In this final episode of Season 5, we expose the warning signs of domestic violence-related murder-suicide with Danielle Edwards, Victim Services Coordinator for Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office, and Kylee Elliott, Senior Program Coordinator for Training and Engagement at the Georgia Commission on Family Violence. Using a Georgia case study as a point of reference, we explore events leading up to the final act of violence, the ripple effects on surviving families and communities, and a practical approach to postvention that helps people heal and reduces future harm.

This episode discusses homicide and suicide.

We also dig into what the data can tell us and what it still misses. National figures point to roughly 1,200 deaths a year in murder-suicide incidents, with intimate partner violence making up most cases, and firearms playing an outsized role. Beyond the statistics, lie instances of coercive control, suicide threats, and financial abuse long before any physical violence is visible. We take an honest look at why survivors may not label their experience as abuse, how systems can unintentionally shut doors when shelters are full or safety planning is skipped, and why “just leave” ignores the realities of money, housing, isolation, and fear.

We also focus on what happens after the unthinkable. Murder-suicide can leave a wide circle of survivors including children, extended family, coworkers, and witnesses who face traumatic grief, stigma, and overwhelming practical needs. Danielle and Kylee explain postvention and why they treat postvention as prevention, including Georgia’s survivor-driven Support for Survivors of Murder Suicide Project, clinician networks, support groups, and a freely shared response protocol communities can adapt now.