By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
A man arrested three times for domestic charges is held in the stabbing death of his girlfriend Tuesday night in her Portsmouth apartment.
Police would not immediately identify the 42-year old victim, but she was identified as Yolanda McArdle by the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Police said her occasional boyfriend, Raymond Ramsey was found near her lifeless body in her Almeida Terrace apartment, a large knife nearby.
“The victim was stabbed multiple times, it really was a horrific scene,” said Portsmouth Police Chief Thomas Lee.
Lee said police had responded at least three times previously to the apartment for domestic related incidents, and said that in addition to a charge of domestic murder, Ramsey would be charged with violation of a domestic no contact order.
“It just shows the tragedy of these type of cases, and he’s back in that apartment,” Lee said. “Again, we don’t know all the facts of how he was back at the scene, but I just think it goes to the nature of domestic violence and some of the challenges we face. And, it shows it can happen anywhere.”
Lee said a rookie officer, Kyle Hurley had responded at 10:48 P.M. Tuesday to a noise complaint, and found the woman dead, Ramsey nearby.
“The officer ordered him to the ground at gunpoint. I would not say he was completely cooperative but the officer took control,” Chief Lee said.
Ramsey sustained multiple cuts, and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where Lee said he would be arraigned later in the day.
“In the wake of six domestic violence homicides and eight lives lost as a result of domestic violence in Rhode Island in 2015, it is critical that our criminal justice system strengthens its response to domestic violence,” said Deborah DeBare, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Lori DiPersio, Executive Director of the Women’s Resource Center in a joint statement.
“As our communities mourn this loss of life in sadness and outrage, this tragedy reminds us that domestic violence is a widespread epidemic, one that impacts all Rhode Islanders,” they said.
