MURDERED: Shaquita Bennett // Tara Costigan

[00:00] This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. For some of us, summer means more juggling, which can lead to overwhelm and worry. BetterHelp makes it easy to get the support you need. Having served over 6 million people globally, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform. They'll match you with a quality licensed therapist, so you can focus on your therapy goals. You don't have to say yes to everything this summer. Find support in therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com slash crimejunkie. That's betterhelp.com slash crimejunkie. [00:29] Hi, Crime Junkies. It's Britt, and I have big news. One of my favorite seasonal shows, CounterClock, is back with a brand new season, and it is wild. Host Delia D'Ambra is digging into the 2008 Lane Bryant murders. I mean, this isn't just a recap. It is a reinvestigation. She's talking to law enforcement, people from the community, even sources who have never spoken publicly until now. And you know I love a show that asks all the questions. Listen to CounterClock [00:59] Hi, Crime Junkies. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers. And I'm Britt. [01:04] And today I want to talk about a theme that's been pretty consistent on our show since almost day one. [01:10] October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but this year with the COVID-19 pandemic, the conversation is a bit different. Domestic and intimate partner violence statistics have taken a scary turn as public health measures designed to stop the virus from spreading have left victims isolated. The National Domestic Violence Hotline reported a 15 percent increase in their contact volume in April 2020 compared to the year before.

[01:39] With the pandemic piling on and added stress and financial uncertainty all over the globe, some suffer through lockdown with their abusers, while others are unable to access vital services like courts and therapy. Though the stories I have for you today aren't directly linked to COVID-19, I think it's important to keep that statistic in mind. What was already happening is happening [02:09] Actually recommended to us by some of our fan club members who reached out and asked us to shed light on two women who never met in life, but who share similar experiences and met similar tragic fates. These are the stories of Shakita Bennett. [02:26] and Tara Costigan. [02:28] Music [02:58] In the summer of 2013, a young woman in Chicago's South Side named Shakita Bennett is looking to take her life back. She's finally ready to break up with her boyfriend, this man named Deshaun Johnson, and put their volatile relationship behind her once and for all.

[03:15] Instead of respecting Shakita's choice and leaving her alone to move on with her life, Deshaun reacts badly. None of this behavior seems to be new after Shakita ends the relationship. Her mom and some other family members date allegations of Deshaun's behavior as far back as 2010, so like three years before this has been going on. But after the breakup, Deshaun allegedly starts stalking her and making threats. [03:45] She knows she can't handle this alone. And so on August 19th, 2013, she gets the courts involved and files for a protection order to keep Deshawn away from her. [03:58] According to Tom Shuba's piece in the Chicago Sun-Times, Shakita writes in her application that not only is Deshawn threatening her, but he also has guns, plural. Obviously, someone just having access to firearms doesn't mean they're going to kill you. But the numbers around guns and intimate partner violence are legitimately horrifying. Like, did you know that the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence says that [04:28] in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%. Oh my God, I had no idea. Yeah, well, Shakita's request for a protection order against Deshaun is actually granted that same day she applies, on August 19th.

[04:46] Now, there isn't a huge amount of information out there about Shakita's story, so I'm not able to tell you from my research if she gets any kind of break from Deshaun after getting this order. But I do know for sure that at some point, the stalking starts again. The threats, the harassment, the constant fear for her safety don't go away or taper off. The abuse Shakita's suffering from just keeps getting worse. [05:16] leave of absence from work and moves out of her apartment in the hope of getting away from Deshaun. [05:23] Shakita's nightmare continues for years. And finally, on July 5th, 2016, she has to file for another protective order. Just like with the first one, she's granted an emergency order that starts that very same day. And then a more long-term one that's supposed to keep Deshaun from making any kind of contact with her. And it's supposed to be for two years. Like, he's not allowed to call her. He can't email her. No surprise visits at the drugstore where she works. Nothing. Right. [05:53] Thank you. [05:53] Now, that same Sun-Times article I mentioned earlier actually had one of the quotes from Shakita's filing, and it is heartbreaking to read, even just a little piece of what she was going through. Britt, I want to have you just read this one line from that filing. It says, quote, I'm very scared. [06:10] I haven't been home in four days because of him sitting around my house. End quote. [06:16] According to Denise Williams-Harris and Madeline Buckley's reporting in the Chicago Tribune, Deshaun breaks the court order in December of 2017 by calling Shakita and leaving horrible voicemails threatening to kill her and kill her whole family. I mean, this is classic stalker behavior. Yeah. Now, of course, Shakita reports Deshaun's threats to the Chicago police.

