In the fall of 2009, a quiet home in Peoria, Arizona, became the scene of a devastating tragedy that claimed the lives of two women. Linda Lee Braden, a 56-year-old female, and her daughter, 26-year-old Dawn Pauline Axsom, were found deceased in their residence on October 16th. The devastating discovery was made after Dawn, a loving mother to a nearly two-year-old son, failed to show up for work that morning, sparking concern among her colleagues.
Coworkers, aware of the ongoing turmoil
in Dawn's life, went to her home to check on her. Upon their arrival, they heard the cries of her young child inside but received no answer at the door. Their concern mounting, they contacted the Peoria Police Department. What the police found inside was a scene of heartbreak and violence. Linda Lee Braden was discovered in the downstairs kitchen, and her daughter, Dawn, was found in an upstairs bathroom. Both women had succumbed to gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the deaths quickly revealed a grim story of domestic violence. The perpetrator was identified as Dawn's 28-year-old estranged boyfriend, Gabriel Schwartz. He was also found deceased in a bedroom adjacent to where Dawn's body was located, having died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The evidence pointed to a horrific murder-suicide, a final, violent act that left a young boy without his mother and grandmother.
In the time leading up to the tragedy, Dawn had taken legal steps to protect herself and her son from Schwartz. She had successfully obtained an order of protection against him in September of 2009, citing threats and detailing their tumultuous relationship. Despite her palpable fear for their safety, her request to relocate with her son to Maryland was denied by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge. Instead, the court ordered that she and Schwartz attend parental counseling together. The unharmed toddler was found in his crib at the scene and was subsequently placed in the care of Child Protective Services. The deaths of Linda and Dawn left their surviving family, including Linda's two sons and Dawn's son and father, to grapple with the profound loss.
