American homicide victim, murdered 1/11/1994 by her estranged husband, Thomas LaCava. An attractive white female, she was a customer service rep at Yellow Freight in Shrewsbury, MA. Separated from her husband of 30 years, she was afraid of him and had obtained a restraining order the prior April when he threatened to kill himself and her and set their home on fire. She filed for divorce in September 1991 on the grounds of cruel and abusive treatment and he had been harassing her since.
Tom and Janice had two daughters, ages 20 and 25. The younger one lived with her dad in the family home. Tom had been laid off work in January 1992 after working for the same company for 27 years as an electrician. Janice first left him a week after he’d been fired but returned two weeks later and they had been together until June 1992 when she moved into a Worcester apartment. Tom was severely depressed, and when Janice began to date another man, he filed papers alleging “infidelity.” Furious, he vandalized her new beau’s car and kept Janice on the edge of terror.
On the evening of 1/11/1994, Tom drove his truck to her apartment complex and waited in the parking area. When she arrived about 5:30 PM, he shot her in the head and back and then fled. She died shortly after. He staggered into the police station the next day with serious self-inflicted lacerations to his neck and chest. After surgery, he survived to stand trial.