Bill seeks stricter protocols for death investigations involving domestic violence
A bill aiming to strengthen death investigations when there is a known history of domestic violence has been sent to the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.
If passed, “An Act Addressing Staged Suicides” (S.2743) would require police officers to follow stricter investigative protocols whenever a death involves a victim with a history of domestic violence. It would also require additional training, including how to detect when a scene has been staged, how to recognize indicators of domestic homicide, and consideration of patterns such as coercive control and life-threatening behavior.
“This bill covers a serious and heartbreaking subject,” state Sen. Rebecca Rausch, D-Needham, said at a recent press conference. “I wish there was no need for it, but there is.”
She cited research showing that nearly 50% of women murdered in the United States are killed by an intimate partner, and estimated that between 800 and 1,200 homicides each year are staged to look like suicides.
“Even one case is too many,” Rausch said.
A report from Jane Doe Inc. states that Massachusetts averages 18 domestic violence deaths per year, and in 2024, there were 22 deaths, with four occurring in western Massachusetts in Hampden County.
Amanda Sanderson, executive director of the Greenfield-based Resilience Center of Franklin County, formerly known as the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition (NELCWIT), said abusers are good at covering their tracks, and this bill would help police take a closer look at situations to see if domestic violence played a role in any death they are investigating. The Resilience Center of Franklin County provides support to survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
“We know people who use coercive control know how to cover evidence and make it look like no physical abuse is going on,” Sanderson. “This bill creates standards, and an avenue for experts to share their expertise [with] police.”
The bill states that any officer investigating a suspicious death is required to have completed training on domestic violence, and that their investigation should include interviews with friends and family members.
“This bill helps police and victims’ families and loved ones know how they can push for an investigation,” Sanderson said. “I think this bill is great and will help police be even better at their jobs.”
Sanderson said that with a smaller population, western Massachusetts does not see as many domestic violence deaths as the more populated regions of the state do, but domestic violence still occurs, and police need to know how to recognize it. She added that in smaller rural communities, victims tend to stay with their abusers for longer periods of time, as there are fewer shelters and support options for them.
She noted that in the 1980s, there were five domestic violence murders in the Turners Falls area over the course of four years, which “rocked our community.”
Orange Police Chief James Sullivan noted that the bill would not likely have much impact on the operations of local police departments, as the Massachusetts State Police leads suspicious death investigations.
The bill may be a good step to ensure families and friends of domestic violence victims see justice after their loved ones are killed, but Sanderson said she hopes the Legislature continues the work and expands prevention efforts in the future.
“This bill is one step forward, but it’s a reactive step,” Sanderson commented.
State legislators are also considering other bills that would expand existing prevention efforts and resources for survivors, such as “An Act Relative to Controlling and Abusive Litigation” (S.1205), which would provide courts with tools to prevent abusers from using the court system to control and harm their victims. Another piece of legislation would require law enforcement officers to provide notice of local domestic violence shelters when they suspect someone has been abused or is in danger of being abused.