In the summer of 2012, the life of 41-year-old Woynshet Woldemariam, a Black female of Ethiopian descent, was tragically cut short. On July 14, in a parking lot in Apple Valley, Minnesota, Woldemariam was shot multiple times by Anteneh Tsegaye, the 41-year-old father of her two young children. Following the shooting, Tsegaye took his own life in what authorities would describe as a murder-suicide.
At the time of her death, Woldemariam was working at a shelter for battered women, drawing from her own experiences to help others.
The violent end to Woldemariam's life was the culmination of a long and troubled history with Tsegaye. Although the couple was not legally married, they were connected through a religious ceremony and had a 4-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter together. Their relationship had officially ended in 2008, but it was followed by years of conflict and legal battles. Court records presented a confusing picture of their dynamic, with Woldemariam having been previously convicted on domestic abuse charges and for violating protection orders that Tsegaye had obtained against her.
Despite the court records that painted her as the aggressor, those close to the situation described a different reality. Woldemariam's attorney and a former guardian ad litem who had worked with the family asserted that she was the true victim of ongoing physical, emotional, and verbal abuse. They contended that Tsegaye was adept at manipulating the judicial system to his advantage. A Dakota County judge had ultimately awarded custody of the children to Woldemariam, with a guardian ad litem recommending this placement due to Tsegaye's abusive behavior. In the end, the cycle of violence that Woldemariam was working to escape ultimately claimed her life.
