Anne Scripps
Encyclopedia
Anne Scripps Douglas was a publishing heiress to the Scripps newspaper publishing, being the great-great granddaughter of James E. Scripps
, founder of The Detroit News
.
She was bludgeoned by her second husband Scott Douglas as she slept in their Westchester County home.
, New York
. In 1969, when Scripps was 23 years of age, she married Anthony Morrell, a Rye stockbroker. The wedding was held in the St. Regis Hotel. The marriage resulted in two daughters, Alexandra and Annie. Her marriage to Anthony Morrell ended in divorce
, but she loved and doted on her daughters greatly. In 1988, Scripps met Scott Douglas, an out of work and self employed house painter, at a party. She hired him to paint her house and they married that October. They had a daughter Victoria, nicknamed Tori. Douglas did not get along with Scripps' oldest daughter Alexandra, who thought of him as not bright or articulate enough for her mother, and she quickly moved out of the house.
more heavily and became erratically violent towards their mother, openly hitting her in public on at least one occasion. Both Alex and Annie advised their mother to file for divorce and get an order of eviction to have him removed from their home. In 1991, Scripps took Tori and moved in with Alex. She had changed her will and moved back in for fear that Douglas would take Tory and flee. During the holidays, Scripps discovered Douglas had removed files such as Tory's birth certificate
and other records from the house. Scripps and her two eldest daughters began documenting and keeping records of the assaults, and went on December 6, 1993 to obtain an eviction notice; however, the judge refused to order his eviction. Scripps told a friend that she began sleeping with a hammer under her bed because Douglas new method of abuse is to wake her up in the middle of the night to scare and berate her. On December 31, 1993 Scripps, 47 years old, who was asleep across the hall from her 3 year old daughter Tori, was bludgeoned with a hammer by her husband of 5 years Scott Douglas, 38 years old. Scripps daughter Anne had called the police on January 1, 1994 at 3:30 am, because she was unable to get into contact with her mother or Douglas, the police arrived and knocked down the locked door, and found Scripps unconscious in bed, her sheets soaked in blood, her terrier
puppy next to her trying to comfort her. Across the hall Tori, then 3 years old had witnessed the crime that left her mother's skull irreparably broken. Tori Douglas was reported as saying, "Daddy gave Mommy boo-boos. Daddy gave Mommy many boo-boos. Why is Mommy wearing warpaint?" Immediately the police began searching for Scott Douglas, in a matter of hours Douglas' 1982 BMW was found on the Tappan Zee Bridge
with the bloody hammer inside, the authorities dragged the Hudson River for him, but still operated under the assumption he was still alive. As Scripps lay in the hospital, her first husband, Anthony Morrell, who was in the terminal stages of cirrhosis
of the liver
and had been hospitalized near Philadelphia, left his hospital bed to be at her side. A week after the attack —two days after the authorities stopped dragging the Hudson for Douglas's body— Scripps was taken off life support and died without regaining consciousness
. In her death, she was able to give her liver, which was transplanted into her ex husband, Anthony Morrell, saving his life. "Her daughters acted on what they knew would be their mother's wishes," said family attorney, "Anne left this world the way she lived in it-- loving and giving."
The family alleged that the New Rochelle Family Court Judge Ingrid Braslow refused to grant an order barring Douglas from the house in spite of the assertions that he beat her and tried to shove her from the car. However, court documents show that these allegations relate to the 1991 that was not before Braslow. The transcript of the December 6 hearing shows Braslow was not asked to remove Douglas. The Scripp family later filed an $11 million suit against the county.
Three months after Anne Scripps' death, there was a break in the case when a railroad employee found the corpse of a man in jeans, not far from where Douglas' car was left. Dental records identified the corpse as Scott Douglas. The Scripps family met the news with relief. "It was a surprise, but the nightmare is over," stated Anne Morrell. "We don't have to worry anymore about him coming after us or Tori," said Alexandra Morrell.
The Scripps family went on to rebuild their lives, the holidays forever marked by the violence of that New Year's Eve. Authorities re-examined the "system" that failed Anne Scripps Douglas and made changes. The modifications that the Westchester County dealt with domestic violence would prevent a similar occurrence from happening, authorities hoped. Scripps ex-husband Anthony Morrell died in 2005.
believe the Annie Morrell Petrillo, daughter of slain newspaper heiress Anne Scripps Douglas with first ex-husband Anthony Morrell, had jumped to her death from the same bridge her stepfather Scott Douglas jumped from on January 1, 1994 after murdering his wife. Police were searching the Hudson River
near the Tappan Zee Bridge
around 25 miles north of Manhattan
for the body of Anne Morrell Petrillo. Authorities state they found a note and believe she got out of her car and jumped off the bridge the evening September 24. On September 27, the police state they found a body in the Hudson River that is believed to be Anne Morrell Petrillo. According to a witness, she stopped her car on the Tappan Zee Bridge and got out and jumped. The contents of the suicide note were released by an interview on the ABC show 20/20 in 2010. Family friends state that Annie never got over the senseless tragedy of her mother's murder and she had been hospitalized several times for depression. At the time of Annie's death, she was finalizing a divorce and had a son Michael.
