A new law went into effect in Tennessee on Monday that requires GPS monitoring of the most violent domestic offenders. Born out of unspeakable tragedy, the law is the first of its kind in the U.S.
On April 12, 2021, Debbie Sisco and her daughter, Marie Varsos, were shot and killed outside Nashville by Marie’s estranged husband, Shaun Varsos, who later committed suicide.
Varsos broke into his mother-in-law’s house, where Marie was staying, with guns, cable ties and battery acid at the ready to track down the perpetrators.
He had been released on bail after strangling and threatening his wife with a gun a month earlier.
Alex Youn, Marie’s brother and Debbie’s son, was devastated.
“Two people I loved very much were ripped from my life in an instant,” Youn said.
Varsos was considered a threat enough that the judge could have required a GPS tracking device as a condition of his bail, but he did not. Youn believes his mother and sister would still be alive if the judge had required it.
“That’s a question for the judge. It’s one that makes me angry,” Youn said.
Judges can require GPS monitoring as a condition of bail, but often do not.
Youn channeled his pain and anger into a successful push for mandatory GPS tracking of aggravated assault offenders in domestic violence cases. Tennessee’s new law is called the Debbie and Marie Domestic Violence Protection Act.
According to the CDC, one in four women and one in seven men are victims of domestic violence.
“If there are firearms involved, if there is strangulation involved, if there is increased stalking involved, [offenders] “Women are more likely to do it again,” said Jennifer Waindle, deputy director of the nonprofit Battered Women’s Justice Project.
Here’s how GPS tracking can potentially make the difference between life and death. The technology alerts victims via a phone app or electronic device when an offender violates a protection order, such as moving within a certain radius of the victim or violating an exclusion zone, such as their home. When that happens, the victim can receive multiple alerts, such as text messages and emails, while a monitoring center calls law enforcement.
Ray Gandolf, director of business development at Tennessee AMS, is helping to lead the way in using GPS technology as a safety tool.
“Every second counts,” said Gandolf.
Gandolf said the alerts can allow victims to seek help or take cover. “They can position themselves in a safe place, lock themselves in a place where they have the ability to call 911 and have help sent to them immediately,” Gandolf said.
In Tennessee, Youn has ensured that the names of Debbie Sisco and Marie Varsos live on.
“I hope other states will look at what Tennessee is doing and implement this in other states as well,” Youn said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org, or texting “START” to 88788.
