Post by Sher on May 9, 2005 0:26:17 GMT -5
This started as a court order, but turned bad.
She let him back and he killed her
Barb Pacholik, Pamela Cowan and Donna-Rae Monroe
Leader-Post
Saturday, May 07, 2005
A court order that would have kept a Kamsack man away from his wife was removed -- at her request -- less than two months before he killed her and then himself.
Those who work in the area of spousal violence say returning to an abusive partner is, unfortunately, too common.
"When you're talking about the cycle of violence ... you have a build-up, an explosion and then an apology tends to happen. There will be promises that it is never going to happen again. There's often that reconciliation. It's good for awhile, then there's the buildup again -- and then the explosion," said Abby Ulmer, a counsellor at the Regina Women's Community Centre.
Wednesday, Adolphus George Musqua, 50, shot his 34-year-old wife Peggy Ann Musqua inside their home in Kamsack as some of their children, aged eight years and under, looked on in horror. He then stepped outside and turned the rifle on himself.
Peggy Musqua was rushed to hospital, but died of her injuries.
Three months ago to the day, Adolphus was charged with assaulting the same woman, according to court documents obtained Friday by the Leader-Post.
He was released from custody on an undertaking -- a promise -- that he would appear in court March 15. Among the conditions of his release, Adolphus agreed not to initiate any communication directly or indirectly with Peggy and to stay away from their home at 313 3rd Street.
The document Adolphus signed to secure his release also allows for a condition to prohibit an accused from possessing any firearm, but that condition wasn't imposed at that time.
However, the non-contact order didn't remain in effect for long. On March 15 when Adolphus appeared in court in Kamsack on the assault charge and a charge of dangerous driving, the non-contact order was removed.
According to a transcribed tape of the proceedings, Adolphus, who pleaded not guilty to both offences, asked to change a release condition that kept him from going to the Garden Park Cafe in Kamsack. Adolphus, a semi-truck driver by trade, and his wife jointly owned it and other property, and he was preparing the cafe for sale prior to "this incident," he explained.
Because Peggy wasn't in court, Yorkton Provincial Court Judge Patrick Koskie asked the Crown prosecutor to contact her before he would agree to change the release order.
When Crown prosecutor Andrew Wyatt returned to court, he said he had spoken to Peggy and "she is compliant" to remove the conditions.
Koskie sought clarification, asking if she was prepared to remove both the non-contact order and the condition that Adolphus not go near their home or business.
Wyatt replied, "that is correct. They do have businesses (sic) together that she says has been quite difficult, conflicting with the no contact with him."
With that, Adolphus initialed the changes, and walked back into Peggy's life.
Neighbour Erla Rudd saw Adolphus fall down dead outside his home at 6:30 a.m. and ran inside to find Peggy lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood.
Five of the couple's six children were inside the house at the time of the shooting. "They were screaming, 'Mommy, Mommy' " said Rudd. "They were all crying and then they said, 'My Dad shot my mother.' "
She let him back and he killed her
Barb Pacholik, Pamela Cowan and Donna-Rae Monroe
Leader-Post
Saturday, May 07, 2005
A court order that would have kept a Kamsack man away from his wife was removed -- at her request -- less than two months before he killed her and then himself.
Those who work in the area of spousal violence say returning to an abusive partner is, unfortunately, too common.
"When you're talking about the cycle of violence ... you have a build-up, an explosion and then an apology tends to happen. There will be promises that it is never going to happen again. There's often that reconciliation. It's good for awhile, then there's the buildup again -- and then the explosion," said Abby Ulmer, a counsellor at the Regina Women's Community Centre.
Wednesday, Adolphus George Musqua, 50, shot his 34-year-old wife Peggy Ann Musqua inside their home in Kamsack as some of their children, aged eight years and under, looked on in horror. He then stepped outside and turned the rifle on himself.
Peggy Musqua was rushed to hospital, but died of her injuries.
Three months ago to the day, Adolphus was charged with assaulting the same woman, according to court documents obtained Friday by the Leader-Post.
He was released from custody on an undertaking -- a promise -- that he would appear in court March 15. Among the conditions of his release, Adolphus agreed not to initiate any communication directly or indirectly with Peggy and to stay away from their home at 313 3rd Street.
The document Adolphus signed to secure his release also allows for a condition to prohibit an accused from possessing any firearm, but that condition wasn't imposed at that time.
However, the non-contact order didn't remain in effect for long. On March 15 when Adolphus appeared in court in Kamsack on the assault charge and a charge of dangerous driving, the non-contact order was removed.
According to a transcribed tape of the proceedings, Adolphus, who pleaded not guilty to both offences, asked to change a release condition that kept him from going to the Garden Park Cafe in Kamsack. Adolphus, a semi-truck driver by trade, and his wife jointly owned it and other property, and he was preparing the cafe for sale prior to "this incident," he explained.
Because Peggy wasn't in court, Yorkton Provincial Court Judge Patrick Koskie asked the Crown prosecutor to contact her before he would agree to change the release order.
When Crown prosecutor Andrew Wyatt returned to court, he said he had spoken to Peggy and "she is compliant" to remove the conditions.
Koskie sought clarification, asking if she was prepared to remove both the non-contact order and the condition that Adolphus not go near their home or business.
Wyatt replied, "that is correct. They do have businesses (sic) together that she says has been quite difficult, conflicting with the no contact with him."
With that, Adolphus initialed the changes, and walked back into Peggy's life.
Neighbour Erla Rudd saw Adolphus fall down dead outside his home at 6:30 a.m. and ran inside to find Peggy lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood.
Five of the couple's six children were inside the house at the time of the shooting. "They were screaming, 'Mommy, Mommy' " said Rudd. "They were all crying and then they said, 'My Dad shot my mother.' "