PEORIA, AZ — A new report is shedding light on a heartbreaking reality in our state: the deadly toll of domestic violence.
The Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (ACESDV) tracks these cases. The latest numbers show 84 people in Arizona died from family violence in 2023, along with four pets.
One Arizona woman has experienced this tragedy firsthand, saying it forever alters lives.
“That is me as a baby, and those two are pictures of my mom,” Tonya Johnson, Peoria, said while looking through photo albums.
When Johnson thinks about her mom, she thinks about having more time.
“My parents had a history of domestic violence. I don't know what sparked it. I was too young to know what caused it,” Johnson said. “My mom, unfortunately, was strangled by my dad, and he strangled her to death.”
Johnson says her mom, Gwendolyn Patton, was only 23 in 1971 when she lost her life in New York City. Johnson was a toddler, just about to turn four.
“He left the apartment, and I was left with her there in the apartment for about three days,” Johnson said. “I remember she worked nights, so I thought she was sleeping.”
After police knocked on the door, Johnson was put into the loving care of her maternal grandparents.
“They really went all out in making sure that I had what I needed. But it could never replace having a mom,” Johnson said.
Today she lives in Peoria, and she is deeply concerned about deadly domestic violence here in Arizona.
“I get so sad when I see and hear about these cases because I don't think people understand it's not just the loss of one life. This tears apart an entire family,” Johnson said.
ACESDV released its annual Domestic Violence Fatality Report this month. The 84 deaths in 2023 are down from 101 deaths in 2022, and 94 in 2021.
Yet trends persist. In 2023, the majority of the victims, 75, were in Maricopa County. Most of the perpetrators, 69 out of 84, were men.
“When we look at these lived experiences and the lives lost, we look at what are the gaps in potentially systems and services in support?” Christa Lindsay, ACESDV Director of Engagement, said.
For several years, ACESDV’s annual reports have also shown firearms are the leading cause of death in these cases.
“Arizona's relaxed gun laws could be addressed significantly,” Lindsay said. “Implementing universal background checks would significantly improve those who should not have access to firearms, not having access to firearms.”
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Johnson sees one answer to curbing these tragic outcomes: more stringent laws.
“Reports are made and they're taken lightly, and people get second and third chances,” she said. “You need to see from the first time this happens, that this is very volatile, and fatality could very well be an outcome.”
She says those early reports of violence must be taken seriously, knowing too well what is at stake.
“I know what that means,” Johnson said. “If there's children involved, their lives are altered forever. My life is altered, even now.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a domestic violence situation, there is help. Visit arizonasurvivors.org for resources or call the ACESDV helpline at 602-279-2980.
