You know, I think as a society we need heroic victims and perfect villains. But life isn't always that way. My sense is this guy was an abusive, controlling gaslighter. But it appears that Gabby was not totally stable and resorted to violence in response to his abusiveness.
Frankly, I wish she had been arrested that day. It seems to me that numerous biases were at play on that occasion that led to Gabby not being arrested. I think had she been not as pretty and/or of a different ethnic background, she might have been arrested. I think if she was a man and not a woman, there would've been an arrest.
I mean yes, there seemed to be a good ol' boys thing going on. But the bottom line for me is she was not arrested and per the law, she should have been. Even if his emotional abuse and control "instigated" what she did.
And I can't help but think of the unforeseen consequences of failing to take domestic violence serious.
I believe Gabby would likely be alive today had she been arrested. She would have called her parents to get bail money. Then her family could've gotten more involved and have become aware of the nature of the relationship. She would have had a forced separation from the dude, that may have allowed her to clear her head. She may have been able to see the danger to her - her reputation, her record, her future - if she stayed with that guy.
Instead, she continued on the dark path she was on with the photogenic social media prop she was with, and likely no realization as to the serious danger he posed to her, until it was too late.
