Dr. William Smock
Coverage of Dr. William Smock in the Nexus archive.
- ‘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.
- ‘Hidden homicides’: Families push states for more scrutiny of domestic violence deaths
Advocates are campaigning for "hidden homicide" legislation in multiple states to increase scrutiny of deaths potentially linked to domestic violence, which they argue are often misclassified as suicides or accidents. These activists point to California's Joanna’s Law, enacted in 2024, as a model that requires police officers to interview family members and allows families to request complete autopsies under specific circumstances.