First Comes Love, Second Comes Murder

In intimate relationships, trust can become a weapon. One that leads to death.

Each year, intimate partner violence claims thousands of lives in the United States. These aren't random acts of violence-they're betrayals by the people victims loved, lived with, and believed they knew.

This book presents twenty meticulously researched cases of intimate partner homicide, examining the warning signs that were missed, the investigations that brought killers to justice, and the families left searching for answers. You'll discover how a Colorado mother's stalker turned out to be her own husband, how a California woman was murdered on a Panamanian island by the Marine she'd followed there, and how seemingly ordinary relationships concealed dangerous patterns of control and violence.

Each case narrative focuses on the victim's story, the relationship dynamics that preceded the murder, and the investigative work that ultimately revealed the truth. From digital forensics that exposed elaborate deceptions to determined family members who refused to stop searching, these cases show both the devastating reality of intimate partner violence and the dedication required to achieve justice.

These are stories that demand to be told-and remembered.