After her daughter's murder, Milwaukee mom pushes for Purple Alert to help other missing domestic violence victims before it's too late

Carrie Scott-Haney does not want another family to endure what hers did.

Four years ago, her 28-year-old daughter, Audrey "TuTu" Scott, went missing the night before the Fourth of July.

Scott-Haney filed a report with Milwaukee police. She shared her concerns about the man her daughter had dated, someone Scott-Haney had found controlling and abusive. She told police that Audrey had a tumor in her pituitary gland and did not have her medication with her. And she emphasized how out of character it was for Audrey not to be in contact with her father, grandmother or children.

She was shocked when the officer said her daughter did not qualify as a critically missing person, meaning police would not share her photo with media outlets.

About two months after Audrey vanished, her remains were found in a wooded area off I-94, near Apple Holler in Racine County. Her ex-boyfriend later was convicted of killing her.

Now, Scott-Haney is pushing for a statewide Purple Alert, similar to an Amber Alert for missing children, that would be issued when a woman goes missing and has a history of being in an abusive relationship and experiencing domestic violence.

"I want the public to be able to assist the police in these investigations," Scott-Haney said.

The Milwaukee Common Council and Milwaukee County Board voted to endorse the idea in the past year and asked state lawmakers to take up the issue. So far, state lawmakers have not introduced legislation on it, but some members have expressed interest.

The idea is straightforward but raises a host of legal questions. Advocates who work with domestic violence survivors have urged caution in crafting any legislation to make sure it does not have unintended effects.

"When a survivor’s family speaks we need to take a lot of care to listen to their experiences," said Carmen Pitre, president and chief executive of Sojourner Family Peace Center. "It's coming from a deep place and lived experience."

"I think it’s an idea worthy of consideration," she said of the Purple Alert. "We need to do everything we can to keep survivors safe. ...The implementation of it will take time and thought."

Scott-Haney understands there will be hurdles but believes they can be overcome. If problems arise after a Purple Alert law is approved, it could be amended, she said.

"I want for mothers or family members or loved ones to be able to report their adult daughter or child missing because they know there’s foul play or that they’re in danger," she said.

Purple Alert must balance victims rights, complexities of domestic abuse

A Purple Alert, by definition, would identify victims of domestic violence.

That could conflict with Wisconsin's longstanding laws to protect the rights of crime victims, which include respect for their privacy. Those laws were strengthened last year after voters approved Marsy's Law.

This October, when End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin had its annual events to remember those who lost their lives in domestic violence homicides, the victims were only identified by initials to comply with Marsy's Law. In years prior, they had been identified by name. End Abuse has not taken a position on the Purple Alert proposal.

"For the Purple Alert, I have no idea how those two systems can exist in tandem," said Jenna Gormal, the statewide group's public policy director.

Another complexity is that sometimes people flee an abusive situation and go into shelter without telling close friends or loved ones, she said.

"We have to honor their decision to do that," Gormal said, adding: "We know that can be a circumstance where an abuser might report them as missing and perpetuate those stalking and control behaviors."

Another consideration is what standards would be required to issue a Purple Alert. Domestic violence is a vastly underreported crime for many reasons, including distrust of law enforcement.

"A lot of people don't let the law know what's going on," Scott-Haney said. "They're afraid their kids could be taken away. ... Maybe they weren't financially secure, maybe it's against their culture."

If documentation is required — such as a police report, restraining order or other court record — it would severely limit which cases qualify for the Purple Alert and have a disproportionate effect on victims of color, Gormal said.

She said that gets to the heart of the issue: Black, brown and indigenous women and their families not being believed by police and not getting the same attention as missing white women.

"It feels to me there are systems in place that should be working effectively and the problem that we’re hearing from survivors is that they just don’t believe them," Gormal said.

"They’re not being believed or being heard or that their children are in danger, particularly if you are not white," she said. "If a person is saying my friend, my sister, my child is in danger, that in and of itself should be enough for police to be searching."

State lawmakers signal support but no bill introduced yet

Law enforcement across the country has long been criticized for its response to missing women of color. The Milwaukee Police Department is no different.

