MADISON VOICES: DAIS advocate says Steele verdict could have ripple effects

Carousel BayrdFormer Dane County Deputy Sheriff Andrew Steele murdered his wife and sister-in-law in August 2014.  Despite him admitting to the killings, a jury on April 23 found Steele not guilty of murder by reason of mental disease or defect. Before the murders, Steele had been diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function.

The prosecutors agreed that Steele suffered from depression at the time of the murders, given the fact he had been diagnosed with ALS a month earlier.  But research disputes the claim that that ALS has any impact on an individual’s mental or cognitive skills or ability to tell right from wrong.

I spoke with Shannon Barry, executive director of DAIS (Domestic Abuse Intervention Services), about the verdict and its chilling impact on victims of domestic violence.  

 LISTEN: Carousel Bayrd interviews Shannon Barry on WORT-FM's "A Public Affair" 

“I have worked in the field of domestic violence for close to 20 years, and I was very surprised by the verdict, as I think many folks were.  Because Andrew Steele had stated that he had done this, he had committed this act of murder,” said Barry. “We had the initial shock last August when this tragedy first occurred. And to have somebody who had the trust of the community, and who had worked as a sheriff’s deputy, to commit a crime like this, that was pretty devastating, for our community as a whole and certainly for those of us who work in the field.”

Last month’s verdict particularly shocked the domestic violence community because it indicated that the jurors believed the ALS diagnosis and its physical effects triggered the murders. But, as Barry said, while a crisis can escalate violent tendencies, it rarely is the root cause.

“When we have really high profile cases like this, it can be really easy to point to something as a cause of the violence.  So pointing to the ALS as a cause of this violence. … That violence tendency was probably preexisting. It was using this crisis as an excuse, the crisis became a magnifying effect that took it to this next level,” Barry said. “It’s similar in many ways to women I’ve worked with who have had batterers who use alcohol and drugs, and use alcohol and drugs as the excuse for why they battered. And what we’ve seen is that people who are battering and then they are also alcohol and drug users, when they get sober, the battering doesn’t necessarily stop.  It may change a bit, so the (Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse) issues are a magnifying effect. But they really aren’t the cause of the violence.”

While not knowing the individuals personally involved in the Steele case, Barry contemplated if Steele’s ALS diagnosis triggered a violent reaction in a relationship that was already predisposed to violence.

“Domestic violence is ultimately about power and control. And that batterers tend to escalate their use of violent tactics when they’re starting to feel a loss of power. … Were someone to be using power and control in their relationship already, and then were to receive a diagnosis, that could be a really significant blow, and could potentially escalate a sense of feeling a loss of power,” said Barry. “And what could one do in order to regain that sense of power? Homicide is the ultimate form of power and control.”

Complicating this more for potential victims is the pressure to stay in a relationship in times of crisis, even while the violence may be increasing.

“They feel this responsibility to stick with that person, to try to help them, to try to make it work. ... It’s more like emotional blackmail that kind of keeps them in that relationship.  That feeling of, ‘Well you can’t leave me know. I’m dealing with this, how could you possibly think about leaving me?’ That can kind of keep people trapped in relationships that are potentially dangerous,” said Barry.

Barry worried the Steele verdict will have a chilling effect on victims’ decision to report their abusers, something that already does not happen frequently.

“So often victims of domestic violence and other sensitive crimes don’t report what’s happening to them. They don’t trust the system. They may not report to law enforcement, or want to go through a court case because they fear that they’re not going to be believed of that their batterer will not be held accountable,” said Barry. “My other worry with this particular case is that it will reinforce fear for victims that if they do report to law enforcement or if something is prosecuted, that their batterers won’t be held accountable within the court system.”

DAIS goal is to ensure a victim is safe, regardless of whether they stay in the relationship.  That safety, explained Barry, comes in lots of forms.  

“We just want to make sure that people know that our services are available to them regardless of whether they choose to stay or choose to leave.  Our only goal in working with someone is to help them achieve safety. Whether they stay in the relationship or leave the relationship.  And we’ll do safety planning, not just physical safety planning but also emotional safety planning,” she said.

Barry encouraged victims, and their friends and families, to reach out to DAIS before a crisis hits.  DAIS’ confidential help line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call (608) 251-4445 or (800) 747-4045.

--Carousel Bayrd is Vice Chair of the Dane County Board and hosts "A Public Affair" Tuesdays at noon on WORT (89.9 FM). She lives in Madison with her husband and two children.