Domestic violence homicides nearly doubled in Tarrant County last year

The number of people who died in domestic violence-related homicides in Tarrant County nearly doubled in 2024, according to data released Monday afternoon.

Eleven people were killed by an intimate partner, the first increase since a spike during the pandemic, according to the annual Intimate Partner Violence Adult Fatality Review.

The Archway, the county’s principal domestic violence service provider that publishes the review, reported six such deaths last year, the lowest number of such homicides since 2016.

The jump is an anomaly compared to statewide trends. Texas had 161 deaths in 2024, compared to 205 in 2023, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence.

“That’s not yet explainable,” Kathryn Jacob, CEO and president of The Archway, said of the county’s increase. “We just don’t have enough data.”

Shelby Hopson, the victim assistance coordinator at Fort Worth Police Department, said the increase in homicides can’t be attributed to a specific reason without more research.

Six of the homicides were in Fort Worth. Colleyville, Azle, Crowley, Kennedale and Tarrant County proper had one homicide each.

Out of the 11 deaths, four were male victims, which is the most since 2019.

Last year also saw the first instance of intimate partner violence within the LGBTQ community since the review began in 2016, Jacob said.

Just as she did last year, Jacob reiterated that zero intimate partner violence deaths is the goal.

“If we don’t reach zero, it won’t be for lack of trying. We could reach zero tomorrow,” Jacob said. “This could stop today.”

The Archway, previously known as SafeHaven of Tarrant County, works with the district attorney’s office, the county medical examiner and police departments in Tarrant County to create the annual report.

The review allows local officials to better coordinate efforts to combat intimate partner violence. As part of those efforts, Jacob said, The Archway’s Office of Research and Innovation will look into potential causes for last year’s spike.

In 2020, during the height of global COVID-19 shutdowns, 17 people died because of domestic violence in Tarrant County. Texas had 228 people across the state die at the hands of their partners that year, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence.

Experts don’t directly equate the pandemic to the increase but rather the nature of the lockdowns.

“What COVID-19 did was it increased isolation for everyone, and offenders use that to their advantage,” Jacob said.

Tarrant County had lower intimate partner homicide rates from 2019 to 2023 than the state, according to Tarrant County Public Health.

The fatality review started in 2016 after 16 people died due to intimate partner violence in Tarrant County. The significant increase from previous years drew the concern of local leaders.

Hopson said the review’s work can’t be directly correlated to preventing intimate partner violence. However, the interagency communication has improved the countywide response.

“We’re basically tackling all sides,” Hopson said.

If you are a victim of intimate partner violence, contact your local police department or The Archway’s 24-hour hotline at 1-877-701-7233.

The fatality review is generally presented to the Tarrant County Commissioners Court in October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

This year, the fatality review was not presented to the court, but District 3 Commissioner Matt Krause acknowledged the review at the Oct. 14 court meeting and thanked the district attorney’s office for its work.

“They’ve continued to work to improve systems in Tarrant County. They continue to work with outside groups like (The) Archway to help ensure that the criminal justice process is fairly enforced,” Krause said.

Ismael M. Belkoura is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org. 

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