‘Hidden homicides’: Families push states for more scrutiny of domestic violence deaths

Advocates are pushing lawmakers in multiple states to require additional scrutiny of suspicious deaths involving domestic violence, which they term "hidden homicides." These advocates argue that such killings may be staged to appear as suicides or accidents and thus overlooked by investigators. California addressed this issue by enacting Joanna’s Law (Senate Bill 989), requiring police to interview family members before determining the manner and cause of death in certain cases.