TWTDNH is a truth-telling podcast on domestic violence, trauma, and systemic injustice. If you’ve survived abuse, loss, or institutional neglect—or work in these spaces—we’re seeking collaborators and experts to help amplify unheard voices. 📧 healingwounds13@gmail.com

In this brief update, Tressa returns from a hiatus to share two cases that urgently need attention. The first involves an active international manhunt for a missing Navy reservist after his wife was found deceased under disturbing circumstances. The second honors the life of a soldier whose story has received far too little coverage. With limited information available, this mini‑episode highlights their names, their humanity, and the early details we do know.

Sources for Lina Guerra Case

WAVY‑TV 10, Norfolk, VA
🔗 WAVY News 10 Coverage: https://www.wavy.com

Sources for Sgt. Esther Gitau Case

🔗 “Fort Hood noncommissioned officer sentenced to 26 years for killing wife”
https://www.stripes.com

SOURCES FOR DV VICTIMS, PLEASE ONLY ACCESS FROM A DEVICE YOUR ABUSER DOESN'T ACCCESS!

U.S. Resources

• National Domestic Violence Hotline
  24/7 confidential support via phone (800-799-7233), text (“START” to 88788), and online chat. Offers safety planning, emotional support, and referrals.
• DomesticShelters.org
  Searchable database of over 3,000 shelters and programs across the U.S. and Canada. Includes articles, survivor stories, and healing resources.
• National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)
  Offers training, technical assistance, and policy advocacy. Hosts VAWnet, a library of research and tools for professionals and survivors.
• Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
  U.S. Department of Justice site with links to state coalitions, tribal programs, and national hotlines.

🌍 Global Resources

• NO MORE Global Directory
  A comprehensive international directory of domestic and sexual violence helplines and services in nearly every UN-recognized country.
• Hot Peach Pages
  Offers domestic violence information and hotline listings in over 110 languages. Ideal for multilingual and international access.
• Global Network of Women’s Shelters
  Connects shelters worldwide to promote best practices and advocate for survivors globally.
• Pathways to Safety International
  Tailored support for Americans experiencing abuse while abroad—includes legal aid, relocation help, and emergency assistance.

If you’re a service member struggling with mental health:
• Call 988, then press 1
• Text 838255
• Or chat at https://chat.988lifeline.org/

TWTDNH is a truth-telling podcast on domestic violence, trauma, and systemic injustice. If you’ve survived abuse, loss, or institutional neglect—or work in these spaces—we’re seeking collaborators and experts to help amplify unheard voices. 📧 healingwounds13@gmail.com

In this episode, listeners are invited into two powerful and heartbreaking stories of young Black women whose lives were cut short while carrying the children they longed to welcome. Through Raquiah King and Akelia Ware’s journeys, the episode explores the devastating intersection of pregnancy, intimate partner violence, and systemic inequities in healthcare and society. With compassion and urgency, the narrative honors their choices, their dreams, and the families left behind, while shining a light on the dangers too often ignored.

More than a recounting of tragedy, this episode is a call to awareness and action. It threads together personal reflection, medical insight, and the voices of loved ones to underscore how bias, silence, and violence continue to endanger women—especially women of color. Listeners will leave not only remembering Raquiah and Akelia, but also carrying forward the reminder that protecting mothers and children means confronting uncomfortable truths and demanding change.

If you are Pregnant and need help immediately:

United States Resources:

Pregnant women needing immediate housing..dialing 2‑1‑1 is the fastest way to connect with local housing resources in the U.S.

• WIC (Women, Infants, and Children Program) → https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic
• Medicaid / Pregnancy Medicaid → https://www.medicaid.gov
• TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) → https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/programs/tanf
• Good Counsel Homes (Maternity Homes in NY/NJ) → https://www.goodcounselhomes.org
• Homeless Prenatal Program (San Francisco, CA) → https://www.homelessprenatal.org
• Dial 2‑1‑1 (U.S.) → https://www.211.org

🌍 Global Resources

• UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) → https://www.unfpa.org
• International Rescue Committee (IRC) → https://www.rescue.org
• Save the Children → https://www.savethechildren.org
• Marie Stopes International (MSI Reproductive Choices) → https://www.msichoices.org

Domestic Violence Support:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.) → https://www.thehotline.org
• Women’s Aid (UK & International) → https://www.womensaid.org.uk

If you are a veteran struggling with your mental health please dial 988 and press 1. YOU MATTER.

TWTDNH is a truth-telling podcast on domestic violence, trauma, and systemic injustice. If you’ve survived abuse, loss, or institutional neglect—or work in these spaces—we’re seeking collaborators and experts to help amplify unheard voices. 📧 healingwounds13@gmail.com

This episode traces the story of Danielle Rippeon, a young woman from Northern California whose search for love and stability led her into a whirlwind relationship with a newly enlisted soldier. What began as a fast‑moving romance soon revealed cracks—jealousy, control, and fear quietly shaping her daily life.

Set against the backdrop of military culture, weapons expertise, and the pressures of young marriage, Danielle’s story unfolds with mounting tension. What appears from the outside as a couple building a future together becomes, behind closed doors, something far more troubling.

🔗 Sources for This Episode

• 🔗 The News Tribune – Editorial on the Skylar Nemetz case
• 🔗 Crime Desk (Medium) – The Tragic Story of Skylar Nemetz That Ended in the Loss of Young Life
• 🔗 CBS News / 48 Hours – Coverage by Erin Moriarty (segment featuring Skylar Nemetz and his mother)
• 🔗 Washington State Court of Appeals records (Tacoma, WA) – Case filings and rulings on Nemetz’s appeal
• 🔗 Police reports and testimony – Officer Darrell Moore’s account at the scene (referenced in trial coverage)

Sources for Domestic Violence Help

• 🇺🇸 🔗 National Domestic Violence Hotline – 24/7 confidential support via phone (1‑800‑799‑SAFE), text, or online chat
• 🇺🇸 🔗 State Resources Directory – U.S. Office on Women’s Health – Find local programs and shelters by state

🌍 Global Resources

• 🌍 🔗 NO MORE Global Directory – International directory of domestic and sexual violence helplines and services in over 200 countries
• 🌍 🔗 DomesticShelters.org – International Organizations – Global network of shelters, hotlines, and advocacy groups

Veterans Crisis Line (988)

• 🔗 Veterans Crisis Line – 988, then Press 1
  Confidential support for veterans, service members, and their families. Available 24/7 by dialing 988 and pressing 1, or through chat and text options on the site.