HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) – Henrico police confirm the capture of murder suspect Alvin Rashawn Marshall happened around 10 p.m. on Tuesday. The arrest came following an all day search after the body of Tiffany Green was found murdered just after midnight, off 300 block of Newbridge Road.

Police said two young children and Green’s teenage sister were in the home when the shooting happened.

Court documents would indicate that 21-year-old Tiffany Green spent the last few months of her life living in fear. She had told the courts and her family that her ex-boyfriend Alvin Rashawn Marshall threatened her; harassed her at home and work with text messages and phone calls. He even assaulted her.

“Somewhere along the line there was a failure in being able to protect her,” said Gena Boyle, advocate against domestic violence.

It appears from her paper trail in court that Green had tried to sound the alarm. She’d been granted two emergency protective orders in January and February. She had filed criminal charges for harassment, assault and extortion against the Marshall.

Advocates claim protection orders can be helpful when they’re enforced by those who surround the victim but in some extreme cases filing for one can escalate matters.

“It can cause more danger because the abuser realizes that he’s losing control of the victim that she’s reaching out,” said Boyle.

Boyle recognizes a pattern in the Green case that she sees with many victims that seek help.

“It sounds to me like this is a very classic case of stalking,” said Boyle.

In Virginia a stalking offense has a tough burden of proof and only becomes a felony after the third conviction.

Delegate Jennifer McClellan has been trying strengthen the law or six years following the murder of a University of Richmond student by her former boyfriend.

“Stalking escalates to violence escalates to murder,” said McClellan.

McClellan’s bill fails year after year when it gets to the funding part.

Creating a new felony carries a budget price tag $50,000 dollars in the Virginia legislature. McClellan says Green’s case is yet another reason she’ll bring it again next year.

“Unless we do something this going to keep happening, I hope it doesn’t take another woman getting killed before we realize that,” said McClellan

nothing prevents murder, humans have murdered since the beginning of their existence

but , sometimes, the possibility of more than a slap on the wrist, works to DETER people from committing crimes,,,

nothing prevents murder, humans have murdered since the beginning of their existence

Self defense does. When the murderer is dead or held at gun point, he/she finds it very hard to complete the crime. Same goes for rape, robbery and well every other freaking crime imaginable.

but nothing will stop all murder everywhere,,people will continue to murder regardless of laws but that doesnt mean laws and other deterrents arent necessary to minimize those potential numbers

Ok . . this is stating the obvious. I do not see how this is answering the questions central to this threads OP.

In what way does making stalking laws felonies influence murders.
How can law enforcement determine if a stalker is a stalker and not just a citizen driving around with a camera, would journalist be stalkers with possible felony violations for waiting around to get a picture?

What are the ramifications of these kinds of laws, and would they really be a deterrent. Would a stalker even know about these laws prior to being convicted? If not how would that be a deterrent?

The real questions are much harder to answer than the obvious ones . . .

making something a felony (meaning the minimum usually served is usually a year, unlike a misdemeanor where a year is usually the max)
is a deterrent the same way that some feel owning a gun is a deterrent,,,,when and if people weigh potential consequences of their actions, they sometimes reconsider and choose another path

a journalist SHOULD be a stalker if they are following around someone who has taken the time to get a TRO that they STAY AWAY from them,,, being a journalist shouldn't give someone a pass to violate my space if not wanted anymore than a doctor has a pass to rape me

She should have had a gun and been trained how to use it.

Do you agree that most people do not know the law? Do you agree that knowledge of the penalty is required for the penalty to be a deterrent?

How large is your personal space? If the person was 100 yards away watching you would that be violating your personal space?

I also wonder of the total number of "stalkers" how many end up committing a real crime vs just being annoying.

Also I wonder if stalking is caused by psychological issues that would be better corrected by not placing a person in prison with a felony charge.

It is easy to want to lock up that which you do not understand, its much harder to research, study, and come to understand and develop best practices to mitigate certain behaviors.

Bullets mitigate certain behaviors. Scopes mitigate certain behaviors at a greater distance.

I she had been trained to use a gun properly,none of your exceptions apply and he would have been shot and killed.

I think trying to detail the elements of a stalking crime makes for a very challenging endeavor to try to balance individual rights vs a persons perceived safety.

I just dont think its possible for a law to be effective in this way, and also not violate citizens rights.

The only protection which is effective, and does not violate anyone rights is personal protection via being armed.

That form of protection is only taken up when the attacker has already decided to violate your rights, his end where yours begin. No infringement, no trying to fit a square peg into a round hole with a stalker law, and then have ignorance of law removing the actual ability for it to deter.

With all the negatives, I just cant see it being worth while for the limited potential for effectiveness, and this is probably why this has been swatted down time after time in that particular legislature.