In the coastal city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, a young mother's life was tragically cut short in a devastating act of domestic violence. Emily Baker Icban, a 30-year-old Caucasian woman, was killed on March 4, 2022, by her husband, Frederick Icban, in what police have described as a murder-suicide. At the time of her death, Emily was a mother to five children and was actively taking steps to leave an abusive relationship.
In the days leading up to the fatal incident, friends and family
of Emily were aware of the escalating troubles in her marriage. Described as abusive and paranoid, Frederick Icban had become a source of fear for Emily. She had recently secured a new apartment and, on the very day of her death, had sought and obtained an emergency protective order against him. Her attempts to create a safe future for herself and her children were tragically thwarted.
On that Friday evening, Virginia Beach police were called to the Icbans' home on Douglas Court. Upon their arrival, they discovered a grim scene. Emily had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, while her husband, Frederick, was found with a single gunshot wound. Both were transported to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead. The subsequent investigation by the Tidewater Medical Examiner's Office officially ruled Emily's death a homicide and Frederick's a suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The investigation further revealed the harrowing circumstances of the murder. Frederick Icban shot his wife multiple times while their two youngest children were present in the back of their vehicle in their car seats. After taking Emily's life, he turned the weapon on himself. The Virginia Beach Police Department confirmed the domestic nature of the shooting but released few other details about the ongoing investigation. In the wake of this tragedy, Emily's family established a GoFundMe page to support her five children, left motherless by this violent act.
