Reporter Remembered During Victims' Week
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Every day, she walked Roxxi and Quincy - a pit bull and a pit bull mix - at a dog park near her residence in Prior Lake, Minn. She met other dog owners there, and everyone knew Roxxi and Quincy were her dogs.
"She just wanted to take care of her dogs," said Lipka's sister, Karen Whitaker.
Lipka also had a cat she was very fond of named Skeeter.
But on Nov. 12, Lipka would no longer be able to take care of the three pets she adored. Lipka was found dead, wrapped in a tarp in an attached garage at her home. Her husband, Charles Anthony "Tony" Maddox Jr., was arrested for her murder. He is in jail now, awaiting trial.
Lipka, who was 45 when she died, worked for the Times-Union from April 1, 1987, to July 8, 2003. During her tenure at the Times-Union, she covered lifestyles and general assignments, as well as police and courts under the bylines of Ruth Anne Lipka and Ruth Anne Long.
She will be one of the victims of domestic violence remembered during National Crime Victims' Rights Week April 26 through May 2.[[In-content Ad]]A walk against violence will be May 2 at the Grace College Campus.
Weather permitting, a dog walk will begin at 3 p.m. at McClain Hall on the Grace College campus. Dog registration is at 2:30 p.m. However, a person does not need to have a dog to partake in the walk.
Members from the Kosciusko County Animal Welfare League will be present with dogs available for adoption. All dogs must be secured on a leash. Dog walkers should bring proof of vaccinations for their dogs, including a rabies shot.
At 3:30 p.m., there will be a vigil at McClain Hall for "Remembering Ruth Anne." Brief comments will be made by Becky Moreno, Victims' Assistance coordinator; Whitaker; and Darla McCammon, Animal Welfare League.
Whitaker said the AWL is involved because of her sister's love for pets.
The event concludes at 4 p.m. with a balloon launch and the Grace College choir.
"This has affected our whole family in such a negative way," Whitaker said of her sister's murder. "My parents are shattered, all of us are heartbroken. We just can't believe she's gone."
According to twincities.com, Lipka filed for divorce from her husband Oct. 22. A hearing for the divorce was scheduled for Nov. 6. However, prior to that court date, Maddox's attorney and Lipka's attorney came to an agreement on the divorce. The divorce was expected to be concluded the week of her death.
According to an affidavit filed in the divorce, Ruth Anne was concerned about how her husband would react to the breakup, based on an incident of abuse that occurred a year ago when the possibility of a divorce had been brought up. But Lipka did not expect any extreme violence, her attorney said in November. He said there was no reason to believe anything to this extent would happen.
Initial police reports indicate Lipka was beaten to death.
A common concern for women leaving abusive relationships is finding a place to seek shelter, not only for themselves, but for their pets as well. Lipka's three pets were one reason Lipka stayed in Minnesota, Whitaker said. People offered her a place to go, but Lipka didn't want to be a burden. She didn't think she could take her dogs with her.
Whitaker said her sister was looking forward to coming back to Indiana and starting over.
"She was very optimistic, and that was taken," said Whitaker. "Our goal is to never let anyone forget her and her spirit."
Lipka, Whitaker said, was a joy and always had her happy face on. She was smart and loved life.
While Whitaker said domestic violence may never go away, if her sister's story can touch just one woman, if it can save one woman from abuse, then that's a good thing.
In Lipka's case, Whitaker said, there were no signs of physical abuse, but the emotional and verbal abuse was there.
"One thing that would be helpful would be to bring awareness to verbal and emotional abuse. People tend to downplay that," said Moreno.
People do not understand that not only is the impact of verbal or emotional abuse damaging, but it also changes the way the victim sees themselves. When a victim of verbal or emotional abuse tries to leave, that is a very dangerous time, Moreno said, because that's when the abuser may move to physically abuse the victim.
Moreno said she encourages people who have friends or family in an abusive relationship to help and encourage them. Be proactive, and understand what the victim is going through.
"Words are not just words. The old saying, 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words may never hurt me,' isn't true. When a woman is told everyday she is worthless, she will believe that," Moreno said. "It can change a whole person's thinking."
Lipka moved to Prior Lake from Warsaw in 2003 after marrying Maddox. They attended high school together in Hammond and reconnected after attending a class reunion.
In Minnesota, Lipka became a reporter with two newspapers owned by Southwest Newspapers. She first worked at the Savage Pacer and then at the Shakopee Valley News. She also worked part time at a Kohl's store.
Lipka's death was the first homicide in Prior Lake since January 27, 2002. In that case a man killed his wife then took his own life, according to the Star Tribune.
In 2008, Moreno said the Victim Service Center in Kosciusko County worked with 136 domestic violence victims, 30 victims of sexual assault, six survivors of homicide victims and 15 stalking victims. But getting an accurate number of domestic violence cases is difficult, she said, because people don't always report them.
"People, in general, don't realize how unfortunately common it is," Moreno said. If the embarrassment and stigma of domestic violence could be eliminated, she said more victims would seek help.
"Ruth Anne's story reminds us it can happen to anyone," said Moreno. "There certainly is no stereotype."
