May 13, 2025
68-Domestic Violence MURDERED: Dorothy Giunta-Cotter
Trusting a victim's instincts could be the difference between life and death. Dorothy Giunta-Cotter knew her husband was dangerous. She told authorities he repeatedly threatened to kill her if she ever left him. She did everything right - fled with her child, sought help from a crisis center, filed a restraining order, and reported violations. Yet despite all these precautions, Dorothy's worst fears came true when her estranged husband William fatally shot her in her Massachusetts home in 2002, with their young daughter hiding under the bed as tragedy unfolded.
Dorothy's heartbreaking story reveals a critical gap in our response to domestic violence cases. While individual agencies each performed their designated roles, the lack of true collaboration between domestic violence organizations, law enforcement, and the judicial system created fatal vulnerabilities. A judge's decision to release William on just $500 bail, without fully understanding the severity of his threats, set in motion the tragic events that followed just five days later.
From this devastating loss emerged meaningful change. Kelly Dunne of the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center partnered with domestic violence expert Jacqueline Campbell to develop a coordinated community response that's saving lives today. The Greater Newburyport High Risk Response Team established in 2005 brings together advocates, hospital liaisons, and police departments to assess risk factors using Campbell's Danger Assessment tool. This episode breaks down this vital 20-question assessment that helps identify potentially lethal situations before tragedy strikes.
Whether you're personally facing abuse, supporting someone who is, or simply want to understand the real-world challenges in protecting domestic violence victims, this episode provides crucial insights into recognizing danger signs and navigating safety systems. Remember that regardless of any assessment score, your instincts matter most. If you feel unsafe or threatened, reach out immediately to trusted resources like your local domestic violence shelter, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Sources:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/07/22/a-raised-hand
https://feminist.org/news/911-tape-reveals-final-moments-of-domestic-violence-victims-life/
https://www.postandcourier.com/app/till-death/assets/d4-pdf.pdf
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7878014/
1 in 3 is intended for mature audiences. Episodes contain explicit content and may be triggering to some.
If you are in the United States and need help right now, call the national domestic violence hotline at 800-799-7233 or text the word “start” to 88788.
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Cover art by Laura Swift Dahlke
Music by Tim Crowe
00:47 - Welcome to One in Three
01:28 - Dorothy's Story Begins
03:16 - Failed Systems and Tragic Outcomes
05:53 - Creating Change After Tragedy
07:37 - Danger Assessment Overview
12:43 - Taking Action Before Tragedy Strikes
WEBVTT
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Warriors.
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Welcome to One in Three.
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I'm your host, Ingrid.
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You've heard me say this before and I'll say it again no matter the education a domestic violence advocate has, no matter the degrees held by professionals in the field, no matter the hours poured in by legal teams or therapists trained in domestic violence, and despite all the data, all the research and all the statistics, there is one person who knows the truth better than anyone, one person who can most accurately predict whether an abuser is truly dangerous, and that person is the victim.
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If a victim expresses genuine fear for their life, believe them, take them seriously.
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Dorothy Junta Cotter was afraid.
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She did everything she was supposed to do.
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She followed the rules, she sought help and still her story ended in tragedy.
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On March 26, 2002, dorothy was killed in her Amsbury Massachusetts home by her estranged husband.
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Her young daughter was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher as she hid under her bed when shots rang out.
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Dorothy was 15 years old when she met 20-year-old William Cotter in 1982.
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The abuse began with a black eye and progressed into 20 years of ongoing assault.
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Dorothy was a cheerleading coach, while William coached football and worked as a cable repairman.
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The two married and had two daughters.
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William beat Dorothy, strangled her and, while she was pregnant with her second child, pushed her down the stairs.
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As the girls grew older, william began involving them directly in the abuse.
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When the younger daughter was just 11 years old, he sat on her chest, restricting her ability to breathe.
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The final straw for Dorothy because there is always a defining moment came when William repeatedly struck their youngest daughter in the head, simply because he disapproved of what she was wearing.
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That was when Dorothy made the decision to flee, taking her youngest daughter with her.
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Her older daughter, then 17 years, chose to stay behind so she could finish high school.
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Fearing that William would track them down if they remained in Massachusetts, dorothy drove to Maine.
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Once there, she tried to file for a restraining order but was told the judge did not have jurisdiction to grant one.
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This prompted Dorothy to return to Massachusetts with her daughter.
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She sought help from the Gene Geiger Crisis Center, where advocates assisted her in filing a restraining order.
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They also offered her and the girls a safe room to stay in, but Dorothy declined, saying that if she was going to die she'd rather do it in her own home.
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Respecting her decision, the center instead changed the locks on her house and provided cell phones to her and her daughters for emergency use.
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In response to the restraining order, william moved out.
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40 to 50 percent of offenders will violate their restraining order, as did William.
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Ten days after receiving his, he hid in Dorothy's garage, grabbing her as she attempted to leave for an interview.
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Hearing a struggle, their youngest daughter ran to the garage.
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She stood there until William finally left.
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Two and a half hours later, dorothy filed a police report.
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The following day, on March 21st 2002, a warrant was issued for William Cotter's arrest.
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He appeared voluntarily at the Newburyport District Court with his attorney.
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Despite the severity of his allegations, the judge noted that his prior record consisted only of traffic violations and bad checks, so he released him on just $500 bail.
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One out of three women will be killed within a month of filing a protective order.
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Five days after his release, william arrived to Dorothy's home.
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Their oldest daughter was at a friend's house.
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The youngest was shoved aside by William as she opened the door, armed with ammunition, pepper spray and a sawed-off shotgun, he broke down Dorothy's bedroom door.
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Their daughter ran to call a neighbor who contacted 911.
