Tina Adovasio and Kelly Rothwell: Intimate Partner Violence Leads to Homicide

“If you are reading this and find yourself in a similar situation, know that there are measures you must take before announcing the end of your relationship. These safety precautions can be found in the book, "Time's Up: A Guide on How to Leave an Abusive and Stalking Relationship" by Susan Murphy Milano. Don't take things into your own hands without expert guidance.” (Mothers Are Vanishing)



This morning the body of Tina Adovasio, nurse and mother of 4, from Bronx, New York, was discovered in a wooded area. Tina was in an intimate partner violence relationship that tragically ended in homicide; her estranged husband, a former cop. He was stripped of his police powers back in 2000 due to domestic violence charges filed by his first wife. He has refused to cooperate with police. Police tried to get a sample of his DNA earlier, he refused. As of this post he has not be charged with her murder.

(Tina Adovasio)

Today, yet another tragedy; a former cop’s girlfriend from Indian Rocks Beach, Florida is nowhere to be found.

Kelly Rothwell, (pictured below), a police cadet, was last seen Saturday, March 12, 2011. Her live-in-boyfriend, David Perry, is a recently retired New York Correctional Officer. According to accounts, Perry had a very bad temper and was controlling and abusive with Kelly Rothwell.



Kelly was going back to the home she shared with Perry on Saturday to inform him it was over (this cost is what resulted in the taking of her life by this obsessed offender). She told him she was moving out and on with her life. That is the last time anyone has heard from her. Perry was the last person to see her alive. According to law enforcement, this coward fled to New York, he refuses to cooperate with authorities, playing the offender's game of "catch me if you can." In my expert opinion, he killed her as sure as I am writing this post! In my opinion, law enforcement must not waste precious time they need to consider the following:

• For the Sheriff's office in Indian Rocks Beach Florida, time is important if they are to obtain evidence that may already be lost. Her car has already been located and there is likely not much in the way of evidence, Perry is too smart for that.
• Law Enforcement need to obtain a warrant and have Perry's car impounded.
• If his plates are Florida, they will have an easier time, it depends on what residence he has on the drivers license. Kelly Rothwell's cell phone pings need to be captured immediately.
• A warrant needs to be issued immediately by a Florida Judge so law enforcement can gain access into the condo. They can also serve the condo association and gain immediate access. The trap to all the sinks (elbow) need removed to be tested to see if there is blood still there. The same goes for the showers and bath tubs in the unit.
• Garage shoots and dumpsters on the property need to be gone through, regardless of whether or not a pick-up has occurred, they might pick up traces of blood.
• A search team with dogs needs to be dispatched to the nearby landfill, immediately.
• Cameras on the property or from surrounding buildings need to be checked.
• Sun Pass toll activity on his car needs to be investigated because he went through tolls to get to New York.
• Gas stations and ATMs within the area of the condo with a description of his car is also a way to detect activity. He had to gas up someplace-check his and her credit card activity.
• Home depot and hardware store activity should be checked.
• DNA from his personal items: shaver/razor, toothbrush, hairbrushes, combs
• Get a warrant of her cell phone changes are he texts the hell out of her before she is killed

Go to the clerk office in New York and look to see his prior criminal history. He is a repeat offender as it relates to prior relationships. His pattern of conduct constant texts, stalking, monitoring of her on-line activity 30 days before he takes her life should be important in law enforcements investigation of this case.

I cannot stress enough, if you are in a relationship that has a history of violence, simply mustering up the courage to confront the person and say it is over, without the proper tools, can cost you, your life! Don't make the same mistake as Kelly Rothwell, look at the video below and prepare, before you confront someone that the relationship is over.

One of the major reasons women stay in abusive relationships is fear. They are afraid of what will happen to them and their children if they leave. Sadly, their fears are often justified; statistics show that a woman is at the greatest risk for injury when she announces her plans or leaves an abusive relationship.

The book "Time's Up A Guide on How To Survive and Abusive and Stalking Relationship" is the prescription, if you will, that every person must obtain before they announce they are leaving. Below is an example from Chapter 4, one of many unique tools provided in the book. It is available on Amazon.com, or you can purchase via e-book or on a cd. If you have questions, the email address is: timesupforjustice@gmail.com




Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit by Susan Murphy Milano from the Book "Time's Up" from Courage Network on Vimeo.



