Woman sought PFA before murder
Stephanie Williams wanted to leave abusive relationship, relatives say
WEST GOSHEN » Just days before she was murdered by her husband, Stephanie Williams was trying to get a Protection From Abuse order.
Police said Chuck Williams killed Stephanie Williams with two shots to her chest and another to her head, and then turned the gun on himself at their Chester County home on June 1. The couple’s 10-year-old twins, Maddison and Colton, discovered their parents’ bodies on the living room floor when they awoke in the morning.
Stephanie met Chuck in 1982 when she was 14. He was 17. Chuck was Stephanie’s one and only love in her life but according to family and friends, the relationship was abusive from the start. Stephanie’s brother, Charles “Chad” Burtnett, 43, said his sister never got to experience true romantic love.
Physical abuse
Stephanie didn’t get a call back regarding a PFA until the following day, but she couldn’t talk because she was in the presence of her husband.
Two days later she was able to take the call and was instructed to download a document. But the only computer in the house was Chuck’s, and she knew better than to try to use it.
“Every time she tried to get to her mother’s house, her husband would take her car keys so she could not leave the home,” said Burtnett, who is a member of the West Chester Goodwill Fire Company, and has been for the past 25 years. “Her husband had such control he had Stephanie work with him during the last few weeks so he was could constantly observe her. It wasn’t until the last week of her life that she was able to get to her mother’s house to download and print the PFA form.
Stephanie was filling out the PFA when Chuck returned home from work and Stephanie wasn’t there. He called Stephanie on her cell phone, and demanded she leave her mother’s house immediately.
Stephanie did as he said, fearing the consequences.
No way out
“People ask me why did your sister stay with him, and why she didn’t leave him,” Burtnett said. “To the people on the outside looking in, it’s a simple solution to just pack a bag and the kids, but it’s so much more complex.”
For the past 10 years, Stephanie lived for her children. She believed Chuck when he told her that if he ever left her, he would kill her, the children, and her mother. If he found out she was attempting to secure a PFA, it could make the powder keg explode. So she endured the abuse, year after year.
Amilia Reyburn, director of education programs at Domestic Violence Center of Chester County, said she hears stories like Stephanie’s all the time.
“It’s very common,” she said. “(The abuser) will say I will kill you and your children, and if you leave me you will have nothing. It’s all about power and control.”
First Amendment issue
Greg Stone, captain with the West Goshen Police Department, said police were unsure if guns were in the house prior to the incident. He said police had visited the house at 302 Five Points Road “numerous times” on domestic dispute calls.
“These are very difficult situations,” Stone said. “Often, it’s he said this against her and she said this against him. It’s very difficult for the officer to make a decision. And certainly, we can’t take sides. But if three was a reason for him (Chuck Williams) to be arrested, he would have been arrested.”
When police did come to the house, Burtnett said Chuck would scratch himself in the face, and tell police officers Stephanie assaulted him. He did that once just after Stephanie got her nails done, and her nails were undamaged when police arrived.
“Police were familiar with that house,” said Ryan Smith, a longtime family friend who lives in Glen Mills. “They know who in their jurisdiction are troublemakers. I feel that the West Goshen Police Department knew the situation in the house, but were unable to prevent the outcome. They knew it was a powder keg, with the real potential of ending really dramatically.”
West Goshen police were also given an audio recording from Stephanie’s phone of threats her husband made against her. But there are laws against recording someone without their permission, and police are guided by a set of laws.
Police hands tied
At the very least, Stephanie’s immediate family wonders why police couldn’t take the two guns they knew were kept inside the house.
“If police are aware of a dangerous and volatile situation with guns involved, why can’t the guns be removed by law for 30 days or until things settle down,” Smith asks. But this is a gun control issue, and it is a hot topic in today’s society.”
Burtnett said Williams should have never been permitted to own a gun.
“I thought about getting a Taser for my sister,” he said. “But here we have a 260-pound man who is 6 foot tall. Do you really think a handheld Taser would have worked?”
Burtnett feels the system failed his sister, and he feels police could have done more to help her.
“She was failed by the system itself,” he said. “She wanted a PFA, and not once did officer mention anything about an emergency PFA. If my sister got an emergency PFA, she would not have been in that house where she was murdered.”
A loving mother
Stephanie Burtnett-Williams earned her degree in Early Childhood Development. She dedicated years educating and caring for disabled children. She later became an executive recruiter for the Xerox Corporation and worked there for many years. She spent the last 10 years owning and operating a day care center out of her home. According to family and friends, her twin children were the love of her life. Working from home allowed her more time with them. She dedicated her time as co-leader for Maddison’s Girl Scout Troop. She loved crafting, camping, and being surrounded by loved ones.
Familiar problem in county
Smith said others are living in situations similar to what Stephanie experienced.
“This (problem) is more prevalent than what society likes to admit,” Smith said.
Burtnett fears Maddie and Colton could be scarred for life. He said they that last week they were put to bed and dogs started to bark. Colton covered his ears.
“They used to put their headphones on so they wouldn’t hear the yelling (of Chuck), Burtnett said. “It’s heartbreaking.
The twins are in the immediate care of Stephanie’s mother, Carolyn Lockstone.