Frustrated families have turned to social media and activists for help in missing persons cases when they feel ignored by police and media outlets.

In Audrey's case, her family kept hearing from police that “she’s an adult, she can go away and not be found if she doesn’t want," said her sister, Ciara Long.

"But if it’s outside of her character, we need help," Long said.

Audrey's family spent weeks handing out flyers with her photo, scouring social media for clues and working with activist Tory Lowe to help get media attention. The Police Department did eventually classify Audrey as a "critical missing" days before her body was discovered.

In the years since Scott-Haney's daughter was murdered, the Milwaukee Police Department has updated its standard operating procedure on missing persons. The policy makes it clear that any missing person report will be taken without delay. There is no 24-hour waiting period.

The Police Department made a change after Corey Adams, a 45-year-old missing veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress, was found dead in 2017. His family pushed for a first-of-its-kind alert for veterans, similar to the Amber and Silver alerts for missing children and senior citizens.

Their efforts led to Wisconsin lawmakers approving a statewide "Green Alert" system and Milwaukee police adding "military veteran" to the critically missing criteria.

State Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, was one of the sponsors of the Green Alert legislation. He told the Journal Sentinel he supports the idea of a Purple Alert.

"I certainly understand the gravity of the issues surrounding domestic abuse and restraining orders," he said in an email.

The Journal Sentinel reached out to state lawmakers who represent the Milwaukee area and heard back from several others in addition to Carpenter. State Rep. David Bowen, D-Milwaukee, said he has been discussing the Purple Alert concept with the state Department of Justice and advocacy groups.

"This possibly could be a really good tool for community and law enforcement to hold people accountable," he said.

Any legislation would need bipartisan support to pass the Republican-controlled legislature, something Bowen and Carpenter acknowledged.

Remembering Audrey: 'She was a humanitarian'

Scott-Haney has dedicated herself to Audrey's legacy. She believes a Purple Alert is part of it.

Audrey was survived by her two daughters, five siblings, parents and grandparents. As a teen, she worked at the Salvation Army delivering meals. She had dreams of opening a group home for girls because she believed she could relate to them and help them change, her mother said.

"She was a humanitarian," Scott-Haney said. "She always helped other people especially her elders. She didn’t like to see children without."

Scott-Haney did not spend much time with the man her daughter had been dating, but even their limited interactions caused her to worry. One Thanksgiving, the family played the card game Uno after dinner. They made up their own rules and laughed when Audrey's boyfriend tried to correct them, telling him they were following the house rules.

"You could see him grit his teeth and smile and he wasn’t comfortable," Scott-Haney said. "I told my husband there’s something not right about him, he’s controlling."

Later, after her daughter disappeared, she learned more about the physical abuse, some of which had been witnessed by one of Audrey's daughters. The police were called at least once before, four months prior to Audrey's disappearance, for a battery complaint between the two that involved a knife.

Investigators later determined Audrey was killed the night she was last seen. An accomplice testified at trial to being with Audrey's ex-boyfriend as he drove her to Racine and marched her into a wooded area before shooting her. By the time she was found, her remains were skeletonized.

"Had I had an alert, I wouldn't have gotten Audrey back. I know she was murdered that night," Scott-Haney said.

"But I could have had her sooner to where maybe my grandchildren could have found some solace in seeing her pretty face one last time in the casket."

How to get involved

Carrie Scott-Haney has an online petition for those who support the creation of a Purple Alert at change.org/purplealert.

To find and contact your state representatives, click here.

The Milwaukee Police Department's missing persons policy can be found here. The Police Department also has created a presentation about the policy available here.

The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission has oversight over the department's policies and a list of commissioners and contact information can be found here.

Help is available for those in abusive relationships. In Milwaukee County, you can text the Sojourner Family Peace Center's 24-hour confidential domestic violence hotline at 414-877-8100 or call 414-933-2722.

For a full list of domestic violence resources across the state, including culturally specific organizations, go to endabusewi.org/get-help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at (800) 799-7233 or by texting LOVEIS to 22522.

Contact Ashley Luthern at ashley.luthern@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @aluthern.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Purple Alert proposed to find missing domestic violence victims