For the first time in her career, Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Lauren Boyd told a judge that she believed a defendant in a domestic violence case would kill the victim if given the opportunity.

Eleven days later, Boyd’s fears were realized when Keland Hill fatally shot his wife in the parking lot of Sarah J. Anderson Elementary School in Hazel Dell.

“I was devastated,” Boyd said. “This case will be something I think about for the rest of my life.”

As Boyd and many others continue to digest the shooting, the prosecutor has called for changes to state law and the judicial process to prevent domestic violence defendants who exhibit signs of escalating abuse from being released from jail.

“I just want people in general to know how dangerous domestic violence can be and how seriously we need to take these cases,” Boyd said. “I really do think that we need to take a second look at how we are issuing and assigning bail on domestic violence cases.”