First, the story: Victim's final minutes caught on store surveillance. Read this first! I started to quote from the linked story, but you really need to read the whole thing. You can also read the reactions of her family and friends, and a few more details at this link.
What happened: Hope Melton, a 30 year old woman, was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered by a man who had followed her for several miles at least. He apparently forced her car off the road to kidnap her.
When she became aware that the man was following her, she called her grandmother on her cell phone and said she was being followed. The grandmother told her to come straight to grandma's house and not to stop for anything or anyone. She never made it.
So, tactics and training:
If you received a frantic phone call from someone you love who was in a situation like this, what would you advise her to do? What questions would you ask and what would you do with the information?
Keep in mind, the victim was unarmed. Also, here's a link to the Google map of the area where her assailant apparently began following her. It's very rural. I would reasonably believe that a law enforcement response would take some time to arrive.
Thank God at least some good came out of her senseless death: the local sheriff announced he was holding a free class for women who wanted to get their carry permits, and the class filled within minutes of his announcement. Other women are also learning to shoot in response to the news. How horrible, though, that the victim couldn't defend herself when she needed it most. It would be much better if she were among the millions of people who have defended themselves with firearms and never made the headlines.
Her assailant didn't have a gun, by the way. He didn't need one.
pax
What happened: Hope Melton, a 30 year old woman, was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered by a man who had followed her for several miles at least. He apparently forced her car off the road to kidnap her.
When she became aware that the man was following her, she called her grandmother on her cell phone and said she was being followed. The grandmother told her to come straight to grandma's house and not to stop for anything or anyone. She never made it.
So, tactics and training:
If you received a frantic phone call from someone you love who was in a situation like this, what would you advise her to do? What questions would you ask and what would you do with the information?
Keep in mind, the victim was unarmed. Also, here's a link to the Google map of the area where her assailant apparently began following her. It's very rural. I would reasonably believe that a law enforcement response would take some time to arrive.
Thank God at least some good came out of her senseless death: the local sheriff announced he was holding a free class for women who wanted to get their carry permits, and the class filled within minutes of his announcement. Other women are also learning to shoot in response to the news. How horrible, though, that the victim couldn't defend herself when she needed it most. It would be much better if she were among the millions of people who have defended themselves with firearms and never made the headlines.
Her assailant didn't have a gun, by the way. He didn't need one.
pax