Mother's unthinkable loss fuels crusade for child protection laws

Driven by the unimaginable loss of her child to domestic violence, a mother has embarked on a mission to change the law to safeguard other children from similar fates.

Jesse Melvin, a 3-year-old, was killed by his father due to domestic violence in 2012.

Since her son's death, Christy Melvin has dedicated herself to advocating for legislation, hoping to protect children from being a part of domestic violence situations.

"He told me he was going to kill my son," Melvin said. "He was gonna hurt me like I hurt him."

In 2012, Melvin got the courage to leave her abusive relationship for good.

Not long after he was awarded joint custody, Melvin says her estranged husband shot and killed her 3-year-old son Jesse Ray Adams then himself – all while on the phone with her.

"I just gave into joint custody," she said. "It's not something that I felt needed to happen."

Since then Melvin has been working with Veronica Hatton to push for Jesse's law, a piece of legislation that works to prevent children from being put in the care of abusive parents.

"Every year, about 58,000 children are awarded custody to abusive parents in the United States," Hatton said. "They say about 969 children have been murdered."

Benjamin Weston, director of development at Hope Connection International, was a victim of domestic violence as a child. He wishes Jesse's law was there when he was a kid.

"You're going to save their lives physically, and you're going to save the relationships of everyone they come in contact with," Weston said.

Melvin says her son was a funny, sweet kid who followed her everywhere. There isn't a day that she doesn't think of Jesse.

"Why would I not want to change things for other children and their families?" Melvin said. "Why should I not use my pain, my hurt, to help other people not have to go through that?"

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a gathering will be held at the North Carolina State Capitol on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. to honor Jesse and others who have lost their lives to domestic violence. Melvin and a group of supporters will come together to remember those taken too soon and raise awareness about this important issue.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE). For county-by-county help, the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence has a list of resources at nccadv.org.

Here are some additional resources:

• The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) provides resources, safety plans and financial education.
• Wake County residents can call the InterAct crisis line at 919-828-7740 or go to interactofwake.org.