San Mateo County is currently grappling with a chilling reality: all five of the homicides that have occurred this year are due to one cause – domestic violence. The most recent of these cases is the heartbreaking story of Grace Marie Kelly, a woman shot and killed by her boyfriend, Aubrey Avery Jr., in what has been described as a case of domestic violence.
Earlier today, Grace Marie Kelly's life came to an abrupt end. Police responded to a 911 call and found her dead in the garage of her Daly City home. Her boyfriend, Aubrey Avery Jr., was arrested approximately half a mile away and charged with her murder as reported by Henry K. Lee of KTVU.
“I loved her to the very end.” Family in mourning after Grace Marie Kelly is shot & killed, a victim of domestic violence, reports @AmberKTVU. Aubrey Avery Jr., her boyfriend, arrested by @DalyCityPD, charged by @SanMateoCoDA w/murder pic.twitter.com/xEsKmbQp0V
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) September 6, 2023
This tragic event is not an isolated incident. In fact, all five homicides recorded in the county in 2023 have been linked to domestic violence, a statistic that has caught the attention of the District Attorney's office and raises serious concerns about the safety of those in San Mateo County, especially when within the confines of their own homes.
As noted by San Mateo County Deputy District Attorney Sean Gallagher, "There was no evidence (Prior) of any domestic violence between Kelly and Avery. She didn't appear injured. She wasn't bleeding so there was no basis for police to make an arrest." Hours before her death, Kelly had called 911 to report that Avery had threatened her with a gun, however when police arrived, both she and Avery denied the presence of a firearm.
