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Family: Blossvale homicide an example of "domestic violence at the extreme"

By By JOLEEN FERRIS

Story Created: Jun 25, 2010 at 12:48 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jun 25, 2010 at 6:14 PM EDT

BLOSSVALE, N.Y. (WKTV) - She got out of an abusive situation and the unimaginable happened.

Jamie Baker's mother, Sandy Baker, says the family had finally helped remove Jamie and her two children from an abusive relationship with Adam Theall. Theall is accused of shooting the couple's infant son, three-month old Eithan Theall, to death in front of State Troopers, who then shot and injured him. It all happened Tuesday at Theall's parents' home in Blossvale.

"This is domestic violence at the extreme;" said Sandy Baker. "She blamed herself, saying 'if I just would have stayed...my baby would still be alive' and it's not her fault. She did what she was supposed to do. If she had stayed, it would have been all of them."

Domestic violence victim advocates at the YWCA in Utica agree - it's not Jamie's fault.

"This, again, is about him," said non-residential director Rosemary Vennero. "Those were his choices. Those were his choices to be abusive in the relationship and that was his choice on Tuesday to do what he did. No one's responsible for that except him."

Vennero wants to stress that victims need to make sure they're emotionally ready to get out - and stay out. She says that exit plans and safety measures are needed, but stresses that no one can control the actions of a volatile, unstable abuser.

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