look, you better start saying your prayers, Jack, because next time that something like this occurs, I’m gonna call this Jersey…I ain’t calling no mother fucking kid…I don’t want him to be involved. I’m calling Jersey…I’m having the mother come from California and fuck you ass up. You know what I’m saying, man? Now I’m serious. Now I’m tired of bullshitting with the damn judge. Now I’m tired of the whole damn thing. And when I go to court again, let me tell you something, you play that sniveling shit and you can tell him what I said. You understand what I’m saying? You can tell him what I said and any motherfucker. But I guarantee you a week later, bitch, there won’t be enough of you left for the fucking ants…and if you think I’m joking, Lola, try me. Just try me. And if you think I’m joking about the police, let me tell you something…that little puck son-of-a-bitch that come in here? He didn’t come up the steps cause he knew I’m gonna whup his motherfucking ass. He was scared. And the other one of them scared. They punk cracker-ass motherfuckers. And the black-ass niggers that come with them, as fare as I’m concerned, same thing. And I ain’t gonna pull nary punch, because next time, and I ain’t lying to you, the next time that you have anybody call the police on me, not only is you going down, they going down with you. And do I make myself clear, Lola? Because I would…I refuse to be locked up by a stupid stinkin’ ass bitch that I done spent seven years…look Lola, what have you done in seven years outside of having all these kids?
Lola: Nothing.
Mac: Imean serious, what have you done? What have you done?
Lola: I told you…
Mac: Don’t hand me that shit about nothing. I mean I’m serious man. What have you done?
Lola: Please (crying) stop, please, please. I’ll do anything you want me to…
Mac: I don’t want you to do nothing. I don’t want you to do nothing Lola.
Lola: Please (crying) stop, please.
Mac: You have…I want you to know one damn thing that you, hey, you have pushed your motherfucking luck damn near the end. And by locking me up…by right, I’m supposed to have got outta hand..you fucked up all the way.
Lola: Please stop…please (crying).
Mac: I ain’t doing nothing.
Lola: Please, Please don’t get mad at me. Stop talking, please.
Mac: And now look at you. Is that the way you sniveled to them when they took fucking pictures?
Lola: No, No. I wasn’t even crying.
Mac: Now you’re crying a lot. Yeah, I’m gonna get that black motherfucker. I’m gonna get that motherfucker…hey…
Lola: No, I wasn’t. I don’t even remember what I was thinking, I was so confused.
Mac: Yeah, sure you were, you wasn’t confused enough there that…when they were gonna lock me up, were you?
Lola: I didn’t know that they could think that…
Mac: I don’t give a damn, Lola the deal is this. Your ass don’t have no business down there. You have no business down there. Huh? Yeah nobody does. You see what I’m saying? Because of you going down there and taking them pictures, do you realize that’s gonna make it hard all the way? Huh? Can’t have the money they took and had all this motherfucking time so when we get ready to get the money, we don’t have a damn to pay a bill with. You see what you did? And not only that…I lost respect for your stinking ass because you let people get in your business. Because you were too fucking dumb to try to handle it yourself.
And if you think I’m joking, I’ll tell you what you, you stay home and all the police and you stand behind them like you did the last time and see how I take their ass down and yours too…You know what I mean? Because I’m telling you now, the police ain’t bad… I’m bad, Lola, I am bad. I’d take your fucking head off and feed it to the motherfucking ants. You know what I’m saying?
Lola: Yes.
Mac: Because when somebody do what you done, you’re the only motherfucker…Do you understand what I’m saying?
Lola: Yes.
Mac: No you don’t.
Lola: Yes I do.
Mac: You don’t understand a damn thing, you
feel like if I’m knock the shit outta you, you’re gonna run
and call the police, I’m gonna sit here for them to lock me up,
that’s bullshit. When they come to lock me up, I’m gonna meet
them halfway. I’m gonna blow their fucking brains out huh. And
if I have a chance, by any chance, if they do lock me up, you know what?
One phone call and your ass is shit on a stick. And if you think I’m
jok
Lola: Alright.
Mac: I’m gonna show you how fast bullets can rain down this motherfucker, huh?
Lola: I ain’t going nowhere.
Mac: You oughtta be scared. I mean, what are you gonna be scared for. You got the police, you got the judge, you got the DA, you got the lawyer, you got your Mama, you got your sister, your brother, ever damn body. So what you scared of Lola? I mean it, what you scared of?
Lola: I’m scared of you.
Mac: Why me?
Lola: Because…
Mac: Because what?
Lola: Cause you hate me so much!
Mac: I didn’t say that. I did not say that. Did I say that? Did I say that?
Lola: You didn’t have to say it.
Mac: I don’t have to say that?
Lola: I can tell.
Mac: Are you ready to go now?
Lola: I don’t wanna move from this chair.
Mac: Why?
Lola: Because I’m scared.
Mac: About what? Why?
Lola: I don’t know, I just am.
Mac: You want me to call the police for you? You want me to dial 911? You want to call the police and tell them to come up?…
Lola: No. No.
Mac: Huh? Because the only thing they’re gonna do is come over here and try to arrest me. You want me to call?
Lola: They won’t arrest you.
Mac: Yeah they will.
Lola: No, they won’t.
Mac: Yeah they will.
Lola: They said they wouldn’t help me anymore.
Mac: Ah, that’s bullshit. If something happens to you, they don’t have no choice.
Lola: There ain’t nothing happening to me.
Mac: What, that don’t mean you don’t wanna call the police and stand behind them and do like you did last time while they went and locked me up. No, I shoulda come out with both my pistols and gotten rid of both your souls…You know that? Huh?
The Child Cries: Stop!!