The sisters of Denise Morgan, who was killed in a murder-suicide in New York last month, have warned of the dangers of abusive relationships, encouraging people to "walk once you see red flags".
Denise Morgan, 39, who was originally from Tullyallen in County Louth, was shot dead by her ex-boyfriend Joed Taveras, 33, in a house in Glendale, Queens, on October 21. Taveras then turned the gun on himself.
Speaking to RTÉ's Prime Time on the one-month anniversary of her death on Wednesday, Morgan's sisters Shannon and Lisa spoke of the abusive and controlling behavior that she endured at the hands of Taveras and urged people in abusive relationships to see the warning signs.
Lisa and Shannon told Prime Time that they "always knew" that Taveras was a "very jealous person" and said Denise was in the process of moving out of their shared apartment at the time of her death, adding that the couple had broken up sometime earlier.
They said Denise once woke up to Taveras attempting to choke her and added that Denise frequently reassured them that she was going to leave the relationship.
"We knew she was in a bad situation, and she kept telling us, ‘no, it’s okay. I’m gonna be moving out, don’t worry.’ But like, she always told us. And that’s the guilt that’s gonna live with us forever as knowing what could have been," Shannon Morgan told Prime Time on Wednesday.
Shannon and Lisa said Taveras attempted to control their sister by not allowing her to wear certain clothes or talk to other men.
"Sometimes as women, we tend to ignore this behavior, the jealousy, the control," Shannon told the program.
"Denise knew that he was jealous, but she played it off and she played it off until she couldn't. And just to know that they're never gonna change and to walk once you see the red flags, it's very important."
Lisa added that they are now trying to raise awareness about abusive relationships.
"We are speaking as Denise’s voice, just to try and raise awareness against domestic violence. If you’re noticing any of these kind of things that we mention, you just need to get out of that situation," Lisa told Prime Time.
Watch the interview here:
‘Don't ignore red flags’: Sisters of murder victim speak out
The sisters of Denise Morgan who was killed in New York a month ago have told @barrycummins12 they are speaking out raise awareness about domestic violence, and to be her voice.
READ: https://t.co/Hv78fnThMG#rtept
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) November 21, 2023
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