Murder Rate Rising in Bossier Parish

Last Week a California woman was shot to death inside a Benton home. It`s the fourth homicide Bossier Parish this year. "Last year we had one, with the one last week we`re up to four," said Chief Julian Whittington. He says all of the crimes have one thing in common. "They`re all acquaintances. They`re all related. It`s a domestic situation. It`s not like a stranger or a robbery where someone is killed. It`s one of the most difficult things to police against." And it`s an all too common problem. "I think it would be safe to say we`ve had more domestic calls this year than last year." Back in January a man died after an argument escalated into gunfire. Later the same month, 38-year-old Anthony Baker was stabbed to death by his stepson, inside his Haughton home. The following month, Dramont Turks was arrested for shooting and killing his common law wife in Plain Dealing. "Often we think of domestic violence, but it`s not. It`s that you`ve taken me to the point of anger where I`m going to take you out," said Roxann Johnson. Roxann Johnson, of the NW Louisiana YWCA, says many times domestic disputes turn violent because of a lack of coping skills. "For the most part individuals don`t necessarily have the tools to handle their anger an their disappointment and it ends up turning into a criminal offense." Despite the increase in the murder rate Chief Whittington says Bossier Parish residents should not be alarmed by the statistics. "Bossier Parish is still a safe place to live... You can`t predict domestic situations, they just happen."