Wis. man illegally bought gun day before spa shooting

MILWAUKEE A Wisconsin woman whose husband killed her and two others at the spa where she worked said he threatened to throw acid in her face and jealously terrorized her "every waking moment," according to court documents.

Authorities say Radcliffe Franklin Haughton, 45, killed three women, including his 42-year-old wife, Zina Haughton, and wounded four others Sunday before turning the gun on himself.

The Waukesha County medical examiner's office on Monday identified the dead as Zina Haughton; Cary L. Robuck, 35, of Racine; and Maelyn M. Lind, 38, of Oconomowoc. All were found in the spa.

• Police say alleged gunman in deadly Wis. spa shooting killed himself
• At least 3 killed in Wis. day spa shooting

In a written request for a restraining order filed Oct. 8, Zina Haughton said her husband was convinced she was cheating on him and that aside from the acid threat he also vowed to burn her and her family with gas. He said he would kill her if she ever left him or called the police, according to the court papers obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

"His threats terrorize my every waking moment," she wrote.

Radcliffe Franklin Haughton, 45, of Brown Deer, Wis.

/ AP Photo/Brookfield Police Dept

In a separate police report, she said the couple was in the process of getting a divorce and "we are always arguing."

Haughton was arrested earlier this month for slashing his wife's tires; she was granted a four-year restraining order on Thursday.

Under the order, Haughton was prohibited from owning a firearm. But police said Monday that Haughton bought the .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun used in the deadly shooting two days later.

CBS Affiliate WDJT reports that a just-released criminal complaint details a stand-off that Radcliffe Haughton had with police in January 2011. The complaint said his wife called police after he started throwing her clothes outside and poured tomato juice on her car.

Once police got there, the complaint said, Haughton stood against the window with an unidentified silver and black object in his hand.

When it ended no one was hurt, but he was charged with domestic violence - a charge that was eventually dropped later that year because a witness failed to appear in court.

Brookfield Police Chief Dan Tushaus said he wasn't aware of a motive in Sunday's shooting.

A spokeswoman at Froedtert Hospital, where the injured were taken, said one of the four women was released Monday afternoon. Kathy Sieja said the three other women were in satisfactory condition.

Ernest J. Polk, a neighbor who lives across the street from the Haughtons, said the couple was generally friendly to him but he saw signs of turmoil.

"There was always confrontation over there, but I never thought it would come to this," he said. "... It was mostly verbal. I didn't see anything physical."

Customers described Zina Haughton was a popular hair stylist who decorated her work station with photos of her two daughters.

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[jdbynum3]

Well, I just don't see how he could have gotten a gun. He was told not to. He broke the law by buying that gun. It just doesn't make sense.

[PADURKIE]

A woman is far more likely to be killed by her spouse, an intimate acquaintance, or a family member than by a stranger. In recent years, about one third of female murder victims were killed by an intimate. In 2009, nearly 14 times as many females were murdered by a male they knew than were killed by male strangers. For victims who knew their offenders, 63% of female homicide victims in 2009 were wives or intimate acquaintances of their killers. Providing immediate, safety enhancing services such as safe shelter and safety planning, is one way domestic violence programs work to prevent domestic violence homicides.


This tragedy in Wisconsin is yet another example of a woman killed by her abusive husband in our country even though she went to the authorities for protection. And yet the most effective tool to combat this horror, the VAWA, has not been re-authorized this year. The Senate passed a comprehensive bill that had input from many different stakeholders and was well planned. The House tabled and then gutted that version, eliminating many protections for at risk groups and put grant funds in the hands of political appointees instead of law enforcement and victim's services. Please write the following to your Senators and Congressman - "October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It's unacceptable that VAWA expired a year ago. You can help change that. VAWA reauthorization MUST be a priority in the lame duck session! Please tell your colleagues and Congressional leadership that you want to see VAWA reauthorized now. Make VAWA the number one priority bill passed before January."

I express my condolences and best wishes to the victims, families and survivors of this senseless act. I hope that you are able to find the support that to process this tragedy.

[xybex2004]

After millions of years of eating RAW meat, what kind of people do you think they would be? Have they discovered FIRE yet?! Seriously, there's a YouTube video of a man making fire with 2 sticks. Pinch me, but isn't this the 21st century?!

[T-Prop]

Nice to see that our courts and laws are sooooooooo effective.

[Jaylah54200]

As anyone who has ever worked with victims of domestic violence will tell you: restraining orders don't stop bullets.

He should have been in jail. Not out walking around and buying guns.

[roseyer]

I'll offer an alternative view I picked up once talking to a guy that had a restraining order slapped on him. This is in Pennsylvania, may differ elsewhere.