[06:46] story instead of going to arrest him right away because, again, he violated the court order. Right. Deshaun doesn't get picked up by police until sometime in January of 2018. I'm sorry, what? Yes. And that same month, Shakita moves again because he won't leave her alone. And this time she moves to the South Shore neighborhood on the south side of the city. According to Shakita's mom, [07:16] Yeah. [07:43] Now, once Deshawn is finally arrested in January, he's held on $10,000 bail. But after that amount gets cut in half to $5,000, he gets out of prison and goes right back to the same behavior. [07:58] Matthew Hendrickson reported for the Chicago Sun-Times that Shakita gets over 30 creepy voicemails from Deshaun after he's released. 30! And four of those messages, he's explicitly threatening to kill her. As if that's not bad enough, on March 5th, 2018, Shakita also has to deal with him showing up at the pharmacy where she works during her shift. And this is what's so frustrating to me. Like, she can't leave.

[08:28] Even if it's early, like it might not seem like a scary situation to someone. They might say like, oh, well, you know, you're around people. It's safe. You know, whatever. But this woman has moved three times to get away from this guy. And what's she going to do? She can't tell her boss like, oh, sorry, someone's here. I can't do my shift. Like he's right. He's basically threatening her job. Like you either leave and you could get fired and have no income or you have to sit there and just take the harassment from this guy who's been stalking you for years. [08:54] Now, at this point, Shakita wants to press charges and she does call police to file a report as soon as she can, which is about 11 a.m. that same day. But here's the thing that makes me so mad. [09:05] The Chicago police almost get like victim blamey about it at this point. A spokesperson for the department talked to Matthew Hendrickson and this person basically like their defense, because obviously like nothing happened. Like she wanted to press charges, but it doesn't really go anywhere. But this person's like, well, you know, she made the report over the phone. Wait, are they complaining that she just didn't file the report in person? Yeah, that's what it seems like. Oh, my God. [09:35] which I don't know if they're trying to say, like, clearly it wasn't an emergency. But again, like, she is at work. She's at her place of business. Like, if she did leave to go call police right away and take the time to fill out a report in person when she's supposed to be on the clock, like, again, she could have gotten fired.

[10:05] Yeah. And yet over 70 percent of employers, at least here in the States, don't have any formal policies or programs to address this sort of workplace problem. [10:16] violence. Yeah, there's like no protection in place at work, which is a terrible problem in and of itself. But then to know that that's the case here and then have police say, well, you didn't call soon enough and you called and you didn't do it in person because her hands are tied. I could go in circles. Her hands were tied. And it just kind of shows you how domestic violence isn't taken anywhere near as seriously as it needs to be and how economic abuse. I mean, that's basically what [10:46] Right. Not only is he threatening her physically and with her life and the lives of her family, he's threatening her way of life to a certain extent. [10:57] All Shakita is left to do is just [11:00] hope and pray that police will act. But what they do instead sets off a chain reaction with devastating consequences. [11:10] Police don't arrest Deshawn again for violating the protection order again by showing up at her workplace. And to make things even worse, according to reporting in the Chicago Tribune by Madeline Buckley, David Jackson and Paige Fry, Shakita's mom claims in a lawsuit that even though Shakita's adamant that she does want to press charges, the Chicago police don't follow up with her or do anything to investigate her claims.

