In 1994, Heather (photos R) was nearly beaten to death by her ex-husband, Thomas Price, Jr.
Price was charged and convicted of several crimes related to the beating and served his state prison sentence. While in jail, Tommy Price mailed Heather a death threat and is currently serving Federal prison time for communicating threats until April 24, 2009.
Here is Heather's Story as written by Bryan Gregory in his book Ole Man on the Porch: The Trooper: (Read Full Version)
It was about a month before they got married that the abuse began. She was pregnant when he shoved her to the ground and she wondered ... “Am I making a mistake going into this relationship?” She hoped it might just be drug related and things would get better. And she also felt this was her best option, so she went ahead and got married anyway. They were married and before long his insecurities surfaced more with his continuous drug use. Soon, the accusations started and the beatings began. After abusing her, he’d sober up some and apologize … She’d give him another chance and they’d reconcile.
She began to walk on eggshells and tried to be more tender with him, because as most any therapist will tell you … It was partially her fault. But her efforts to make it right didn’t help any ... The beatings intensified. Slowly but surely, the abuse became more frequent and violent. He learned pretty quickly that if he gave her a black eye or busted her lip, people would start asking questions. So, he began beating her in areas that wouldn’t show. He was learning how to do it. He was becoming a professional wife-beater … He was running the show! Then the big day came.
One day, while their children were at his mother’s house and the two of them were home alone … A major beating occurred. He’d had just about all he could stand of her mouth and he was strung out on drugs. He was a lot larger than she was and he was certainly not afraid of his little wife. If he couldn’t get her attention with his fists, he certainly would with his pistol and assault rifle. He figured he was a real man and this time he would make it plain to her. Yes, this was the proper time. He would show her now … He was the boss!
He accused her of an infidelity that she was not guilty of, but he thought he knew better … So he just went ahead and began to beat the living hell out of her right then and there. (Somewhere during her torture is when she called my Dispatcher and tried to locate me. But just as the rest of the system has done, when she needed me the most ... I was nowhere around) He beat her some more. She fought back, but he was stronger ... And he loved to see the terror in her eyes.He tortured her with pliers. He squeezed them onto her small fingers and toes, and even onto her delicate earlobes, before he blackened her sensitive eyes. He made her look up at the picture of their two children and say goodbye, and then he told her … This would be the last time she saw them! At gunpoint, he made her write notes to them and then her parents … Saying goodbye. Even then he wasn’t satisfied! With a broomstick, he beat her some more … And there was a lot more damage done than we’ll ever see. He wrapped a belt around her neck and began choking the life out of her. But it must not have been her time to die ... The belt broke.
His accusations continued and he demanded to know who her lover was. After three hours of beatings, telling the truth, that she wasn’t having an affair, wasn’t working. Her sense of survival finally kicked in and she tried the only other option she had ... She began lying. She made up a story and gave him a name … And it was only then that the dreadful beatings came to an end. Although she had asked him numerous times to go ahead and pull the trigger of the assault rifle he threatened her with, he backed off. He was content at last ... Because by now he had beaten her almost to death.
Maybe he began to feel a little guilty now, because he allowed her to call a friend to come and take her to the Hospital. But the friend had only one hour to get there, or he would kill her or whoever else came down their driveway. There he sat. This was the height of his manhood. He watched every move she made and he knew how to use the firearms he carried. He was in charge now! Never again would he take any crap from his half-dead, one hundred pound wife.
The friend came in the nick of time and took her to the Hospital, and even as they escaped down the driveway … He stood there with his assault rifle aimed at their backs. The Police Department came to the Hospital and listened to her story. They then took pictures of her now not-so-pretty face. Although she gave them all the details and pressed charges against him, the police never even went to his door. He stayed right where he was … He didn’t go anywhere. Warrants were drawn out for him, but never served … And not one police officer ever confronted him! Except for her statement and photo, not one piece of evidence was ever collected … And there’s more.
Only after his Father finally talked him into taking a ride, did he turn himself in. He was locked up until the court date, but because of no real police work ... The District Attorney didn’t have much of a case. Although the charges were very serious ... “Assault with a Deadly Weapon,” “First Degree Kidnapping” and “Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury with Intent to Kill,” and he was facing fifty-two years in prison ...The DA offered him a plea bargain of three measly years. But he was confident, not only did his family have friends in high places, but he really didn’t think he’d done much of anything wrong. He declined the plea bargain and decided to gamble on a trial. Big mistake for him and a lucky break for her ... The Jury found him guilty of all charges and sentenced him to 24 years in the NC Dept. of Corrections.
But we all know how that goes … He ended up serving much less than half of that. And still, we wonder why these women keep going back … We’ve been so blind! It’s because that by allowing slaps on the wrists, we condone it! It’s because we let them right back out again and abusers don’t pay for their crimes, and they have no reason to expect to … That’s why!
The day that he was put into prison is the day that she blossomed into the flower that she has become. In her case, she didn't need counseling, she didn't need therapy, and she didn't need to pray more ... All she needed was for the threat in her life to be gone. Now is as good a time as any for me to tell you how she's handled her life and what she's become.
She did not sit still as many others have done ... She didn't hide it. She went out into public without makeup on and she even allowed her battered picture to be displayed on a large billboard. Besides being instrumental in sending her spouse/abuser to prison, she became very vocal and has even influenced some of our laws. As soon as she could … She divorced him. In addition to raising four kids, she donates much of her time to any who will hear her voice ... She wants to be heard! So far, she has sacrificed much to help others and has been compensated very little for any of her work. She has one of the most hectic schedules of anyone that I’ve ever known.
At every turn, our Legal and Social Services systems have let her down. And had she stood still for one minute and tolerated any of it, her ex-husband would’ve been out of prison long before now and would’ve made good on his promise to her ... That she and her children would be dead! She had to fight her own way through this whole process. Oh, she got some help from her friends, but she didn’t get the help we’d expect her to get from the taxes we pay … She had to scramble around the best that she could on her own. Anyway, he went to prison and you’d think that would be the end the story ... No Sir, far from it.
She received a written “Death Threat” from prison! Even after she produced it to local authorities, still, no advice was given and no action was taken ... Can you believe it? She had to really raise hell and pound on the counter before the Fed’s were called in, and it was only because of her persistence that he’s now serving time for the federal offense of “Communicating Threats through the Mail.”For obvious reasons, she gets no support at all from her abusive ex-husband ... Because he is still in prison. But for him, if he gets an ache or pain, or needs a root canal ... Our tax dollars pay for that, while he works out, gets three square meals a day, lies on his bed in jail and plots his time away. For her, it’s a different ballgame altogether.
Heather has spoken before Legislative Committees and influenced the making of better laws. She has appeared on television shows. She speaks frequently to students in High Schools and from the pulpits of Churches that allow women to speak … Her voice can also be heard. She will not sit still. She boldly fights the never-ending battle against bureaucracy. She is one of the bravest people I’ve ever known. Her health is less precious to her than achieving her goal and speaking out. How many of us feel so strongly about what we do with our lives? How many of us would expose ourselves, knowing that at any moment, a self-described killer might be released from prison and we could receive a shotgun blast to the back of our heads?
The life that she leads is filled with potholes, but she carries on with optimism ... “Yes, I will make a difference. Yes, I will be heard!” I’m sure Heather isn’t perfect, but surely, she deserves much better than that ... As do all the other women like her. “How in the world,” I wonder, “does she keep her chin up and that smile on her face?”
Read More @ Heather's Website / Facebook / Fox Charlotte Interview