Amy’s Story: A Fight for Protection

Crime Salad

True Crime

4.4 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Amy Diane Homan McGee did everything she could to escape the grip of abuse—seeking protection through the courts and local police. In a moment of “enough is enough,” she tried to build a life of safety and peace for herself and her children. But then, Amy’s life was taken by the very man she had fought so hard to get away from.

This episode tells the story of Amy’s strength, her fight for protection, and the overlooked dangers that could have saved her life. It’s a reminder that leaving isn’t the end of the battle for many survivors—it’s often when the danger escalates most.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through the National Domestic Violence Hotline:
📞 Call 1-800-799-7233
💬 Text “START” to 88788
💻 Or chat live at thehotline.org
You deserve safety. You deserve to be heard.

Things you need to check out:

“Telling Amy’s Story” by Penn State Public Broadcasting: https://www.pbs.org/video/telling-amys-story-84oxa5/

Thank you for supporting Crime Salad! Consider becoming a Patreon or Apple Subscriber to support the show! Thanks for listening! - Ashley & Ricky

Key topics: Amy McGee case, domestic violence murder, State College Pennsylvania, intimate partner homicide, Telling Amy’s Story documentary, Vincent McGee, Deirdri Fishel, protective order failure, true crime domestic abuse, Mariska Hargitay, warning signs of abuse, emotional abuse, controlling partners, IPV statistics, victim advocacy, domestic violence resources.

Transcript

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0:00.0	On December 19th of 1998, Amy McGee sat in her parents' car in the parking lot in front of the police station.
0:12.3	She was on the verge of making a huge decision that could shape the rest of her life.
0:17.7	Earlier that evening, she had finally confided in her parents, Garth and Diana Holman,
0:22.8	about the increasing turmoil that was taking over her world.
0:27.5	She confessed to them that she no longer felt safe in her home.
0:31.3	Amy was ready to leave.
0:34.8	And Garth and Diana did what people are usually reminded to do when their child shares such
0:40.2	intense fears with them. They believed her, and they didn't risk waiting to see if things would get
0:46.1	better before trying to get Amy help. Though Amy was in her 30s at the time, Garth and Diana's
0:52.6	protective nature never faltered. They took her to the
0:56.2	police station that same night to report the abuse she had suffered through to the authorities. No matter
1:02.1	what age she was, they were determined to do anything they could to protect their daughter.
1:08.5	It just goes to show that a parent's instinct to protect doesn't go away,
1:13.1	no matter what age the child is. Yeah. So as they sat in that car, in the parking lot,
1:21.0	Amy's mother and father tried to convince her to go into the station to tell the police everything
1:27.0	she had told them earlier that
1:28.6	evening. But faced with the reality of making the report, Amy was scared and understandably so.
1:36.1	There was no way of knowing if turning to the authorities for help would be the step that
1:41.2	saved Amy or a move that put her in even more danger.
1:46.7	Now, eventually, Sergeant David Malfinger went out to speak with Amy,
1:50.9	who remained trapped by the shackles of indecision in her parents' car.
1:55.9	Having been a friend of the family, for years, Malfinger had known Amy since she was a child, but at first,
	...

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