Muskogee police say people from all walks of life — wives of local doctors, lawyers, bankers, businessmen, ministers, police officers — have been victims of domestic abuse in Muskogee.

Ronica Pickens, 24, has first-hand knowledge about domestic abuse and the trail of pain that it leaves in its wake. On May 3, when she arrived to pick up her children who had spent the day with their father, Julius Walker, 31, something set him off, and he went into a rage.

The couple’s 5- and 6-year-old children witnessed the beating Walker gave her, and Pickens feels like she barely escaped with her life.

“This is the second time he tried to kill me — this time he really did a number on me,” she said, tears sliding down her cheeks.

She said he told her in the past if she ever called the police on him for beating her that he would find her and kill her.

“I’ve been very afraid of him,” she said.

Although she thought she would be free from his abuse and was not living with him, the connection with her children continued to put her at risk. Walker had a history of time in prison for the very same thing. He was on parole during the latest attack.

Other components can contribute to abuse

But, for some, economic stress can be a big factor in domestic abuse, said Muskogee Police Investigator Sgt. Greg Martin.

Domestic abuse locally is on the rise, and Gwyn LaCrone, director of the Women in Safe Home (WISH) shelter, agrees that financial problems are one reason.

A low-income mother with small children might appear on statistical reports after getting a restraining order, entering a domestic violence shelter or applying for government financial aid, according to a U.S. Department of Justice publication.

National reports reflect the lower the income, the higher the chance of domestic violence, but professionals in high-stress jobs also can be abusers, according to national studies.

A battered woman with money might check into a hotel for a few weeks, file for divorce or move where family members can help her, the same report states. LaCrone said national statistics show a woman leaves her abuser seven to 10 times before leaving for good.