Epidemic of Domestic Violence in Boston Area

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'Horrible scourge' of domestic violence ends lives of two sisters
By Brian R. Ballou and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff 11/23/10

LYNNFIELD -- The "horrible scourge'' of domestic violence has claimed the life of a mother who ran an East Boston nail salon and her younger sister, a recent graduate of a prestigious Connecticut college who was hoping to become a doctor, Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said today.

Blodgett today provided those details about Kimberly Nguyen, 35, and her sister, Lilly J. Nguyen, 29. He said both were murdered Monday night by Kimberly Nguyen's long-time boyfriend, Joseph Cummings, who then shot himself to death in the master bedroom.

Kimberly Nguyen was six months pregnant with Cummings's child and was the mother of a 12-year-old girl who was home at the time of the killings. The girl managed to escape to a neighbor's house where she called 911 at 9:58 p.m. The surviving child is with relatives at an undisclosed location, Blodgett said today.

"We do our best in law enforcement to combat… the horrible scourge'' of domestic violence, Blodgett said. "This is another needless, senseless domestic violence tragedy ending in three deaths.''

According to Blodgett, neighbors reported that they often heard loud arguing coming from the home where all three adults and the 12-year-old lived. He said, however, that police were never called to investigate the circumstances during the last two years.

Blodgett said Cummings, 51, was an East Boston native who worked as a carpenter or a general contractor.

Police recovered two handguns, including a .45-caliber handgun. Blodgett said Cummings did not have a valid license to carry a firearm, but had previously been issued one while he was living in Melrose. That permit had expired, Blodgett said.

Blodgett said the violence began with an argument between Cummings and Kimberly inside the second floor master bedroom. Cummings, at some point, then shot Kimberly.

Lilly Nguyen heard the gunshots and jumped out a second floor window, Blodgett said. As she was trying to run away, Cummings shot and killed her, he said.

Cummings then returned to the master bedroom where he shot himself.

The 12-year-old, who was "frozen in fear'' at one point, ran to a neighbor's house and safety, he said. She is not Cummings's child, he said.

He said Lilly Nguyen had graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut in 2006 and was in the process of applying to medical schools when her life was ended.

Boston.com

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[+3] - littlek - 11/23/2010Don't 'epidemic' and 'scourge' indicate widespread domestic violence events? I'm not saying that there is or isn't widespread violence at homes in MA, but your article doesn't indicate that there is.

The 12 yr old daughter, who survived the incident, told police the murders/suicide were the result of a disagreement concerning a name for the
new baby ( due in about 3 months ).

1 Reply

@Miller,

Miller wrote:

The 12 yr old daughter, who survived the incident, told police the murders/suicide were the result of a disagreement concerning a name for the
new baby ( due in about 3 months ).

The choices for names were: Unemployed; Trailer Trash, or Dirty Little Welfare Cheat... The Father chose DOA...

2 Replies

@Miller,

Clearly, bloodshed and violence is the cure for peace and amity... Spread the news...

0 Replies

@Fido,

That's a pretty ugly response, to a terrible crime.

2 Replies

@Miller,

It's not just in Boston this happens. There were 4 toddlers murdered in two separate incidents on Nov 16 here. The mother and her friend were also murdered in one of the cases.
As seems common the estranged fathers were responsible in both cases.
It seems to me some people just cant handle rejection, especially men and when there are kids involved.
There's nothing worse than to see young children lose their life's like this, It's such a waste and just so sad.

Gardai are investigating the deaths of 2 children and 2 adults in Co. Limerick.
It is understood the bodies of the youngsters and 2 women were found in a house in Newcastle West this afternoon.
Gardai are at the scene and the Garda Technical Bureau and the State Pathologist have been notified.

Gardai have launched an investigation after the bodies of 2 children were found in east Cork.
The 2-year old and 3-year-old were discovered at house near Ballycotton this morning.
Gardai are also investigating the death of a man in a car crash nearby thought to be a linked incident.
The car was found crashed on the Ballycotton to Shanagarry road this morning.
It burst into flames after hitting a ditch killing its male driver.
The vehicle was completely gutted in the blaze.
Following that incident the bodies of the 2 children were found at a house around a mile and a half away.
It is understood that they are aged under 5.
The bodies were found in a front room in the house which is located on a site overlooking Ballycotton Bay.
Gardai believe both incidents may be linked.
Both scenes have been sealed off pending a full technical examination by forensic experts.

1 Reply

@Ceili,

Ceili wrote:

That's a pretty ugly response, to a terrible crime.

Look at the environment and look at the people... Construction suffers terribly in a depression because it is, after all, generally a luxury... And contruction workers suffer a roller coaster existence from which they cannot escape... It is hard on relationships, hard on people, and hard on sanity...