[11:40] Wait, what? She's doing... [11:43] everything she's supposed to be doing, but... [11:45] The people in charge of the system still aren't participating with her. They aren't willing to work with her. I know. What is she supposed to do? Like, she's going through all the correct avenues, the right pathways to not just even get justice, but protect herself. Right. And I mean, Deshaun, this isn't just start, right? Like, he has been raising red flags right and left for decades. [12:06] years. Yeah. And, you know, the statistics around black women specifically and domestic abuse really show what Shakita is up against. [12:17] The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reported that a whopping [12:21] 45.1 percent of black women will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime and that an estimated 51.3 percent of homicides committed against black women are related to intimate partner violence. I mean, with stats that high, again, for them to not be taking this seriously, I mean. [12:43] Here she is. Shakita is pleading for help. [12:46] And it just goes completely unheard. When Deshawn finally goes to court on March 13th, 2018, Shakita breathes a sigh of relief when he actually pleads guilty to violating the order of protection. [13:02] But... [13:03] it doesn't last for long. Her heart drops when he's actually sentenced. The only punishment he gets for pleading guilty to violating the protection order is five days of time served and a year of probation. And he's ordered to go to domestic violence counseling. Now, after, I mean, how many years of this behavior? Right. And multiple violations against the protective orders, right?

[13:33] electronic tracker or anything. Like her family says that Shakita specifically requested that Deshawn be monitored. But the Illinois State's Attorney's Office claims that they don't have any record of that request. [13:45] Regardless of whether or not this request ever existed, it doesn't change the fact that Deshawn's basically free to go about his life. And he's allegedly violating the order again just four days after he's been sentenced. What? Yeah. I mean, as you can imagine, Shakita is left feeling exhausted. She's left feeling like she's out of options. [14:15] driver's license. Like she's trying to figure out a way to get him to leave her alone. But before Shakita can make that move, her worst fears come to life. On the morning of April 5th, 2018, less than a month after Deshaun pled guilty to violating that protection order, he allegedly shows up at her apartment building. There's video footage from the back of the building that shows a man identified as Deshaun [14:44] taking something out of his waistband and going up to her. [14:48] Matthew Hendrickson's Sun-Times piece reports that the footage shows Shakita and the man believed to be Deshawn going through the lobby and up to Shakita's apartment on the second floor. [15:00] by 10:15 a.m. [15:02] Shakita has been murdered.

[15:04] According to Lisa M. Esquivel Long's piece in the New Sentinel, she's shot twice in the back of the head and is found dead in that very hallway of her building, less than 40 feet from her door. She was just 31 years old when she died. [15:21] Hmm. [15:23] Fifteen days later, on April 20th, Deshawn is arrested at his brother's house in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on suspicion of Shakita's murder. According to police and court records, as cited in the Chicago Sun-Times, Shakita had filed 10 police reports over the years alleging threats, violence and harassment. And yet her family feels that none of that was enough to make police pay attention. [15:50] They are actually currently suing the city of Chicago while Deshawn awaits trial. [15:56] Now, Shakita's story and her experiences as a long-term stalking victim is just one example of what domestic violence can look like. I know that a lot of people maybe instantly think of, like, black eyes and bruises when they hear about intimate partner violence. But abuse is not always physical. Right? [16:21] In 2013, the same year that Shakita Bennett was ending her relationship with Deshaun Johnson, a woman down in Canberra, Australia, is starting a new relationship of her own. [16:32] Thank you. [16:33] Tara Costigan is a single mom in her mid-20s working as a caregiver while raising her two little boys, Riley and Drew. So she's really excited when she meets this guy named Marcus Rappel. Now, he's a few years older. He's got a steady job running his own business as a bricklayer. And according to Alyssa Smith's piece on her Canberra's website, Tara is smitten with him right away.