Restraining orders are quite obviously unconstitutional, without any question in violation of the 5th amendment. There is no due process and they do deprive of property. And it sounds like you would also have them deprive liberty. Truth is, government simply doesn't know when to stop. I am in no way opposed to a restraining order that prohibits contact, but when it also carries a fine (for costs), that is simply illegal.

In the man's case I referred to, the police lifted the order some months later, told him that because the broken window glass was on the outside of her home they got to thinking perhaps she was lying when she said he throw a brick through her window from the outside. I suspect, had there been a trial, that fact would have come out before he was "prosecuted".

[kbbpll]

No details on the gun purchase, but whoever sold it to him needs to be charged with accessory to murder.

[locknpost]

They know when he bought it. Odds are they know from whom.

[Patriot_70]

I agree. The court system is supposed to send the disarm order to the sheriffs department, then report to the NICS database.

So everyone from the judge to the NICS clerk should go to jail.

But if you're going to arrest them, then the wife should go to jail for allowing herself to be shot, the spa owner and receptionist should be arrested for not being armed.

I find your post offensive and reactionary, and totally off base.

Look, the guy was dangerous and the wife knew it. it was HER responsibility to appear in court and testify against him, and it was HER job to defend herself. She failed, and she died. It might be harsh, but it is the truth.

[locknpost]

That man, whom the courts determined was a threat, was allowed to have "ILLEGALLY BOUGHT GUN"[?], with which he then used to kill three women and wound four others? What in the world!! Is Wisconsin on the HONOR SYSTEM NOW?!!

Somebody enabled this murderer. WHO?

It is my understanding that Wisconsin has a 48 hour waiting period (2 business days) to complete background checks. Did someone fail to enter the court order into the database? Or did someone sell this killer a handgun, giving it to him the same day, breaking the law by ignoring the waiting period and required background check? The families of these victims deserve answers, and accountability of anyone who broke the law. SOMEONE profitted from this murderous plot.

[Patriot_70]

They judge and the court system. They did not report to NICS like they were supposed to.

The wife as well, because she knew he was dangerous and did not make arrangements to defend herself.

[locknpost]

Surrrre Patriot. Because we all know hanging a colt 45 from one's pierced nipple in order to be ready at a seconds notice works every time...

I suspect you may want to consider dream therapy.

[Shelama]

There's no way to keep a never-ending supply of guns out of the hands of crazies regardless of the law and regardless of enforcement.

And besides, if it wasn't a gun it just would have been something else. Which is why virtually, in the entire civilized world where gun control exists, the murder and mass-murder rates are identical to that in America. They just use something else, too: garrotes, garbage cans, machetes, snakes & spiders, poison, toxic gas, bowling balls, automobiles, cinder blocks, explosives, baseball bats, arson, etc. etc. etc.

We just need to simply get used to the fact that these are acceptable losses - acceptable deaths - that go along with the RKBA.

So get over it and move along.

This message approved by the NRA and by the 2nd Amendment.

American Exceptionalism... is America great, or what?

[locknpost]

Daughters of Zina Haughton, "So get over it and move along.

This message approved by the NRA and by the 2nd Amendment."

Guns make it all too easy, to kill, and to give a ****...

To the daughters of Zina Haughton, and other victims' families, I am so sorry. There is no humane or justified reason this had to happen.

[cntrygirl3]

I really want to believe you are being sarcastic, if not I want to see the story on mass murder by cinder blocks.

[jeromepaul1]

Anyone who has an active restraining order against them should never clear a background check. He should never have been able to purchase a gun of any kind while the restraining order is in place.

[Patriot_70]

They don't. The man violated the law when he went to get a gun before the court could report to the NICS system.

[spudznik]

Hehee patriot cracks me up.
Hmmm... he did something really bad, he bought a gun without waiting for the court could report to the NICS system.... he did something illegal.
Hmmm.... I think he did other illegal things as well that are much worse. Why would he be trusted to follow any gun laws? ... hmmm

By the way if guns were not available (eg not available in the state) it would make it much harder for him to just go out find a retail seller to fool and purchase one.

[BBould]

We don't know how he bought the gun, the article fails to tell us and that is important.

[locknpost]

"We don't know how he bought the gun, the article fails to tell us and that is important."

The PD somehow confirmed WHEN he bought the gun. They just haven't told us from whom or where yet. This should not be let go.

[Patriot_70]

Chuck, given the, what, 400 or 500 shot this year in Chicago, I would guess it would be even faster than that.

When guns are banned, criminals have a lot of fun.