Louisiana Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel

The Louisiana Domestic Fatality Review Panel was established through Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:2024.1-2024.6 in 2021. The panel identifies and characterizes the scope and nature of domestic abuse fatalities through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary review at the state and local levels to take action to prevent future fatalities.

The Louisiana Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel defines a domestic abuse fatality as a fatality that arises from an abuser’s efforts to seek power and control over their intimate partner. Using this broad definition, domestic abuse fatalities include:

  • Homicides in which the victim was a current or former intimate partner of the suspect

  • Homicides in which the victim was someone other than the suspect’s intimate partner, but which occur in the context of domestic abuse or in the context of a suspect attempting to kill an intimate partner (i.e., friend, family member, new intimate partner, law enforcement)

  • Homicides occurring as an extension of or in response to ongoing intimate partner abuse

  • Suicides, other than the abuser’s, may be in response to a current or past experience of domestic abuse.

The Louisiana Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel serves Louisiana families by identifying and advocating for needed change in legislation and systems of care that support victims of domestic abuse (e.g., health care, criminal and civil justice systems, community-based organizations) by developing recommendations to improve agency responses and increase coordination efforts, while also promoting public awareness of domestic abuse and advocacy for victims.  

Learn more about domestic abuse data, resources, and more by visiting the Domestic Abuse Fatality Review webpage.

Responsibilities of the Louisiana Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel

The functions of the Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel are to:

  • Identify and characterize the scope and nature of domestic abuse fatalities in this state and, if the decedent victim is female, report all of the following:

    • Whether the decedent was pregnant at the time of death.

    • Is there medical evidence that indicates that the decedent had been recently pregnant but was no longer pregnant at the time of death?

    • Whether the decedent was single, married, or divorced to the extent such information can be determined.

  • Research and review trends, data, or patterns observed in domestic abuse fatalities.

  • Review past events and circumstances of domestic abuse fatalities by reviewing records and other pertinent documents of public and private agencies that are responsible for investigating deaths or serving victims.

  • Research and revise, as necessary, operating rules and procedures for review of domestic abuse fatalities, including, but not limited to, identification of cases to be reviewed, coordination among agencies and professionals involved, and improvement of the identification, data collection, and record-keeping of the causes of domestic violence fatalities.

  • Recommend systemic improvements to promote improved and integrated public and private systems serving victims of domestic abuse.

  • Recommend components for prevention and education programs.

  • Recommend training to improve the identification and investigation of domestic violence fatalities that occur in Louisiana.

The Louisiana Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel may do all of the following:

  • Establish and/or authorize local and regional panels, and subject matter experts as agents of the state, to which the review panel may delegate some or all of its responsibilities.

  • Analyze data available through any state systems that may decrease the incidence of domestic abuse fatalities in this state.

  • Create formal partnerships with existing local and regional fatality review panels to accomplish its responsibilities.

Membership

The Louisiana Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel is comprised of 20 members. Additional persons (authorized agents) who are determined to have relevant knowledge regarding domestic abuse may be appointed to the review panel by a majority vote. Authorized agents aid the review panel in fulfilling its duties, as outlined in the statute.

Member Name Role/Organization Member Seat
Jane Killen Executive Management Officer, Office of the State Health Officer Surgeon General (State Health Officer)
Kristen Sanderson Violence and Injury Prevention Manager, Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health
Leslie Lyons Child Welfare Southeast Regional Administrator, Department of Children and Family Services Secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services
  Anna Watt Program Monitor, Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Behavioral Health Assistant Secretary of the Office of Behavioral Health of the Louisiana Department of Health 
 Doug Champlin Paramedic, Emergency Medical Services Exam Coordinator, Office of Public Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services  Director of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services of the Louisiana Department of Health
Laurie Marien Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Women's Policy Director of the Governor's Office on Women's Policy 
Joseph Patout  Captain, Commander of Special Investigations Division, Louisiana State Police Superintendent of State Police 
 Devin George State Registrar, Center for Vital Records and Statistics, Office of Public Health  State Registrar of Vital Records in the Office of Public Health
 Bonnie McKneely Domestic Violence Specialist, Office of Attorney General Liz Murrill  Attorney General
 Melanie Fields Chief Domestic Violence Prosecutor for East Baton Rouge Parish  District Attorney or Assistant District Attorney, Louisiana District Attorneys Association
Joycelyn Johnson  Chief of Police, Southern University A&M College, Police Department Police Chief, Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police
Toby Savoy  Chief Investigator, St. Landry Parish Coroner’s Office  Coroner, Louisiana State Coroner’s Association
 Mariah Wineski Executive Director, Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence  Executive Director of the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Tocarra Reed  Director of Operations, Chez Hope Family Violence Crisis Center  Executive Director of a community-based domestic violence service organization
Jill Sessions Clerk of Court, Bossier Parish, LA Clerks of Court Association  President of the Louisiana Clerks of Court Association
Ellen Connor Forensic Pathologist, Assistant Professor of Pathology, LSU Health Sciences Center  Forensic Pathologist certified by the American Board of Pathology and licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
Ramona Harris Deputy Judicial Administrator, Louisiana Protective Order Registry Director, Louisiana Supreme Court  Louisiana Protective Order Registry, Louisiana Supreme Court
Vandana Chaturvedi Family Law Unit Leader, Senior Attorney, Acadiana Legal Service Corporation  Legal Services Program funded by the Legal Services Corporation
Pamela Guedry Visitation Coordinator, The PACT Place Supervised Visitation and Exchange Center, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office  Director of a Local Supervised Visitation or Safe Exchange Center
Sara Halphen Chief Administrative Officer, Bossier Parish Clerk of Court  Authorized Agent, Clerks’ Association
Robert “Rob” Hanser  Criminal Justice Professor and Criminal Justice Program Coordinator, University of Louisiana Monroe  Authorized Agent, Batterer’s Intervention Programming
Jennifer Hunt Domestic Violence Special Projects Manager, New Orleans Health Department  Authorized Agent, New Orleans Domestic Abuse Fatality Review
 Christina LaFluer Probation and Parole Supervisor, Probation & Parole Domestic Violence Unit, Louisiana Department of Safety and Corrections  Authorized Agent, Probation and Parole
Scott LeBleu Choices Program Director, Clinician, The Family Tree Information, Education & Counseling Center, Acadiana Family Tree Authorized Agent, Batterer’s Intervention Programming
Francis Robinson, Jr. Technical Program Assistant, Louisiana Protective Order Registry Authorized Agent, Louisiana Protective Order Registry
Maeve Wallace Epidemiologist and Associate Professor in Health Promotion Sciences at the University of Arizona’s Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health Authorized Agent, Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist
Ashley Chretien Williams Assistant Director, Oasis A Safe Haven for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Authorized Agent, Domestic Violence Advocate (Women of Color)
Vacant   Sheriff, Louisiana Sheriffs' Association

Meeting Information: Schedule, Agendas, and Minutes

The Louisiana Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel follows a quarterly meeting schedule as agreed upon by its members. Additional meetings will be held if the membership determines they are warranted.  

To request an accommodation for a public meeting hosted by the Louisiana Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel, please email [email protected] at least 48 hours prior to the meeting with details of the required accommodations. Accommodations include, but are not limited to, requests for interpreters, accessible seating, large print, virtual attendance, etc.

Meeting Schedule

2025 Meetings
2024 Meetings
2023 Meetings
2022 Meetings

For more information, contact the Louisiana Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel Facilitator:

[email protected]
Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Coordinator, Bureau of Family Health

Surgeon General Evelyn Griffin, MD

Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein

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