Last week, candles and flowers were left on the front steps of a Marshall home after local resident Meredith Martell was killed in an incident of domestic violence. Area advocates for abuse victims and survivors say Martell’s death has created a heightened sense of concern about domestic violence in the community.

MARSHALL — The death of a Marshall woman from domestic violence has had effects reaching across the community, Becci tenBensel said.

“It has really shaken the community as a whole,” said tenBensel, executive director of WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs (WRAP), an area nonprofit advocating for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. “I’m getting phone calls asking ‘What do we do?'” tenBensel said late last week. “There’s a real heightened sense of immediacy.”

Last week, friends and family held a candlelight vigil for 35-year-old Meredith Martell, who died Dec. 17 after being stabbed in her home in Marshall. The grief and impact from Martell’s death is something that has rippled out through the Marshall area, tenBensel said.

“I think unfortunately, this tragedy has really brought domestic violence to the forefront,” she said. “In this situation, the ripple effect and the impact on our community is being felt everywhere. I’ve heard from businesses, I’ve heard from individuals, I’ve heard from teachers, I’ve heard from law enforcement, from the hospitals. Everybody’s been impacted in some way.”

TenBensel said it was encouraging to see how Marshall area community members had stepped up to help support Martell’s family. At the same time, she said area residents were also looking for ways to help others experiencing domestic violence or abuse.

Violence Free Minnesota, a statewide coalition of programs working to end relationship abuse, said 34 domestic homicide deaths were confirmed in Minnesota this year. Martell’s death was included in that total.

According to Violence Free Minnesota, the number of intimate partner homicides in Minnesota has fluctuated from year to year. Between 1989 and 2022, there didn’t appear to be an overall trend or pattern in the number of homicides statewide. However, tenBensel said area advocates have seen a growing need for support for survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

“We have consistently seen an increase in the number of people reaching out to us, I would say for sure over the last three years,” tenBensel said. There was a decrease in the number of people reaching out to WRAP in the early part of the COVID pandemic, but then the numbers started growing again. “And then when people started reaching out, what we were seeing was an increase in the severity of the abuse that was happening.”

Between October 2022 and September 2023, WRAP served a total of 769 adults and children in Lyon, Lincoln, Yellow Medicine and Redwood Counties. Of that total, more than 500 people were new to receiving services. In the prior year, WRAP served a total of 594 people in the four-county area.

Some of the services provided for area residents included information and referrals to other resources, personal advocacy services, emotional support services, justice system assistance, and shelter and emergency housing. In the 2022-23 reporting period, WRAP provided emergency safe housing for 80 individuals.

When a survivor is trying to leave or has left an abusive relationship, they are at a higher risk of violence, tenBensel said.

“It really takes safety planning,” she said. “So, that’s a lot of what we do.” WRAP can help survivors and victims get protection like restraining orders, help them track a court case, and connect them with other support organizations. “It’s a big job, and it really takes a community effort,” tenBensel said.

As more people have reached out to WRAP for help over the past three years, tenBensel said she’s worked on tracking unmet needs, and applying for grant funding to help meet those needs. WRAP also has ongoing needs for supplies that can help survivors when they leave abusive relationships.

“Safety and security items are always a big piece,” tenBensel said. That includes supplies like phone cards that can help abuse victims connect with resources and support services, and items like security cameras.

“The other thing that we struggle with quite a bit is full-size personal care items and cleaning supplies,” she said. “Those are a big need that we go through pretty quickly.” WRAP also goes through a lot of gas cards and gift cards to local businesses, which can be used for food and basic supplies, she said.

In addition to helping support organizations that work with domestic violence survivors, tenBensel said there are ways that community members can help people experiencing domestic violence.

“I think number one is not to gossip,” tenBensel said. Making assumptions, or asking why a victim or survivor doesn’t just leave the relationship, is not helpful, she said. “We don’t know what that victim is dealing with behind closed doors.”

Blaming the victim of abuse only isolates them more, and makes it more difficult for them to ask for help, tenBensel said.

TenBensel said it was also important to remember it often takes several tries before a victim is able to leave an abusive relationship. “It’s not easy. We need to have patience and understanding and not make judgments, because it’s hard to make that decision to leave,” she said.

TenBensel said people interested in learning more about how they can help support people experiencing domestic abuse or violence can call WRAP at 507-532-9532, or go to the WRAP website at www.letswrap.com. TenBensel said WRAP will often post immediate donation needs on its Facebook page, so community members can also reach out that way.

More information and resources on how to support a loved one experiencing domestic abuse is also available at the National Domestic Violence Hotline website, www.thehotline.org/support-others/.