[17:03] first man she's ever truly, truly loved. [17:07] She's hopeful that he can be that pillar of support that she's so desperately wanted while also being a good father figure in her kids' lives. Like, everything seems like it's starting to come together. This is the beginning of a fairy tale. Yeah, he seems like a catch. He is. And she's excited to, like, bring him into the fold of her family. Because, you know, along with Marcus, along with her kids, one of the things that is super important to Tara is her family. The Costigans are this, like... [17:36] big extended bunch who are really tight knit. And Tara in particular is super close to her cousins and her grandparents who helped raise her. And since they all have family barbecues together every Sunday, it's not too long before she brings Marcus along so that he can meet everyone. [17:55] really big tight-knit extended family as well and my first question is like how did everyone receive him like what was their first impression? [18:04] Well, when Tara's cousin Nathan talks to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2016, he says Marcus was pretty reserved when the family first met him. He actually describes him as being oddly quiet. But Nathan says that Marcus was polite to everyone. So he didn't really like set off any kind of warning bells. Like even being quiet is nothing that you can't like write off as just like jitters over meeting someone's family for the first time. You know, like that seems pretty typical for like meeting the family.

[18:34] We've got such a big extended family. But something I found really interesting in that same interview is that Tara's grandma, Margaret, says that there was just something about Marcus from day one. Something that she couldn't quite put into words that just didn't sit right with her. And right away. I'm telling you, grandmas always know. Grandmas always know. It's so true. Now, right away, Margaret's intuition starts sending her warning signs about this guy. [19:03] Nothing in my research mentions if the family says anything to Tara right away. [19:09] And from the outside, she seems over the moon. So they kind of just accept her choices and life goes on for all of them. But before too long, they start to see some pretty clear cut warning signs of trouble. [19:27] Chime is changing the way that people bank. They offer the most rewarding, fee-free banking built for you. Chime has thousands of fee-free ATMs. Like, why pay to get your own money? Plus, you can get savings that grow faster with a 3.75% APY. That is nine times higher than the national average. Chime members can even staff benefits, like up to $1,150 in annual rewards, [19:56] premium travel perks. Their Spot Me feature even lets you overdraft up to $200. And all of that is without fees. There is nothing not to like about this. It is clear why Chime is rated five stars by USA Today for customer service. Real humans 24-7. When you switch, you're not just switching banks. You are upgrading to America's number one choice for banking with a Chime checking account. Chime's not just smarter banking. It's the most rewarding way to bank.

[20:26] banking fee-free today. Head to chime.com slash crimejunkie. That's chime.com slash crimejunkie. It only takes a few minutes to sign up. Chime is a fintech, not a bank. Banking services for MyPay and ChimeCard provided by Chime's bank partners. Optional products and services may have fees or charges. Stated annual percentage yield and cashback for Chime Prime only. No minimum balance required. Checking account ranking based on a J.D. Power survey published October 20, 2025. For more information on APY rates, MyPay, SpotMe, and Travel Perks, go to chime.com slash disclosures. [20:53] Margaret notices that Tara stopped calling her and texting her like she used to and that she starts distancing herself from the family, which is super out of character for her. [21:05] And it's one of the earliest signs of abuse to look for. Like the One Place Family Justice Center calls isolation one of the earliest forms of abuse in unhealthy relationships because it creates dependence usually on the abuser and it makes it harder to get help. [21:23] I can't stress this enough. Like this is an early warning sign that is so important to look out for because this is often an abuser's first tactic. Like they said, I mean, I think we touched on this a little bit on our experts on domestic violence episode. Yeah, definitely. But this is what abusers do first. They do it slowly and subtly. They kind of convince you that your friends don't care about you, that they're bad influences. Basically chip away at your independence. [21:53] Your family never really loved you the way that they do. Your family doesn't want what's best for you. And slowly, you're alone until the only person in your life is your abuser. And by then, when things get worse, when they escalate, as they...

[22:09] often do, often victims feel like they have no one to turn to. [22:16] But this is so important and I want everyone to hear me. If you are someone who has felt pushed out by a loved one in an abusive relationship, do not give up on them. They may not call you back. They may not text you back. They may have said hurtful things. Hurt people hurt people. Like you don't have to force a relationship when they aren't ready for one. But be there when they are. And find a way to tell them that your door is always open when they're ready. [22:46] truly know what's going on behind theirs. And for anyone who feels like they're the person in the abusive relationship, if you feel like you've pushed everyone so far away that only your abuser is left, you are not alone. Never feel like you can't go back to those that you tried to push away because I bet my bottom dollar that they still love you and they want you back more than anything. And I'm sorry if this is like a little bit. I know I'm tearing up too. It's a little bit [23:16] that like hits really close to home because... I think we've both been in the position to want to reach out to someone... [23:23] who continues to push us away well yeah i just i've watched this unfold for someone that like i deeply care about and i know like i will i'm sorry i'll always be there for them and if like one single person hears this and realizes that they aren't alone like this is why we do this you are not alone

