It is a sad reality today that domestic abuse is on the rise. The airwaves are full of stories of battered women, being hurt or killed by partners that are out of control. Celebrities get a lot of notoriety for these acts, but the problem is just as bad among everyday people. The court system tries to keep up, but sometimes a determined individual cannot be stopped.
That appears to be the case with 34-year-old Jared Remy of Waltham, Mass. If the name sounds familiar, it is because he is the son of former Boston Red Sox great, Jerry Remy. Remy had a reputation as a player who got the most out of his abilities. He was shorter in stature but made up for it with heart, determination, and a keen eye at the plate. His son was a polar opposite.
Jared Remy has the look of a professional wrestler, with muscles protruding from just about everywhere. According to a NY Daily News piece, he had some history with steroids, which might explain his freakish size. It also might lend some insight into what happened on Thursday, August 15. Remy brutally attacked his girlfriend of seven years, following her around the apartment as she tried to get away.
There was evidence that Remy stabbed 27-year-old Jennifer Martel on the stairs, in the living room, and kitchen of their home. Remy then picked up Martel and flung her to the ground on their patio. That is when neighbors began witnessing Remy repeatedly stabbing his girlfriend. They tried to stop him from continuing the attack, but Remy turned the knife towards them, so the neighbors had to back off. What was odd was that Remy quietly surrendered when police arrived on the scene.
It was too late for Martel when authorities arrived. One neighbor who tried to stop it said, “It’s not an easy thing to watch. It’s not an easy thing to try and stop. I did what I could to stop it. And it wasn’t enough.’’ Though he surrendered peacefully, cops still had trouble getting Remy transported. He was so big that he could not fit in a regular squad car, so a police wagon has to be summoned.
Perhaps the saddest part of this event was that it could have been prevented. Martel filed a restraining order against Remy earlier in the week. He was in court after ramming Martel’s head into a mirror at their home. She was going to a neighbor’s home for a visit, something with which Remy did not agree. Unfortunately, the order expired on Wednesday and Martel did not go back to have the restraining order lengthened. Remy showed up the next night and killed his fiancée.
Remy’s attorney could be looking at a self-defense angle because his client had scratch marks on him. Given the size of Remy though, it is hard to believe that would work. One other horrible fact that has come out in the aftermath has to do with the couple’s four-year-old daughter. She was in the home at the time the attack was occurring. It is not known whether she witnessed the attack.
Jerry Remy released a statement, saying, “My thoughts and prayers go out to Jenn Martel and her family. Words cannot describe my wife’s and my grief. Son or not, I am at a loss for words in articulating my disgust and remorse over this senseless and tragic act. We are heartbroken.” Jerry Remy was not in the courtroom when his son appeared before the judge.