Susan Murphy Milano is with the Institute for Relational Harm Reduction and Public Pathology Education. She is an expert on intimate partner violence and homicide crimes. For more information visithttp://www.saferelationshipsmagazine.com/ She is also in partnership with Pamela Chapman and iAscend Programs. http://pamelachapmanl.biz

Susan is the author of "Time's Up A Guide on How to Leave and Survive Abusive and Stalking Relationships," available for purchase at the Institute, Amazon.com and wherever books are sold. Susan is the host of The Susan Murphy Milano Show, "Time's Up!" on Here Women Talk http://www.herewomentalk.com/and is a regular contributor to the nationally syndicated The Roth Show with Dr Laurie Roth. Susan is a survivor- the daughter of a police officer family intimate partner homicide by her father who murdered her mother before committing suicide.

"Motive Equals Murder"

It is not difficult to see how many girlfriends, wives and mothers who have vanished or are murdered with the only possible suspect; the person with whom they were romantically attached. It does not take Dick Tracy or a rocket scientist to figure out where the trail of blood goes, cold or not, it is almost always points to person in their life. Or if it does not, it should.

Women living vibrant productive lives suddenly labeled in a crime file cabinet or drawer opened when a lead is followed up or a family member is calling into police headquarters for updates and possible answers.

There are few experts in the field of domestic violence perpetrated crimes. The reclutance to look at a husband or boyfriend as a suspect can depend on the size of the town, available manpower, the prosecutors office and investigative skills among other issues. There are so many unsolved murders I listed a few where the cartoon character of Dick Tracy lives as solving these cases are not a language the police headquarters in these towns appear to speak.

November 29, 1991 was the last time that Mary Jane Zich was seen alive. She and her daughter, Desiree, had just returned to their Toledo, Ohio home after visiting her parents for Thanksgiving. While on her visit, Mary Jane discussed the violence in her marriage to Tom Zich and told her parents that she was planning on divorcing him. According to reports to police given by Tom at the time, she received a phone call, left the house and didn't return, leaving 3 year- old Desiree behind.

Sandra Travis was living in a violent marriage when she disappeared July 31, 2005 from Mayfield, Kentucky, a rural area near the borders of Illinois and Tennessee. Sandra took a lot of punches over the years from her husband, Bobby Travis, probably another man who treated his wife as a piece of property, there to do his bidding, no caring for the way she felt. Someone needs to look under the trailer where she disappeared from that evening. Maybe the Illinois State police can over ride the prosecutor who does not have much experience in obtaining a search warrant.

Renee Pagel was killed on August 5, 2006. She was a grade school teacher and a registered nurse. According to friends, Renee feared for her safety from her estranged husband. As many women say when they are married to an abusive spouse "if something happens to me, make sure people know it was not an accident." And yet in Mayberry police have yet to arrest Michael Pagel. This is shear ignorance on the part of the investigators.

On August 19, 2007, it's reported that Liza Murphy just up and walked out of her home after an argument with her husband, Joe Murphy, leaving behind her cell phone, cigarettes, all forms of identification, and most importantly, her three children, now 15, 13, and 10.
Liza Murphy and her husband were having marital problems, her family said. Stellatos described Joe Murphy as possessive of his wife, never allowing her to go out with her friends. She said he was even jealous if she spent time with her parents.

In October of 2008, Kellisue's Ackernecht’s case isn't very different from several other missing mother's cases, filled with frustration and brick walls. Other similarities include investigating the husband, but in this case local Johnstown law enforcement has stated that Jayson Ackernecht is not a person of interest nor a suspect in Kellisue's disappearance. In fact, Jayson has told reporters the same thing Drew Peterson claims, that she ran off with another man, and like Drew Peterson, it seems Jayson is taking steps to move on with his life. Again, after reviewing documents and speaking to family members this is a cookie cutter case that needs to be solved.


Sometime's it can take years, but a family even without locating the remains of their loved one finds partial closure when an arrest is finally made in a case. Yesterday, for the family of Tracey Tetso they were given a great gift when the missing woman's husband Dennis Testo was indicted and arrested for her murder. On March 6, 2005, married 5 short months,Tracey disappeared from her Rosedale home in Baltimore.

Once case out of thousand's where a family is themselves alive to participate in justice. Let us hope everyone else who is waiting for that unexpected phone call on that an arrest will be made or the reamins of their loved ones's happens within their lifetime.

Afterall, while these women's lives did not mean anything to the person they were with, they did have great importance to many others whose faces you do not see or voices you do not hear because they are too busy searching and doing what they can to bring their daughter's home.

