Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Domestic violence advocates express concern over Utah's budget excluding strangulation exams funding.
- Erin Jemison highlights strangulation as a key predictor of future homicides in domestic violence.
- Lawmakers indicate potential budget adjustments, despite current exclusion of $260,000 funding.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Legislature's latest funding list – and what's not on it – has domestic violence advocates worried.
"Strangulation is very common in domestic violence cases, but it's often invisible," said Erin Jemison, director of public policy at the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition. "There aren't always marks right away, and so we need that really timely exam and there isn't funding for it."
When Moab police officers spoke with Gabby Petito in 2021, she was in a dangerous situation. Her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, later strangled and killed her.
In 2020, 14-year-old Macie Haight told police her dad, Michael Haight, had put his hands around her neck and she feared for her life. In January 2023, he murdered his wife, their five children and his mother-in-law before taking his own life.
And in November last year, Lesa Hyde's ex-boyfriend was charged for strangling her. About a month later, she disappeared. Her body was found in a shed last month and her ex-boyfriend, Arthuro Carrion, is now charged with murder.
"I think people don't often realize, including victims themselves, that strangulation is one of the top four predictors of future homicide," said Jemison.
She said documenting strangulation can help prosecute the most violent offenders and save lives. Strangulation exams arm police and prosecutors with evidence to do that.
The budget released Friday evening does not include $260,000 for strangulation exams that the coalition was hoping for, despite the Criminal Justice budget subcommittee prioritizing the request and finding funding for it through other agency savings. Jemison said the exclusion of the funding item was shocking.
"In the realm of state budget, $260,000 is pretty small, it's coins in the couch cushions," Jemison said. "We know there's not a lot of money this year. We were really encouraged that the criminal justice subcommittee said, 'This is important. We found savings from the agency that they agree with.' In past years, that has kind of been a pretty good sign that it would land in the final budget. "
Like sexual assault exams, the funding for strangulation exams comes from a specific funding source. Lawmakers first approved the funding to start the Strangulation Exam Reimbursement Program in 2022 and chose in 2024 to keep it going.
"It's a small amount of money for a pretty big impact in really high felony level cases," said Jemison.
So why aren't lawmakers funding it this year? Monday, they said there's still time to make changes.
"There's a little money we're still working with," said Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton. "We're still massaging."
Domestic violence resources
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Utah Survivor Services: 801-537-8600
- Utah's statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
