Tampa woman's murder doesn't shock experts

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Kelly Garrison was diligent. She got a divorce, she got a restraining order, she cataloged 84 abusive things Kelley McDonald did to her.

"I don't think you could have asked for someone to document more accurately what was going on," said Mindy Murphy of The Spring of Tampa Bay.

Between the tracking of her car, showing up at her job, and threatening to kill her, Garrison went to court and called police several times. McDonald hunted her down in Georgia as every level of law enforcement tried to find him.

Then, police say, he killed her.

"There are batterers out there who a victim can do everything right, and they are still going to be murdered," said Murphy. "This guy was using power and control. He wanted his way."

Garrison's experience doesn't shock experts at The Spring, Hillsborough's center for victims of domestic violence. Their shelter took in 589 last year and represented 247 in court. 

In all, 3,477 cases were filed countywide, and many women have complaints as detailed and as lengthy as garrison.

"When people are telling you this is happening to them, believe them. When they tell you, don't tell them what they need to do, you need to leave him, you need to do this, you need to do that," said Murphy. "Listen to them. and ask them how you can help,"

Murphy says it needs to be easier for women to get court mandated address confidentiality and relocation assistance. 

But she also says the pressure on women to escape is misplaced. 

It should be on men to stop.

"We need to have men say I am not an abusive man. Most men aren't abusers, But most abusers are men," said Murphy. "And I want to do something about it because I want to keep women safe."