And look at her... Also serving a luxury, but lured from far away by the glitter of the land of broken dreams... They suffered their ambition, were looking for a relationship to pull them up that only pulled them down... They must have hated it, fought over it, and ultimately tried to escape it... The baby in the mother's womb was a dagger aimed at his heart... He could not afford it, could not afford his wife, could not afford a divorce, and could not afford his wife... He should have started with killing himself, but at least he ended where he should have begun....

Look at these people... Muliply their number by hundreds of thousands.... They never had lives to lose... They were born without lives... They never had a chance... They did exactly what the rich expect from all of us when we can't get by... They want us all to just drop dead... Are you going to drop dead or will you fight back??? Are you going to die, taking loved ones with you??? Or will you fight back, demand more from life, and take out your pain on those who inflict their pain on you to have lives free of worry, secure, and easy???... Will you fight back, or roll over and play dead??? Will you neutralize those people who have built their entire existence on making your life meaningless??? Or will you neutralize yourself for them???

1 Reply

@eurocelticyankee,

People who fail in this society where failure is so common, commonly blame themselves rather the system that makes failure inevitable, and at the same time blame those they should love... Hell; Woody Guthrie wrote a song about a man looking for work spending the last of his money on shotgun shells to kill himself and his family... For what??? To spare them the shame of destitution???

This sort of behavior occurs during every depression... Either see its meaning, or brush it aside... To me it is the extreme of demoralization to kill ones own, and self, when the proper response is to consider who is really responsible, who fed you the line of bull that made your slavery seem acceptable, and then, who kicked the box off from under your feet and left you strangling... We have been robbed... Are we to take it out on ourselves... Are we supposed to give up, or fight back... There is no difference between these sorts and the tea partiers... People are hurting, and they want to blame their enemies, and instead blame people as powerless and innocent as themselves... It is crazy; but look out if people ever figure out who is responsible for their pain...

0 Replies

Don't 'epidemic' and 'scourge' indicate widespread domestic violence events? I'm not saying that there is or isn't widespread violence at homes in MA, but your article doesn't indicate that there is.

2 Replies

@littlek,

In no way would I mean to downplay this crime, 'cause one such crime is too many .. but to call this an epidemic is a gross exaggeration. Where are the statistics backing up such a claim?

Just as I thought... there is no such epidemic - just more sensationalism.

0 Replies

@Fido,

Fido wrote:

Miller wrote:

The 12 yr old daughter, who survived the incident, told police the murders/suicide were the result of a disagreement concerning a name for the
new baby ( due in about 3 months ).

The choices for names were: Unemployed; Trailer Trash, or Dirty Little Welfare Cheat... The Father chose DOA...

The deceased mother of the unborn child was a wealthy, business woman in the Boston area. The lived-in boyfriend , an unemployed carpenter, was the killer.

1 Reply

@Ceili,

Ceili wrote:

That's a pretty ugly response, to a terrible crime.

There are at least 2/month of these domestic murders in the Boston area. They are not restricted to the poor, unemployed or uneducated. They are happening across all walks of life.

1 Reply

@Fido,

Fido wrote:

Ceili wrote:

That's a pretty ugly response, to a terrible crime.

Look at the environment and look at the people... Construction suffers terribly in a depression because it is, after all, generally a luxury... And contruction workers suffer a roller coaster existence from which they cannot escape... It is hard on relationships, hard on people, and hard on sanity...

And look at her... Also serving a luxury, but lured from far away by the glitter of the land of broken dreams... They suffered their ambition, were looking for a relationship to pull them up that only pulled them down... They must have hated it, fought over it, and ultimately tried to escape it... The baby in the mother's womb was a dagger aimed at his heart... He could not afford it, could not afford his wife, could not afford a divorce, and could not afford his wife... He should have started with killing himself, but at least he ended where he should have begun....

Look at these people... Muliply their number by hundreds of thousands.... They never had lives to lose... They were born without lives... They never had a chance... They did exactly what the rich expect from all of us when we can't get by... They want us all to just drop dead... Are you going to drop dead or will you fight back??? Are you going to die, taking loved ones with you??? Or will you fight back, demand more from life, and take out your pain on those who inflict their pain on you to have lives free of worry, secure, and easy???... Will you fight back, or roll over and play dead??? Will you neutralize those people who have built their entire existence on making your life meaningless??? Or will you neutralize yourself for them???

To whom are you specifically referring?

1 Reply

@littlek,

littlek wrote:

Don't 'epidemic' and 'scourge' indicate widespread domestic violence events? I'm not saying that there is or isn't widespread violence at homes in MA, but your article doesn't indicate that there is.

I didn't have time to find the links to the 29 domestic abuse murders, that occurred in the Boston area since Jan. 2010. If you live in this area, you surely know that 29 abuse murders/11 months for a State aa educated , well-to-do and "civilized" as Massachusetts is a lot. Of course, these incidents represent only the reported episodes of abuse. How many more go unreported in the commonwealth?