[23:47] So, to get back to the story, Tara's isolation isn't the only thing her family notices to begin happen in her new relationship. Within six weeks of when Tara and Marcus start dating, her aunt Maria starts to notice that things are off and those warning signs only get stronger. [24:09] You see, Marcus is a jealous boyfriend, very jealous. And he keeps accusing Tara of lying to him about being unfaithful in their relationship, even though there's absolutely nothing to back up his claims. He's super paranoid. And as the relationship progresses, his claims keep getting more and more extreme and his rage escalates. But again, it's important to note he never hits her. [24:39] violent. He is just emotionally abusive. Now, aside from his jealousy, Elizabeth Byrne and Susan MacDonald also reported for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about another huge red flag in their relationship. Marcus is abusing steroids and crystal meth. Now, obviously, [25:09] dependency are six to seven times more likely to be abusive compared to people who don't abuse drugs or alcohol.

[25:17] Tara knows about Marcus's drug use, and she actually teams up with his mom and his sister to try and get him help. But nothing in my research clarifies if he... [25:28] Right. [25:49] Within a year of when Tara and Marcus started dating, pretty much her whole family is aware by that point that this is a bad situation. Tara's cousin learns through the family grapevine that Marcus, who's living with Tara at this point at her house, won't even let Tara get a good night's sleep. Like he keeps waking her up in the middle of the night to accuse her of being unfaithful and just to have these awful fights. And it's a mess. [26:19] all of this happening so that you know wholesome parental influence Tara wanted for Riley and Drew is honestly like this guy's doing the exact opposite of what any loving partner should or would do I mean he's lashing out verbally at Tara threatening and name-calling but to make matters worse by the middle of 2014 Tara is pregnant with Marcus's baby so is this a [26:47] a possible case of reproductive coercion? Because that kind of seems like it would be right in Marcus's wheelhouse. Yeah, I wasn't able to get because I had the same thought too, but I wasn't able to get any kind of clear answer on that. And nothing in my research mentions like what kind of family planning they were doing, to be honest. So I don't know. I mean, I think it's something that we've seen in a lot of domestic violence cases. I think it's something that's definitely possible, but nothing that I could prove.

[27:13] Now, at this point, seeing all the stress Tara's under, Tara's sister Ricky and her boyfriend Bryce actually move in with her, Marcus and the kids to help out with everything while Tara's pregnant. During this time, Ricky gets a front row seat to witness what everyone else in the family sees, that Tara's being verbally abused. [27:34] Now, Ricky's actually in that same Australian Broadcasting Corporation interview that I talked about earlier with her cousin Nathan and their grandma Margaret. And she talks about what she saw living under Tara's roof and how one night during one of the arguments, Marcus was like cracking his knuckles and told Tara something like, if you don't stop talking, it'll be the last thing you ever do. [28:00] The last straw for Tara finally comes at the tail end of her pregnancy after yet another fight, when Marcus spits at her, threatens her life, and uses some horribly gross misogynistic language that I'm not even going to repeat. And something about this one fight takes Tara to her breaking point. And with her family's unwavering support, she ends the relationship and actually kicks him out of the house. [28:29] But just like I talked to you about with Shakita, ending the relationship doesn't stop the abuse. And that is so common, too. We've said this before. The end of a relationship is actually...

