Another apparently wonderful father and man is murdered, allegedly as a result of the diabolical planning of his estranged wife and her new boyfriend. Again, the articles we’ve reviewed on the topic fail to utter the words “domestic violence.” This is common when reading about reports of women who are violent against their boyfriends or husbands (up to and including pre-meditated murder) and less so when the genders are reversed.
James “Matthew” McPeak was violently murdered in the basement of his home when he went to check on the status of a malfunctioning heater. According to police reports, the pilot light was apparently out on his furnace. When James McPeak proceeded into the basement to correct the situation, he was savagely beaten to death.
Due to a high-conflict divorce and child custody dispute, attention quickly turned towards James McPeak’s estranged wife, Danielle McPeak, and her boyfriend, Don Nathan Walker II. James McPeak had recently been awarded custody of the couple’s two children – a 4-year old son and 3-year old daughter. From the article: New Details Emerge in Christianburg Murder:
Both are now charged with first degree murder. Walker, a Marine based at MCAS Cherry Point in North Carolina, is also charged with burglary. So far, police aren’t sure of the motive. However a bitter custody battle has caught their attention.
“It’s commonly known that there has been some dispute over child custody and that was part of our investigation,” said Sisson.
Family members say Matthew McPeak won custody of the couple’s two children earlier in the year. Many describe him as a wonderful father and good man who worked with his own father as a private contractor in the construction business.
This is an unfathomable tragedy during the holidays for this family and most especially the children of James McPeak. James was apparently looking forward with much excitement to the holiday season and the joy associated with quality family time.
We’re encouraged by the 1st-degree murder charges for both and it remains to be seen just what kind of penalty Danielle McPeak will sustain as a result of this vicious domestic violence murder. This is the worst kind of domestic violence that there is. It’s still troubling how often the mainstream media fails to call it domestic violence when the woman is the perpetrator and the man is the victim.