1 Reply

@Miller,

That was in response to the ugly things fido said, nothing what-so-ever do with anything you posted.

0 Replies

@Miller,

Miller wrote:

Fido wrote:

Miller wrote:

The 12 yr old daughter, who survived the incident, told police the murders/suicide were the result of a disagreement concerning a name for the
new baby ( due in about 3 months ).

The choices for names were: Unemployed; Trailer Trash, or Dirty Little Welfare Cheat... The Father chose DOA...

The deceased mother of the unborn child was a wealthy, business woman in the Boston area. The lived-in boyfriend , an unemployed carpenter, was the killer.

Why did she bother with arguing... Rich people are not accidentally rich... They are rich because they understand the liberal use of law... What happened to the court order???

1 Reply

@Miller,

Miller wrote:

Fido wrote:

Ceili wrote:

That's a pretty ugly response, to a terrible crime.

Look at the environment and look at the people... Construction suffers terribly in a depression because it is, after all, generally a luxury... And contruction workers suffer a roller coaster existence from which they cannot escape... It is hard on relationships, hard on people, and hard on sanity...

And look at her... Also serving a luxury, but lured from far away by the glitter of the land of broken dreams... They suffered their ambition, were looking for a relationship to pull them up that only pulled them down... They must have hated it, fought over it, and ultimately tried to escape it... The baby in the mother's womb was a dagger aimed at his heart... He could not afford it, could not afford his wife, could not afford a divorce, and could not afford his wife... He should have started with killing himself, but at least he ended where he should have begun....

Look at these people... Muliply their number by hundreds of thousands.... They never had lives to lose... They were born without lives... They never had a chance... They did exactly what the rich expect from all of us when we can't get by... They want us all to just drop dead... Are you going to drop dead or will you fight back??? Are you going to die, taking loved ones with you??? Or will you fight back, demand more from life, and take out your pain on those who inflict their pain on you to have lives free of worry, secure, and easy???... Will you fight back, or roll over and play dead??? Will you neutralize those people who have built their entire existence on making your life meaningless??? Or will you neutralize yourself for them???

To whom are you specifically referring?

I have been hearing about things like this since I was a child, and as I said Woody Guthrie wrote and sang a song about such an incident... People suffer the loss of their jobs, and their relationships suffer, and too often they respond with hatred, self hatred and violence... I am sick of people commiting suicide and taking loved ones with them for failing in a society that makes failure far too common... We are taught to believe that a person's success is entirely to their credit, and their failure is entirely their fault... Failure is built into the economy, and it is hard for prople to adjust their perspective and realize that all those failures once looked upon with contempt were not necessarily all that responsible and deserving of their fates... And the worst thing is; when people are so demoralized that they simply hang their heads and accept... No one should accept this bullshit... Not winners nor losers... We will all be losers the longer we play...

0 Replies

@Fido,

Fido wrote:

Rich people are not accidentally rich... They are rich because they understand the liberal use of law...
[/quote]

No, rich people are not accidentally rich. Hard work and a conservative attitude
towards spending have made many, many folks rich. ..Not a liberal use of the law.

1 Reply

2010: 29 domestic abuse killings in Massachusetts.

2009: 23 domestic abuse killings in Massachusetts.

That amounts to 1 murder/2 weeks. What will it be in 2011?

Why are women attracted (!) to men who verbally and physically abuse them, and then end up killing them?

0 Replies

@Miller,

Miller wrote:

Fido wrote:

Rich people are not accidentally rich... They are rich because they understand the liberal use of law...

No, rich people are not accidentally rich. Hard work and a conservative attitude
towards spending have made many, many folks rich. ..Not a liberal use of the law.
[/quote]The best way to become a millionaire is to be born with $999,999.00; but this does not exclude any other person who is obscessed with money, exploitive of people or abusive of the environment from becoming rich... They gather wealth with no sense of value, or meaning; and for what??? Is it to leave it to worthless children incapable of doing good, or creating value... Is it to make their lives secure while they make every other life so much less secure... Inequality of wealth destroys social and political equality... Do you think it strange that Plato equated wealth with ability and virtue??? It is what so many do today without warrant...

You know as well as I, that what those people were arguing about was not window dressing or the placement of furnature... They were arguing about money, because the want of money in a money society is a killer...It is a terrible thing... Just as people once died in droves over honor, now people die for money, and money is the equal of honor... And, worst of all, money leads to immorality as honor never did... There is no difference between economic exploitation and sexual exploitation... The one is just a continuation of the other, and every sort of porn or prostitution has its price and its profit...

Think of what you are really supporting when you argue for outlaw capitalism as some measure of meaning... As Montaigne said: One man's gain is another's loss... Those losses add up, and often hold lives in the balance because, as has always been the case, people cannnot see through the form, cannot see how it demeans them to give their meaning to others, and can find no objective standard of virtue beyond the almighty dollar...

0 Replies

Epidemic of Domestic Violence in Boston Area

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