In what police call a murder-suicide, an Alabama realtor who recently petitioned a court to lift an order of protection against her husband was killed by him in Huntsville over the weekend.
WAAY-TV, WAFF-TV, and the Trussville Tribune all reported on the deaths of Martella Tyler, 40, and Justin Tyler, 43.
Realtor And Mother Of 3 Killed By Abusive Husband In Murder-Suicide After Protection Order Was Lifted
The couple’s bodies were found early Sunday morning after firefighters extinguished a blaze that had been set at their residence.
According to the reports, police classified the fatal incident as domestic-related.
Police allege Justin took his own life after murdering Martella. It was unclear Wednesday how the couple, who’d been married since 2013, died.
Justin had been arrested for domestic violence back in February, and three days later, Martella was granted a protective order.
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Martella alleged that Justin had punched, stomped and stabbed her, and attacked one of her three children in her petition for an order of protection.
The reports indicate the couple was in court together on May 12 and asked that the order be dismissed.
While there was no reason for the request, the motion was granted.
Friends told WAFF how Martella Tyler was a dedicated, hard-working real estate agent.
“If the house wasn’t ready to be listed and the lawn needed to be mowed, or the landscaping needed to be cleaned up, or the house needed to be cleaned, Martella was the girl,” explained Danny Sullivan, owner of Leading Edge Real Estate Group, where Martella had worked for five years.
Another owner of Leading Edge Real Estate Group, Charlene Sullivan, said, “She was such a fireball. Always smiling and always laughing.”
“Martella leaves behind three beautiful daughters who are now without both mother and father. At, this moment along with prayers, we are asking for donations for these girls. They have a long road ahead of therapy, healing and life ahead. We are hoping to be able to help these girls with school scholarships, living expenses and financial support. Please help in any way you can,” a description for the GoFund Me read in part.
The fundraiser since raised $20,270 of its 30,000 goal.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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