Murder victim fought to keep husband away
| Monday, Aug 10 2009 06:40 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Aug 11 2009 10:49 AM
In May reporter Steve E. Swenson wrote a story asking "Do restraining orders work?" Here are some excerpts:
About 2,400 people a year, mostly women, file domestic violence restraining orders in Kern County.
Do they work?
Divorce attorney Don Butz summed it up: "It's like a lock on your door. It works for honest people."
The Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault estimates more than half of the orders keep the restrained person away.
The rest are either violated or the victim allows the offender to come back.
The orders are most effective when both sides show up in court and hear a judge explain the consequences, Butz said.
Even so, it's not uncommon for women to be beaten even though they have an order. And occasionally, killings have shown restraining orders are just a piece of paper.
Both police and victim advocates encourage use of the orders. If police have evidence of a violation "you better believe we go out and arrest the guy, " said Detective Herman Caldas.
Bakersfield police average about 250 such arrests a year.
Preventing domestic violence:
Alliance Against Family Violence case manager Patty Avalos said people should be on the lookout for the signs of domestic violence.
Partners usually start with emotional abuse, such as making insulting comments or saying that the victim wouldn't be able to find another partner. Another sign to watch for is a partner who always wants to know where you are and what you are doing.
"You should be aware of those signs so you can make a decision early on," Avalos said.
If you are already in an abusive relationship, Avalos said the Alliance has shelters at undisclosed locations in Bakersfield where victims can stay temporarily. They also have access to shelters outside Kern County and even California.
For more information, call 327-1091
Images
Contributed / The Californian Photo of Annette Sowders.
Contributed / The Californian Photo of Sharon Sue Cannon.
Annette Sowders did everything she could to get her estranged husband out of her life.
She went to court just last week to maintain a restraining order against him. She called the sheriff's department when he showed up at her home in Oildale.
She even had him arrested last Tuesday for violating the restraining order.
He was released on bail sometime during the week.
And then, in the early hours of Saturday morning, Robert Dale Fuller shot and killed Sowders and her 69-year-old mother Sharon Sue Cannon, deputies say.
Janice Banducci, Sowders' divorce lawyer, fought off tears Monday morning.
"We did everything we could," she said.
Banducci said Fuller had harassed Sowders repeatedly, slashing her tires, slashing a kiddie pool, and calling dozens of times per day -- all in violation of the restraining order.
"I begged the judge (during last Monday's hearing) to admonish this man," she said.
Sowders moved to Bakersfield in the early 2000s and bought land on Plymouth Avenue, friends said. She opened "Cherokee Rose Stables" on her property, a reference to her Indian heritage, said longtime friend Jackie Underwood.
She met Fuller not long after, when he stabled his horse with her. The couple were married for eight years and had two children, Underwood said.
Then, about a year ago, the couple separated, according to Banducci. They reconciled for a while, but things went south again.
In April, Sowders' father died and Fuller served divorce papers at the memorial, which was being held at the Plymouth Avenue property, Underwood said.
"He sat down on the canal bank and watched the memorial," she said.
Later in April, Fuller made the news when he had a bizarre run-in with deputies.
Fuller allegedly shot himself in the head on April 29 and then attacked some neighbors with a pair of hedge trimmers at an Oildale trailer park. Eventually deputies shot Fuller with a Tazer and took him to the hospital.
Sowders got a restraining order shortly thereafter.
Over the next several months, deputies were called out to Sowders' home several times, including once after Fuller allegedly doused her car with gasoline, according to spokesman Senior Deputy Michael Whorf.
They arrested Fuller "two to three times," Whorf said.
"She was doing the right thing," Whorf said. "She was calling us and making reports."
It doesn't appear that any of those arrests lead to court cases. On Monday, the Kern County Superior Court records showed no cases against the 56-year-old related to the restraining order.
Then came Saturday.
Deputies say Fuller broke into Sowders' home after 2 a.m., confronted the women and eventually shot them both.
Sowders' 8-year-old daughter called police. The 8-year-old and another daughter, age 5, are staying with family, Whorf said.
Fuller was arrested a short time later in his truck, where deputies also found a gun, Whorf said.
Fuller is slated to appear in court today.
Friends remembered Sowders Monday as the consummate mother who kept her two girls busy with swimming lessons, acting lessons, dance lessons, Sunday school at Valley Baptist church and horse riding. Sowders loved riding as well and participated in local equestrian events.
By trade she was a school photographer, working for the same company for 20 years, Underwood said.
"She was always ready with a camera," Underwood said.
Cannon had moved in to help take care of the children while Sowders was at work. She was just as dedicated to the girls, Underwood said.
"Her hobby was her grandchildren," she said.