Thirteen Year Old Teaches Us All

By Susan Murphy-Milano

Pictured above is thirteen year old Amber Simmons. Amber is no ordinary. Her life was abruptly interrupted on March 13, 2008.

She is the daughter of Rachel Conger who was abducted by her estranged husband Paul. You see Rachel was finally leaving her abusive life. She returned to the marital home for some final items before embarking on her journey to a life without abuse.

In a tragic twist of events, her estranged husband Paul was found three days later with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. Prior to the coward committing suicide, he likely murdered Rachel Conger, his wife of ten years.

Now, her daughter Amber works day and night to find her mother. She has held fundraisers, created and passed out flyers, why she even put together an event for September 6, 2008, where some 2,000 people are expected to attend Paris, TN. Amber has t-shirt's for purchase and a web site to bring her mother home.

While most kids spent their summer with their parent(s) going on vacation, planning for the new school year or just hanging out together, Amber Simmons raised money to pay for professional search teams to comb the area where her mother was taken by Paul Conger.

"Rachel Conger is a thirty year old mother who was abducted from her home by her estranged husband in Como, TN, on 3/13/2008. Paul Conger was found deceased from a self inflicted gunshot wound on March 16, 2008.

On Tuesday, September 2, 2008, a family member will be featured on Justice Interrrupted Investigates live with Stacy Dittrich, Robin Sax and myself. We will also discuss important obstacles victims and their families face from hurtful rumors and gossip to information rarely shared with victims families. Click here for show details.

Amber Simmons, I know where ever your Mother is right now, she is very proud of you.

And By the Way, You are my Hero!

Bethanie Doughtery:A Vanishing Voice That Requires Our Attention

Bethanie Dougherty has been gone now for two months. The shear anguish of not knowing where this woman, mother of three, daughter, sister and friend to so many increases the anxiety and pain victims families feel and experience three hundred and sixty five days a year seven days a week. The vanishing have no voice, but once found, the clues in their disappearance and untimely death tell the truth and the victim is finally brought home to their families for closure. But, there is never true closure. Answers or words of comfort can ever provide healing for families.

Bethanie was in the final process of a divorce. A neighbor heard screams at three in the morning, sixty days ago and police need your help. So does the family and her children. If you know anything about what might have happend or you suspect a person who may have been around that area, please consider calling the police. You do not have to provide any information about you and all calls are kept confidential. I know someone out there holds the answer to what happened, please, help bring Bethanie home where she belongs.

Police continue to search for clues, and there is a $9,000 (nine-thousand dollar) reward for any information that leads to her safe return. If you have any information, you're asked to call the Broome County Sheriff's office at 315-778-1196. Donations to the Bethanie L Dougherty Benefit Fund or the Bethanie L Dougherty Curtis Reward Fund can be made by going into any branch of Bank of America or by mailing a check or money order in the name of one the accounts to - Bank of America 6801 East Genesee St. Fayetteville, NY 13066

VIDEOhttp://www.wtvh.com/news/local/19442064.html

Prior story:-http://murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com/search/label/Bethanie%20Doughtery

Where, Oh Where Is Rosa Lisowski?

On Monday, March 24, 2008, Rosa Lisowski walked her six -year old child to school. It was like any other morning, with one exception, she has vanished.

I should also mention that she and her estranged husband are going through a very bitter divorce and custody battle.

Yet, another woman, mother of small children has vanished from the planet without a trace.

No surprise Rosa's husband is "a person of interest". The kids have been placed in protective custody, which in my opinion is a good move by those investigating the case.

We have entered a new"copy cat crime category" a deadly pattern of events in recent months with women who are seeking or have started divorce proceeding's, and magically are never heard or seen from again .

As an example, Theresa Parker, Lisa Stebic, Stacy Peterson, all fit the same profile. Included are other's who broke off relationships and wound up dead. And in each vanishing act or murder, family members and friends confirm, each of the women , were all "afraid of the person".

Previous Stories:
March 28, 2008: Missing Mom's Kids Put In Protective Custody
March 27, 2008: Vigil Planned For Missing Mom
March 26, 2008: Police Question Missing Woman's Sons, Husband
March 26, 2008: Family Says Missing Mother Feared For Her Life

http://www.jurorthirteen.com/ will continue to keep updates on this case, so please consider visitng their site.

http://www.movingoutmovingon.com/ resources to safety and a way to contact us as it relates to a missing or murdered family member.