"Take it seriously:" Family of woman murdered by ex-husband raise domestic violence awareness

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Relatives of a woman murdered by her ex-husband last week are elevating her name and urging people to look for possible signs of domestic violence.

On June 6, Harris County Sheriff's detectives say Lorenzo White, the ex-husband of Lisa Daniel, broke into her home in northeast Harris County where she lived with her 16-year-old son and shot her multiple times as the teen called 911.

White fled the scene. Hours later, US Marshals and police tracked him to Dallas where he took his own life, investigators say, instead of giving up. Ronnie Bennett is the father of Daniel's teenage son.

"He took my son's mother away," Bennett told ABC13. "My son is supposed to have his mother. That's not fair."

Bennett and his wife, Pleshette, never thought Daniel and the teen were in danger and they never thought they would be doing an interview.

"This has opened my eyes to a lot," Pleshette said.

While White was still coming around Daniel's house, seven months after their divorce was finalized, the Bennetts say they never saw any signs of domestic violence and Daniel never raised any red flags. But, that was also her personality.

"Everything about her was that she was so concerned about how things would affect someone else," Pleshette added.

Pleshette said Daniel was selfless and loving and a peace-maker,

Her death will be included in the rising domestic violence cases.

According to the Texas Council of Family Violence, Harris County saw a 40% increase in domestic violence homicides from 2019 to 2020 and the numbers are not going down.

That's why the Bennetts are speaking up. They regret not seeing possible signs. They hope someone else does before tragedy strikes their family.

"Maybe if people will keep speaking about it, it will help, just one person," Pleshette said.

If you need help getting out of a domestic violence situation, call the Houston Area Women's Center 24/7 hotline at 713-528-2121 or call AVDA at 713-224-9911. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and need help, call 713-528-3625.

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