Unsafe: The Murder of Jennifer Martel, Waltham, Massachusetts

Live show! Thurs, Oct 23 at The Burren, Davis Square, Somerville, Mass

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. We should be talking about domestic violence, and how to prevent it, all the time, to help others recognize what it is and how insidious that it can be. It is not just bruises and black eyes. Jennifer Martel’s case is like so many other women who were tied to a bad relationship through a shared child. Few people seemed to know what Jennifer was really going through at home. There were many reasons why leaving was so difficult. 

The Murder of Jennifer Martel, Waltham, Massachusetts

It is like so many other women’s stories who were trying to see a way out. It is like so many other stories where the victim is lost in the headlines of the case. What it is not like is how she was murdered by a very dangerous man who had been dangerous for a long time. He was someone she was and had been with for years. The man who was the son of a beloved voice of Red Sox Nation, Jerry Remy, the "RemDog." Fenway Park is like church around here. There is a lot of hero worship. Jennifer Martel was 27 when she was murdered. She had a plan for the next phase of her life, a next phase that did not include Jared Remy. 

Just two days before Jennifer was killed, Remy was arrested for slamming her head into a bathroom mirror. She called to report him — the audio from the 911 call says it all — and Remy was arrested and charged with assault and battery. Jennifer was granted an emergency restraining order that night, and she would be able to extend it the following day, Wednesday, August 14, at Remy’s arraignment in Waltham District Court. However, Jennifer did not appear in court and the restraining order expired. Something that would prove to be a grave error on the prosecutors' part is that no one had the foresight to look at his background. No one checked priors. If they had, they would have seen a long history of violence against women. Instead, they sought no bail, and he was released on personal recognizance on an open assault and battery case.

It is important to understand why Jennifer didn't attend that arraignment the day before she was stabbed to death in the presence of her 4-year-old and her next door neighbors. History is well documented as to why many women don’t appear in abuse cases like this – for fear of retribution, more abuse, how they can support themselves and their children, the pleas of the partner, and, in Jennifer’s case, from the Remys. Patty Martel said Jennifer heard from Remy’s mother, Phoebe, who begged her not to file a complaint because it would ruin Remy’s life. His life. Mrs. Remy, according to the Martels, said they would protect her. Maybe Mrs. Remy believed what she was saying, but her son's history of violence was crystal clear.

National Domestic Violence Hotline | thehotline.org | Call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)

Jane Doe Inc | janedoe.org | Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence

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