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Henrico police capture murder suspect Alvin Marshall

Posted at 12:07 AM, Mar 14, 2012
and last updated 2012-03-14 07:34:34-04

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - Henrico police confirm the capture of murder suspect Alvin Rashawn Marshall happened around 10 p.m. on Tuesday. The arrest came following an all day search after the body of Tiffany Green was found murdered just after midnight, off 300 block of Newbridge Road.

Police said two young children and Green's teenage sister were in the home when the shooting happened.

Court documents would indicate that 21-year-old Tiffany Green spent the last few months of her life living in fear. She had told the courts and her family that her ex-boyfriend Alvin Rashawn Marshall threatened her; harassed her at home and work with text messages and phone calls. He even assaulted her.

"Somewhere along the line there was a failure in being able to protect her," said Gena Boyle, advocate against domestic violence.

It appears from her paper trail in court that Green had tried to sound the alarm. She'd been granted two emergency protective orders in January and February.  She had filed criminal charges for harassment, assault and extortion against the Marshall.

Advocates claim protection orders can be helpful when they're enforced by those who surround the victim but in some extreme cases filing for one can escalate matters.

"It can cause more danger because the abuser realizes that he's losing control of the victim that she's reaching out," said Boyle.

Boyle recognizes a pattern in the Green case that she sees with many victims that seek help.

"It sounds to me like this is a very classic case of stalking," said Boyle.

In Virginia a stalking offense has a tough burden of proof and only becomes a felony after the third conviction.

Delegate Jennifer McClellan has been trying strengthen the law or six years following the murder of a University of Richmond student by her former boyfriend.

"Stalking escalates to violence escalates to murder," said McClellan.

McClellan's bill fails year after year when it gets to the funding part.

Creating a new felony carries a budget price tag $50,000 dollars in the Virginia legislature. McClellan says Green's case is yet another reason she'll bring it again next year.

“Unless we do something this going to keep happening, I hope it doesn't take another woman getting killed before we realize that,” said McClellan