On Gordon’s abuse
“I don’t know when he started hitting her. But I know of at least four occasions when he struck her. She also told me about how he had tried to choke her once. She was definitely scared. She had some friends, but not many.
“One time I remember she called me for three hours. She was hyperventilating. I could barely understand what she was saying because she was so distraught. When she could finally get the words out she told me he had been physically abusive. He had hit her in the face and thrown her against a wall.
“There were things I knew that she couldn’t tell anyone else. She didn’t feel comfortable confiding in her family because she loved him and she didn’t want them turning against him, more than they already had. She loved him and was loyal to him despite the abuse.
“It was a desperate love. She felt like she couldn’t do anything without him.
“She said she didn’t blame Nick. She blamed his temper. It was just that he couldn’t control it. She didn’t think it was his fault.”
