Murder of Melissa Batten: Difference between revisions
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On June 5, 2008, after finding out about an affair Melissa had, Joseph confronted her and at one point he pointed a gun at her, and then at his own head.<ref name="redmond2"/><ref name="seattletimes">http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/slain-woman-had-protection-order/</ref> Melissa moved into a friend's apartment in [[Redmond, Washington]], soon after, but he found out where she was living.<ref name="redmond2"/> Joseph broke into her workplace at Microsoft on July 16 while she was out of town, and was banished from the campus after he was caught by security guards.<ref name="redmond2"/> Melissa told police that he called her more than 20 times on July 19 and 20.<ref name="redmond2"/> Melissa got a protection order against Joseph on July 21, which said he could not come within 100 yards of her, and was served to him on July 25.<ref name="redmond2"/> |
On June 5, 2008, after finding out about an affair Melissa had, Joseph confronted her and at one point he pointed a gun at her, and then at his own head.<ref name="redmond2"/><ref name="seattletimes">http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/slain-woman-had-protection-order/</ref> Melissa moved into a friend's apartment in [[Redmond, Washington]], soon after, but he found out where she was living.<ref name="redmond2"/> Joseph broke into her workplace at Microsoft on July 16 while she was out of town, and was banished from the campus after he was caught by security guards.<ref name="redmond2"/> Melissa told police that he called her more than 20 times on July 19 and 20.<ref name="redmond2"/> Melissa got a protection order against Joseph on July 21, which said he could not come within 100 yards of her, and was served to him on July 25.<ref name="redmond2"/> |
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Shortly after 9 AM on July 29, 2008, Melissa left the apartment to go to work.<ref name="redmond1">http://www.redmond-reporter.com/news/26066384.html</ref> Joseph approached her in the parking lot and shot her several times in the torso with a 9-mm handgun, and then shot himself in the head.<ref name="redmond1"/> Investigators found fuzzy handcuffs, hardcore pornography, an 8-inch cutting knife and $6,000 in cash in the trunk of Joseph's Mercedes sedan.<ref name="redmond3">http://www.redmond-reporter.com/news/26381294.html</ref> |
Shortly after 9 AM on July 29, 2008, Melissa left the apartment to go to work.<ref name="redmond1">http://www.redmond-reporter.com/news/26066384.html</ref><ref name="Fortune">Morris, Betsy (November 24, 2008). "You have victims working for you. You have batterers working for you too.", ''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]'' '''158''' (10); entire article reposted at [http://workplaceviolence.org/domestic-violence-the-dark-secret-at-your-job/]</ref> Joseph approached her in the parking lot and shot her several times in the torso with a 9-mm handgun, and then shot himself in the head.<ref name="redmond1"/> Investigators found fuzzy handcuffs, hardcore pornography, an 8-inch cutting knife and $6,000 in cash in the trunk of Joseph's Mercedes sedan.<ref name="redmond3">http://www.redmond-reporter.com/news/26381294.html</ref> Microsoft provided grief counseling to Melissa's surviving relatives, and helped organize memorials for family and colleagues.<ref name="Fortune"/> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 13:58, 26 March 2015
An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
| Murder of Melissa Batten | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 29, 2008 (Pacific Time Zone) |
Attack type | Murder |
| Deaths | 2 (including the perpetrator) |
| Perpetrator | Joseph Batten |
Joseph Eugene Batten (January 23, 1972 – July 29, 2008[1][2]) killed his estranged wife Melissa Brooks Batten.
Biography
Joseph Batten was born January 23, 1972 in Parkersburg, West Virginia.[2] Joseph got his mathematics degree from Marshall University.[3] His wife was Melissa Brooks Batten.[2] Melissa was a Harvard Law graduate.[3] Melissa worked as a public defender in North Carolina from 2000-2002, handling domestic cases.[3] At the time, she worked for the Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, N.C.) Public Defender's Office.[4] Melissa moved to Washington state in 2002, and soon after got a job at Microsoft Game Studios, where Joseph was already working as a video game programmer.[3] Melissa earned credits on Halo 3 and Gears of War as a Software Development Engineer in Test, and was working in support of Xbox 360 developer Rare Ltd.[4][5] Joseph later worked at Wizards of the Coast as a Senior Project Manager.[2][3] Batten was also the head of the Gleemax project; on July 28, 2008, Wizards announced that they were shutting down Gleemax to concentrate on Dungeons & Dragons Insider.[6]
The Battens lived together in Kent, Washington.[7]
Murder-suicide
On June 5, 2008, after finding out about an affair Melissa had, Joseph confronted her and at one point he pointed a gun at her, and then at his own head.[7][8] Melissa moved into a friend's apartment in Redmond, Washington, soon after, but he found out where she was living.[7] Joseph broke into her workplace at Microsoft on July 16 while she was out of town, and was banished from the campus after he was caught by security guards.[7] Melissa told police that he called her more than 20 times on July 19 and 20.[7] Melissa got a protection order against Joseph on July 21, which said he could not come within 100 yards of her, and was served to him on July 25.[7]
Shortly after 9 AM on July 29, 2008, Melissa left the apartment to go to work.[9][10] Joseph approached her in the parking lot and shot her several times in the torso with a 9-mm handgun, and then shot himself in the head.[9] Investigators found fuzzy handcuffs, hardcore pornography, an 8-inch cutting knife and $6,000 in cash in the trunk of Joseph's Mercedes sedan.[3] Microsoft provided grief counseling to Melissa's surviving relatives, and helped organize memorials for family and colleagues.[10]
References
- ^ "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JTJF-RMC : accessed 20 March 2015), JOSEPH E BATTEN, 29 Jul 2008; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
- ^ a b c d http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/508226/Joseph-E--Batten.html
- ^ a b c d e f http://www.redmond-reporter.com/news/26381294.html
- ^ a b http://kotaku.com/5032443/xbox-developer-dead-in-murder-suicide
- ^ http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/85455-Xbox-Developer-Killed-In-Murder-Suicide
- ^ Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. p. 301. ISBN 978-1-907702- 58-7.
- ^ a b c d e f http://www.redmond-reporter.com/news/26181779.html
- ^ http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/slain-woman-had-protection-order/
- ^ a b http://www.redmond-reporter.com/news/26066384.html
- ^ a b Morris, Betsy (November 24, 2008). "You have victims working for you. You have batterers working for you too.", Fortune 158 (10); entire article reposted at [1]