Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson said Catherine L. Gessman, 45, “did everything she should do” in getting a protection order to shield herself and her daughter Samantha N. Carpenter from Harleman, 43.
“It is very frustrating … but for whatever reason, he made his mind up that he was going to do what he was going to do,” Simpson said. “I’m not sure what could have been done. It’s tragic that this poor little 10-year-old girl was caught in the middle of this. Her life is gone because of what this man did.”
The shooting came amid an uptick in domestic violence-related deaths locally, according to Shannon Isom, the CEO of YWCA Dayton, which provides shelter for domestic violence victims in Montgomery and Preble counties.
“I think we’re seeing fatalities more and more often. We had at least a half-dozen last year,” Isom said. “We see on average 2-3 domestic violence deaths every month between the two counties.”
Harleman shot Gessman and Carpenter in the driveway of their New Paris home before turning the gun on himself. Carpenter, a fifth-grade student, and Harleman were declared dead on the scene. Gessman suffered a gunshot wound but is expected to survive, the sheriff’s office said.
The shooting came just five days after Harleman spent the night in jail on a domestic violence charge for allegedly punching Gessman in the head, according an incident report. She told two sheriff’s deputies that Harleman was “highly intoxicated and had a handgun inside” their residence. One of the deputies said he “did observe a bruise marking under Cathrine’s left eye.”
She told the deputies she “wished to pursue charges (against Harleman) and was scared for her life.”
“He said if I called the police he would kill me. …He also threatened to kill my dogs,” Gessman wrote in a Dec. 18 complaint seeking the domestic violence civil protection order.
A protection order against Harleman was issued, but shortly after he was released from jail on Thursday, Harleman purchased a handgun from an individual, said Simpson, who did not disclose the seller’s name. Deputies are still investigating the circumstances around the purchase. The protection order also included a “warning to law enforcement: (Harleman) has firearms access — proceed with caution.”
Gessman and Harleman were scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. today in the Preble County Courthouse on the protection order.
The Ohio Family Violence Prevention Project estimates that every year in Preble County, 320-420 adults suffer physical abuse by an intimate partner. The Preble County court system has had 103 requests for protection orders so far this year. That’s down from 123 requests in 2013 and 141 requests the year before, according to data compiled by the Preble County Clerk of Courts Office.
“Protection orders are a vital tool in ensuring the safety and security of our domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault victims,” Preble County Prosecutor Martin Votel said. “However, as this case so sadly illustrates, they are not a fail-safe. Unfortunately, they are violated all too often by respondents who do not have respect for the court’s authority.”
A vigil was held in honor of Carpenter on Tuesday evening at National Trail School, where the 10-year-old was a straight-A student. Friends, and family members grappled with the tragedy just two days before Christmas.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Samantha. She has been a student in the National Trail Local School District for less than a year,” school superintendent Jeff Parker said. “She was an extremely nice girl who was quiet. She earned straight A’s during the first and second quarters this year. She will be greatly missed by all of her friends, teachers and staff at National Trail. Our prayers go out to all Samantha’s friends and family.”
Angel Lawson organized the vigil because her daughter, Charlie Mitchell, attended school with Carpenter.
“My heart is so heavy for their family. I couldn’t imagine what amount of anger would lead someone to do this to a child or a child’s mother,” Lawson said. “It angers me that they had a history of domestic violence and a protection order, and she did what she needed to do, but he was still able to get out on bond and get to her. It makes me think that if the system worked differently, that little girl would still be here today.”
Gessman’s sister, Heather Bodine, said the family is devastated. Her relatives requested privacy.
“I do know that she loved her daughter so much, and would never put her daughter in a position where she would be hurt,” Bodine said. “She did everything possible to protect her daughter.”
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