A 35-year-old woman and multiple members of her family have died just two weeks after she was denied a protection order against her husband.
Police in Michigan were dispatched to a home in Roscommon Township, roughly 115 miles north of Lansing, at around 3:30am on Sunday (10 July), where they found the bodies of the family members who appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds.
The victims included Tirany Savage, her 13-year-old son Dayton Cowdrey, her 58-year-old mother Kim Lynette Ebright, and her husband, Bo Eugene Savage.
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Officers are investigating the incident as a murder-suicide, with Tirany having filed for a protection order against Bo Eugene Savage on 24 June.
In the documents, Tirany claimed Savage had recently bought a gun, repeatedly threatened suicide and refused to leave the family’s home, with the mother explaining she did not want her safety or that of her son's to be 'in jeopardy'.
She wrote: "[Savage] has mental health issues and recently purchased a firearm and that is concerning to me."
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Three days later, judge Troy Daniel denied the order claiming there was insufficient evidence of immediate or irreparable injury. Daniel said Tirany could request the order in divorce court and the mother filed for divorce last Thursday (7 July), but just another three days later she was found dead.
Roscommon County Sheriff’s Office has not said who appears to have fired the gun which lead to the deaths of the family members, but an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The sheriff's office has also assured there is no further danger to the community as they have found no indication of any other suspects involved in the incident.
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Kim Scott, executive director of the non-profit River House, which helps survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse in Roscommon County, told Up North Live that cases of violence between partners have become more common in the area in the last six months for reasons that remain unknown.
She told the publication: "One thing I will say for sure is we can’t say that intimate partner violence is because of stress financially or mental health issues or whatever else is going on. Intimate partner violence is a result of power and control issues.
“Whatever level you’re at, in that relationship, then it will increase the more stressors you add on to that. So that’s something to really, I think, is probably where a lot of this is stemming from.”
Court documents show Tirany had the right to request a hearing after the protection order was denied, but it is currently unclear if she ever made the request.
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If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247
Topics: US News, Crime, Sex and Relationships
Emily Brown