Kayla Tate White, formerly Buening, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Alison Kessler of Madison County, Ala., lost their children to murder-suicides at the the hands of their former intimate partners despite their desperate pleas for help to the courts and law enforcement. Now, these two grieving mothers are fighting to get legislation passed in their respective states that would protect other children in domestic violence situations. Jim Rassol and Eric Schultz/MCIR
Prologue
Alison
Alison Kessler read the text again on her smartphone: I want to see your head separated from your body.
She swallowed hard. That text on May, 19, 2020, was one of many threatening messages she received from John Stacey, the father of her 4-year-old son.
