Why would a man kill his wife and then pull the trigger on his own head? What form of domestic dispute could make a professor take his own life and that of his wife, leaving behind four little kids? These are the questions on the lips of residents of Pear Street, Reading, Pennsylvania, scene of the fatal shooting last Sunday involving Chukwudubem (Dubem) Okafor, prominent Nigerian Professor of Literature at the Kutztown University, Pennsylvania, United States, and his wife, Cheryl, an artist. But it has emerged that the suicidal couple have records of domestic violence in the past. For example, in May 2002, Cheryl had alleged that Dubem shoved her during an argument, hit her and threatened to kill her. On that basis, she obtained a temporary protection-from-abuse order against Dubem. On his part, Dubem had sought a counter-order, alleging that she threatened to harm him. They, however, withdrew their complaints two months later. All these happened before they were married. Five years later, Cheryl obtained another temporary order, following her allegation that Dubem called her names, made false allegations about her to the county children and youth services agency, and physically assaulted her. Berks Women in Crisis Prevention Education Director, Christine Gilfillan, said the fact that Cheryl was connected to two fatal domestic violence showed the magnitude of the rising cases of fatal domestic violence. Reports showed that Cheryl's former husband, Alfred S. Philmore, currently in jail for third degree murder, battered her for years before they separated, and after their separation, he shot and killed her boyfriend, Osmond D. Walker, as Walker was leaving her apartment in the 500 Block of South 171/2 Street on September 29, 1998. Before then, he had been jailed four times for harassing, stalking and physically assaulting her, and violating several protection-from-abuse orders. Sadly, Dubem (64) and Cheryl (37), both of whom had previous failed marriages, were top officials in a Reading child care center, multicultural and literacy institute. While Dubem served as chairman, Cheryl was vice-president and chief operating officer. Cheryl was a watercolor painter and also worked on other art projects related to domestic violence. Dubem, a renowned scholar whose scholarly interests and activities included African diasporic literature and modern African poetry, had edited or authored many scholarly works like Mediations on African Literature; Dance of Death: Nigeria's History and Christopher Okigbo's Poetry; Cycle of Doom: Selected Essays in Discourse and Society; and My Testaments, among others. Days before the fatal incident, the couple had separated, and Cheryl (nee Moncrieffe), a Jamaican, had moved out of their Exeter township home where they were living. When they met last Sunday afternoon at a relative's residence in the 300 block of Pear Street, Dubem pulled out a 380-caliber handgun, released a volley of bullets on his wife, and then ended his own life. When THISDAY called the Berks County Coroner's office, Mr. Joel Bonille, deputy coroner, described the tragic incident as a case of domestic dispute, resulting in homicide and suicide. He said the case had been closed at their end and the bodies of the deceased had been released to their families for burial. But the tragic incident is raising concern over the rising cases of deadly domestic violence. The death of the Okafors is the 36th fatal domestic violence in Berks County in 10 years. Source: Thisdayonline.com