When we think about murder in Seattle, we might think of dark alleys, gang activity, poverty, or bad neighborhoods. But the truth is that a large percentage of homicides in Washington State are not related to street violence or even drug violence – but to violence between family members and couples. In fact, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer cited a shocking fact this week: of the seven murders that have taken place within Seattle city limits in 2010, five have been related to domestic violence.

In the most recent Washington domestic violence homicide case, a 74-year-old Ballard man bludgeoned his 75-year-old wife to death after an argument. The woman died as she was being rushed to the hospital, while her husband jumped from the couple’s sixth floor apartment, still clutching a hammer. One month earlier, a North Seattle man shot his girlfriend multiple times in a motel room before taking his own life.