[28:43] the most dangerous period for survivors trying to get out of abusive relationships. You know, as the abusers see and feel the control over their victims being threatened, the risk of homicide goes up. Exactly. I mean, I know I already said how complicated any abusive situation can be. [29:03] But the Costigan family knows that for Tara, the emotional situation is super gnarled here. Like, love isn't logical. And leaving an abuser doesn't immediately just, like, take the feelings away. Like, even though she's left, even after all she's been through, Tara's still holding out hope that Marcus will get help, that he will stop using drugs, and that maybe there'll be a way that they can actually be together as a family. Right. [29:33] sounds. [29:33] Almost right away by getting back together with a former girlfriend and he gets this former girlfriend pregnant. But again, you would think like, OK, she's left him and he has this new girlfriend like, oh, that's like a clean break. Like maybe he's done. He's moving on. No, they're finished. Even though he has this whole other life, he still does not leave Tara or her family alone. [29:56] And at first, Tara doesn't want to get the courts involved after they break up, but Marcus doesn't let up. And when he starts going after Tara's family, that's the last straw for her. Here, I want you to read this text message that... [30:13] Mark is actually sent to Tara's grandmother, Margaret. I mean, I don't want to, but here we go.

[30:20] Quote, [30:22] Nana Smells [30:24] Marcus Flew Away. [30:26] Forgot to stick his c** in a sock. And now one's on the way. [30:31] You conniving old woman. [30:33] that. [30:35] End quote. [30:36] Oh, I hate this. I mean, it just shows you how [30:40] Again, he's not just even being verbally abusive to Tara. This has escalated to her entire family. And it just shows you how nasty he can truly be. And when Tara sees this, she's understandably horrified and grossed out. And so to protect the people that she loves most, she decides to make the leap and file for a domestic violence order, which in Australia, I think basically like their equivalent of Shakita's protection order that we have here in the U.S. [31:10] abbreviated DVO. Okay. Okay. [31:12] But before she can get the paperwork filed, Tara's life changes forever. [31:19] For decades, some cold cases have been reduced to files in a cabinet, but not anymore. I'm Ashley Flowers, and me and my team on the deck have been traveling across the country to report on these forgotten cases. And in some instances, it's resulted in these cases being solved after decades. [31:39] Join me every Wednesday as we revive these stories one card at a time. Listen to the deck now. [31:46] wherever you get your podcasts. [31:50] Tara goes into labor before she can finish all the required steps for getting her domestic violence order. So there's nothing legally in place to keep Marcus away from her or any of her family members.

[32:04] Despite this being a super stressful pregnancy, Tara actually gives birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl that she names Ayla. [32:14] But what should be a happy time soon takes a dark turn because according to Charlotte Carp's reporting in the Daily Mail, as soon as Marcus finds out the baby's been born, he shows up at the hospital with his mom and makes a huge scene like screaming that he knows all about Tara's other men. She doesn't have other men, though. I know, but this is how deep his issues actually go. [32:44] Point. I mean... [32:45] You know, he's in the hospital screaming all of this, right? So it's not just Tara's family that are witnessing this. According to that 2018 Australian Broadcasting Company article, midwives and social workers at the hospital where Tara has her baby notice that Marcus's behavior is way out of line. And they advise her to go through with getting the DVO. [33:08] Oh, wow. Now, she knows Marcus is going to be upset and she's trying to be understanding about it and make sure that, you know, he knows he'll be allowed to see their daughter. [33:18] Instead of waiting for the court system to, like, just serve him the order, Tara decides to break the news to him herself. [33:25] She actually sends him a text message that I'm going to have you read, Britt. [33:29] The text said, quote, yes, I said I would put a DVO on you as well if you came near me. It is what I've been advised to do by a social worker at the hospital because you scare the hell out of me.