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The police arrived in just minutes.
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The 911 dispatcher called the home to verify arrival of law enforcement.
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I listened to the recording of the call in which William warns the police not to enter the home.
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He promised violence if they did and sure enough, he shot Dorothy as police kicked in the door then turned the gun on himself.
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This story illustrates even when each party is doing its best and offering support within its capacity, tragedy can still occur in the absence of true collaboration, of true collaboration.
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The domestic violence agency must maintain open communication with a police department, and judges need to be fully informed of the case's background and severity before making decisions such as granting bail.
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That's what Kelly Dunn, associate director of the Gene Geiger Crisis Center, believed.
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She vowed that Dorothy's tragic death would not be in vain.
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Dunn, partnered with domestic violence expert Jacqueline Campbell, who had developed a danger assessment tool still widely used by domestic violence professionals today.
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Dunn integrated this tool into the Greater Newburyport High Risk Response Team, which she established in 2005.
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The team brought together advocates from various agencies, hospital liaisons and police departments to collaboratively assess and respond accordingly.
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When an abuser was identified as high risk, law enforcement increased their monitoring efforts.
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In some cases, abusers were required to wear GPS trackers that automatically triggered an arrest warrant if they entered a restricted zone near the victim.
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In particularly severe situations, child visitation rights were restricted and dangerousness hearings were held to prevent the granting of bail.
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And dangerousness hearings were held to prevent the granting of bail.
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The initiative resulted in lower re-assault rates and reduced reliance on emergency shelters.
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In addition, more offenders were held in jail until their hearing, more were found guilty and less cases were dismissed.
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Great news, right, but that doesn't mean the work is done.
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Great news, right, but that doesn't mean the work is done.
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And it certainly doesn't mean you can rely on others to always have your best interests at heart, just like in any profession, whether it's attorneys, judges or own advocate.
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Just as you would seek second opinions for medical care or compare estimates for home or auto repairs, you must be just as proactive when it comes to your safety and legal rights.
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Seek out trusted resources your local domestic violence shelter agency, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence or the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
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These organizations are here to help, support and guide you.
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Most importantly, educate yourself, know your rights, know your laws and never be afraid to speak up for yourself.
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Before I wrap up this episode, I want to share an overview of the danger assessment developed by Jacqueline Campbell.
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Please note this is just a summary.
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The full assessment includes more detailed questions and context.
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I also want to stress if you complete the questionnaire and receive a low score, that does not necessarily mean you are safe or not at risk.
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Always trust your instincts.
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If you feel unsafe or have concerns, seek help immediately.
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So here are the 20 questions where you are to mark yes or no.
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So number one has the physical violence increased in severity or frequency over the past year?
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Number two does he own a gun?
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Three have you left him after living together during the past year?
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Four is he unemployed?
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Five has he ever used a weapon against you or threatened you with a lethal weapon?
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If yes, was the weapon a gun?
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Six does he threaten to kill you?
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Seven has he avoided being arrested for domestic violence?
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Eight do you have a child that is not his?
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Nine has he ever forced you to have sex when you did not wish to do so?
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10.
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Does he ever try to choke you?
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11.
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Does he use illegal drugs, and by illegal drugs that means uppers or amphetamines, meth, speed angel dust, cocaine, crack, street drugs or mixtures?
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12.
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Is he an alcoholic or a problem drinker?
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13.
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Does he control most or all of your daily activities.
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For instance, does he tell you who you can be friends with, when you can see your family, how much money you can use or when you can take the car?
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14.
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Is he violently and constantly jealous of you?
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For instance, does he say if I can't have you, no one can.
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15.
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Have you ever been beaten by him while you were pregnant?
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16.
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Has he ever threatened or tried to commit suicide?
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No-transcript.
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18.
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Do you believe he is capable of killing you?
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19.
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Does he follow or spy on you, leave threatening notes or messages, destroy your property or call you when you don't want him to?
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And 20.
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Have you ever threatened or tried to commit suicide?
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Now, to score these results, you add up the number of yeses and here's the following results Zero to seven be careful, danger may increase very quickly.
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Eight to 13, danger is increased.
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Safety planning and increased monitoring is vital.
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14 through 17, the victim is in severe danger and actions are needed to protect his or her life.
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Over 18, the victim is in extreme danger, his or her life is at great risk and assistance is needed now.
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Now remember, regardless of the score, trust your gut.
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An example of a gut feeling is this affidavit of Dorothy, which was on February 22nd 2002.
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Quote there have been so many occasions when he has hit me, punched me and pushed me.
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He has also threatened to kill me several times.
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He has specifically told me over and over that if I ever leave him, he will come and find me wherever I am and he will kill me.
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I felt my only option for safety was to leave him.
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I was afraid to go to the police or the court for any help.
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I am still very afraid of him today and what he will do to me.
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End quote I want to be on the other side, the side that's making change.
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Before tragedy strikes, we need to stop reacting to loss and start playing a little offense.
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That means identifying where our gaps are now, before more lives are put at risk, and for that to happen, we need to tell our stories.
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Legislators, law enforcement advocates they all need to understand the true scope and prevalence of domestic violence.
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Real change starts with real voices being heard.
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Thank you for listening.
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Sources for today's episode can be found in the show notes.
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I will be back next week with another episode for you.
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Until then, stay strong and wherever you are in your journey, always remember you are not alone.
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Find more information, register as a guest or leave a review by going to the website onein3podcastcom.
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That's the number one, i-n the number three podcastcom.
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Follow One in Three on Instagram, facebook and Twitter at one in three podcast.
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To help me out, please remember to rate, review and subscribe.
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One in three is a 0.5 Pinoy production music written and performed by Tim Crow.
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© transcript Emily Beynon.
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