For more information about National Crime Victims' Rights Week, or "Remembering Ruth Anne," call 574-372-9539, e-mail [email protected] or visit online at www.victimservicecenter.org
Every day, she walked Roxxi and Quincy - a pit bull and a pit bull mix - at a dog park near her residence in Prior Lake, Minn. She met other dog owners there, and everyone knew Roxxi and Quincy were her dogs.
"She just wanted to take care of her dogs," said Lipka's sister, Karen Whitaker.
Lipka also had a cat she was very fond of named Skeeter.
But on Nov. 12, Lipka would no longer be able to take care of the three pets she adored. Lipka was found dead, wrapped in a tarp in an attached garage at her home. Her husband, Charles Anthony "Tony" Maddox Jr., was arrested for her murder. He is in jail now, awaiting trial.
Lipka, who was 45 when she died, worked for the Times-Union from April 1, 1987, to July 8, 2003. During her tenure at the Times-Union, she covered lifestyles and general assignments, as well as police and courts under the bylines of Ruth Anne Lipka and Ruth Anne Long.
She will be one of the victims of domestic violence remembered during National Crime Victims' Rights Week April 26 through May 2.[[In-content Ad]]A walk against violence will be May 2 at the Grace College Campus.
Weather permitting, a dog walk will begin at 3 p.m. at McClain Hall on the Grace College campus. Dog registration is at 2:30 p.m. However, a person does not need to have a dog to partake in the walk.
Members from the Kosciusko County Animal Welfare League will be present with dogs available for adoption. All dogs must be secured on a leash. Dog walkers should bring proof of vaccinations for their dogs, including a rabies shot.
At 3:30 p.m., there will be a vigil at McClain Hall for "Remembering Ruth Anne." Brief comments will be made by Becky Moreno, Victims' Assistance coordinator; Whitaker; and Darla McCammon, Animal Welfare League.
Whitaker said the AWL is involved because of her sister's love for pets.
The event concludes at 4 p.m. with a balloon launch and the Grace College choir.
"This has affected our whole family in such a negative way," Whitaker said of her sister's murder. "My parents are shattered, all of us are heartbroken. We just can't believe she's gone."
According to twincities.com, Lipka filed for divorce from her husband Oct. 22. A hearing for the divorce was scheduled for Nov. 6. However, prior to that court date, Maddox's attorney and Lipka's attorney came to an agreement on the divorce. The divorce was expected to be concluded the week of her death.
According to an affidavit filed in the divorce, Ruth Anne was concerned about how her husband would react to the breakup, based on an incident of abuse that occurred a year ago when the possibility of a divorce had been brought up. But Lipka did not expect any extreme violence, her attorney said in November. He said there was no reason to believe anything to this extent would happen.
Initial police reports indicate Lipka was beaten to death.
A common concern for women leaving abusive relationships is finding a place to seek shelter, not only for themselves, but for their pets as well. Lipka's three pets were one reason Lipka stayed in Minnesota, Whitaker said. People offered her a place to go, but Lipka didn't want to be a burden. She didn't think she could take her dogs with her.
Whitaker said her sister was looking forward to coming back to Indiana and starting over.
"She was very optimistic, and that was taken," said Whitaker. "Our goal is to never let anyone forget her and her spirit."
Lipka, Whitaker said, was a joy and always had her happy face on. She was smart and loved life.
While Whitaker said domestic violence may never go away, if her sister's story can touch just one woman, if it can save one woman from abuse, then that's a good thing.
In Lipka's case, Whitaker said, there were no signs of physical abuse, but the emotional and verbal abuse was there.
"One thing that would be helpful would be to bring awareness to verbal and emotional abuse. People tend to downplay that," said Moreno.
People do not understand that not only is the impact of verbal or emotional abuse damaging, but it also changes the way the victim sees themselves. When a victim of verbal or emotional abuse tries to leave, that is a very dangerous time, Moreno said, because that's when the abuser may move to physically abuse the victim.
Moreno said she encourages people who have friends or family in an abusive relationship to help and encourage them. Be proactive, and understand what the victim is going through.
"Words are not just words. The old saying, 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words may never hurt me,' isn't true. When a woman is told everyday she is worthless, she will believe that," Moreno said. "It can change a whole person's thinking."
Lipka moved to Prior Lake from Warsaw in 2003 after marrying Maddox. They attended high school together in Hammond and reconnected after attending a class reunion.
In Minnesota, Lipka became a reporter with two newspapers owned by Southwest Newspapers. She first worked at the Savage Pacer and then at the Shakopee Valley News. She also worked part time at a Kohl's store.
Lipka's death was the first homicide in Prior Lake since January 27, 2002. In that case a man killed his wife then took his own life, according to the Star Tribune.
In 2008, Moreno said the Victim Service Center in Kosciusko County worked with 136 domestic violence victims, 30 victims of sexual assault, six survivors of homicide victims and 15 stalking victims. But getting an accurate number of domestic violence cases is difficult, she said, because people don't always report them.
"People, in general, don't realize how unfortunately common it is," Moreno said. If the embarrassment and stigma of domestic violence could be eliminated, she said more victims would seek help.
"Ruth Anne's story reminds us it can happen to anyone," said Moreno. "There certainly is no stereotype."
For more information about National Crime Victims' Rights Week, or "Remembering Ruth Anne," call 574-372-9539, e-mail [email protected] or visit online at www.victimservicecenter.org
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