Domestic violence homicides reach record high in Oklahoma, report finds

Oklahoma recorded more domestic violence homicides in 2023 than in any previous year, according to a report released by the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.

The report found a 16% increase in domestic homicides from the previous year, with 122 victims in 2023. Since the board began collecting data in 2002, domestic violence-related deaths have continued to rise, particularly over the past five years.

“Tragically, domestic violence deaths have been on the rise in Oklahoma,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a press release. “We must continue strengthening our statewide efforts to hold abusers accountable and to provide protection and support for victims in order to turn the page on this epidemic.”

Rising Trends in Domestic Violence Homicides

Between 2019 and 2023, Oklahoma averaged 115 domestic violence homicide victims per year, up from 90 per year between 2014 and 2018.

In 2023, 30 victims were killed in murder-suicides, while 50 were victims of intimate partner homicides—the highest number ever recorded. Women comprised 82% of those killed by an intimate partner. Oklahoma has consistently ranked among the top 10 states for women murdered by men in single-victim-single-offender incidents.

The report also found that, on average, 59 children per year witness the violent death of a family member due to domestic violence.

Legislative Recommendations and Proposed Bills

The board issued several recommendations to the Oklahoma Legislature aimed at strengthening prevention and protection efforts. Key recommendations include:

1. Establishing an $850,000 fund for trauma-informed services for children, adolescents, and caregivers affected by family violence-related homicides and near-fatal intimate partner violence.
2. Creating a domestic violence-specific hearsay exception to strengthen evidence-based prosecution.
3. Strengthening victim protection order laws.
4. Amending state statutes to remove discrepancies in domestic violence-related crimes.

Several legislative proposals align with the board’s recommendations, including:

1. HB 1591: Would require offenders convicted of domestic abuse by strangulation, domestic assault and battery with a deadly weapon, or aggravated assault and battery on a law officer to serve at least 85% of their sentence.
2. SB 541: Would expand domestic assault and battery with a deadly weapon charges and classify certain domestic violence offenses as violent crimes.
3. SB 813: Would clarify law enforcement procedures for serving protective orders and repeal the requirement for officers to issue a Stalking Warning Letter.
4. SB 607: Would allow statements related to domestic abuse to be admissible in certain criminal and juvenile hearings.
5. HB 1413: Would ensure that guilty pleas and convictions for stalking or violating protective orders count as prior convictions in domestic violence sentencing.

The proposed bills will be considered by lawmakers in the current legislative session as the state continues efforts to curb domestic violence and protect victims.