[33:42] End quote. [33:44] One week after having her first daughter, Tara finishes what she started and gets her domestic violence order. She tells the court that she's terrified that Marcus is going to show up at her house and do something awful. [33:58] Tara's family is relieved that she got the order, but they're as nervous as she is about what Marcus might be capable of. [34:06] They try to take her word that, you know, he probably won't harm her physically because he never has before. She keeps telling them, you know, he's mean, he's full of rage, but all the abuse has been verbal and it's been emotional. And yes, it's been hell for all of us, but he's never laid a hand on me. But I can imagine as her family... [34:28] She's basically like poking a bear by filing this DVO, right? I mean, that's what we're saying. Like right when you try and end it, this is when things get extra dangerous. [34:38] Now, after she has the baby, Tara's sister, Ricky, is actually still living at the house with her. And she's living there when this DVO gets filed. So one afternoon, Ricky and her boyfriend are at home with Tara, Ayla, and both of Tara's sons. And this is the afternoon of February 28th, literally the very next day after Tara gets her DVO. [35:02] Security footage from the neighborhood shows a white utility vehicle driving up and down the road past Tara's house. The same car just again and again, slowing down in front of Tara's house. And the driver is Marcus Rappel.

[35:20] At about 3.40 p.m. that afternoon, while Tara's in her bedroom breastfeeding her baby, her sister Ricky hears this smashing sound. At first, she thinks it might be Tara's boys playing outside. But when Riley and Drew run towards her screaming, she knows that something much, much worse is happening here. And there, in Tara's house, in full violation of the DVO, is Marcus. [35:50] an axe. [35:52] Everything from that point on happens so fast. Tara is running away from him, clutching her infant daughter to her chest as she tries to make it safely to the laundry room. Adrenaline pumping, Ricky grabs for Tara, desperate to protect her sister, but Marcus swings the axe, hitting Tara in the back of the neck and severing a tendon in Ricky's little finger in the process. [36:22] Bryce manages to tackle Marcus and get him into another part of the house while Ricky grabs her phone and calls for help. Bryce and a neighbor who heard the commotion and came to check up on them are able to keep Marcus restrained until police arrive. But by the time police get there... [36:39] Tara is already dead, the axe still next to her body. [36:44] and she was only 28 years old. [36:49] Baby Ayla survives the attack unharmed, and according to Elizabeth Burns' reporting, Marcus admits to the murder on that same day.

[36:59] After Tara's death, the press gets a hold of more disturbing details about Marcus's past. [37:05] As Christopher Knauss reports for the Canberra Times, the woman Marcus dated before he met Tara also filed for a DVO against him because she too was afraid for her safety. He allegedly claimed he'd kill any woman who took out a DVO against him. [37:21] He pleads guilty in 2016, and in 2017, he's sentenced to 32 years in jail, 30 for Tara's murder, and an extra two for injuring both Ricky and Bryce. [37:32] In 2019, he gets six years added on to his sentence after getting into a fight in prison. So he won't be eligible for parole until 2044. [37:43] As these stories and so many others tell us, the system is far too often stacked against people of any gender who are experiencing intimate partner violence. But there is hope. [37:57] You are not alone. If you are someone who has begun to isolate themselves or if you are deep in it, you can still go back. You can always go back. And if you feel like you have no one, there are dedicated people and organizations who are there for you, who can offer you help. [38:18] And we're supporting those organizations by donating a portion of our ad sales and fan club profits to two organizations. The Network, which is a Chicago-based advocacy group who have provided training and services to people in the very same area where Shakita lived.

[38:35] And we are also supporting the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice in their mission to foster change at all levels and empower communities to better meet the needs of survivors everywhere. [38:48] To learn more about how you can help and for resources, you can visit our blog post for this episode where we will link out to both organizations. [39:11] Again, to get links to both of those organizations and to see pictures and our source material for this episode, you can find that on our website, CrimeJunkiePodcast.com. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Crime Junkie Podcast. [39:26] And we'll be back next week with a new episode. [39:54] you [39:54] you [39:55] *music* [39:58] you [40:00] Crime Junkie is an audio Chuck production. [40:03] So what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve?

[40:08] Okay, crime junkies. You know I absolutely love a twist and a turn, especially when it comes to people who turn out to be someone they're not. That's why I have been obsessed with the podcast Chameleon. Every Thursday, host Josh Dean deep dives into a scam so bizarre it will leave you wondering, how did they get away with that? [40:26] It is truly one of my favorite podcasts right now and I've been listening for years. [40:30] I think you'll love it too. [40:32] Listen to Chameleon wherever you get your podcasts.