James E. Scripps
James Edmund Scripps was an American newspaper publisher and philanthropist.Scripps was born in 1835 in London to James Mogg Scripps and Ellen Mary Scripps. His father was a bookbinder who came to America in 1844 with six motherless children. Scripps grew up on a Rushville, Illinois, farm...
, founder of The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
.
She was bludgeoned by her second husband Scott Douglas as she slept in their Westchester County home.
Family and marriages
Anne Scripps was the daughter of Captain James Scripps, a former merchant mariner, and Anne Scripps. She had a brother James and a sister Mary who still live in AlbanyAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In 1969, when Scripps was 23 years of age, she married Anthony Morrell, a Rye stockbroker. The wedding was held in the St. Regis Hotel. The marriage resulted in two daughters, Alexandra and Annie. Her marriage to Anthony Morrell ended in divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, but she loved and doted on her daughters greatly. In 1988, Scripps met Scott Douglas, an out of work and self employed house painter, at a party. She hired him to paint her house and they married that October. They had a daughter Victoria, nicknamed Tori. Douglas did not get along with Scripps' oldest daughter Alexandra, who thought of him as not bright or articulate enough for her mother, and she quickly moved out of the house.
Violence and murder
Scripps daughters noticed that Douglas started drinkingAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
more heavily and became erratically violent towards their mother, openly hitting her in public on at least one occasion. Both Alex and Annie advised their mother to file for divorce and get an order of eviction to have him removed from their home. In 1991, Scripps took Tori and moved in with Alex. She had changed her will and moved back in for fear that Douglas would take Tory and flee. During the holidays, Scripps discovered Douglas had removed files such as Tory's birth certificate
Birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth...
and other records from the house. Scripps and her two eldest daughters began documenting and keeping records of the assaults, and went on December 6, 1993 to obtain an eviction notice; however, the judge refused to order his eviction. Scripps told a friend that she began sleeping with a hammer under her bed because Douglas new method of abuse is to wake her up in the middle of the night to scare and berate her. On December 31, 1993 Scripps, 47 years old, who was asleep across the hall from her 3 year old daughter Tori, was bludgeoned with a hammer by her husband of 5 years Scott Douglas, 38 years old. Scripps daughter Anne had called the police on January 1, 1994 at 3:30 am, because she was unable to get into contact with her mother or Douglas, the police arrived and knocked down the locked door, and found Scripps unconscious in bed, her sheets soaked in blood, her terrier
Terrier
A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function...
puppy next to her trying to comfort her. Across the hall Tori, then 3 years old had witnessed the crime that left her mother's skull irreparably broken. Tori Douglas was reported as saying, "Daddy gave Mommy boo-boos. Daddy gave Mommy many boo-boos. Why is Mommy wearing warpaint?" Immediately the police began searching for Scott Douglas, in a matter of hours Douglas' 1982 BMW was found on the Tappan Zee Bridge
Tappan Zee Bridge
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, usually referred to as Tappan Zee Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at one of its widest points; the Tappan Zee is named for an American Indian tribe from the area called "Tappan"; and zee being the Dutch word for "sea"....
with the bloody hammer inside, the authorities dragged the Hudson River for him, but still operated under the assumption he was still alive. As Scripps lay in the hospital, her first husband, Anthony Morrell, who was in the terminal stages of cirrhosis
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function...
of the liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
and had been hospitalized near Philadelphia, left his hospital bed to be at her side. A week after the attack —two days after the authorities stopped dragging the Hudson for Douglas's body— Scripps was taken off life support and died without regaining consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
. In her death, she was able to give her liver, which was transplanted into her ex husband, Anthony Morrell, saving his life. "Her daughters acted on what they knew would be their mother's wishes," said family attorney, "Anne left this world the way she lived in it-- loving and giving."
Resolution
In the days after Anne's death, her family lashed out at the authorities who allowed Scott Douglas to remain in the home. Scripps mother told the press, "This could have been prevented. My daughter would be alive today, if that judge hadn't let him stay here. I think it's criminal."The family alleged that the New Rochelle Family Court Judge Ingrid Braslow refused to grant an order barring Douglas from the house in spite of the assertions that he beat her and tried to shove her from the car. However, court documents show that these allegations relate to the 1991 that was not before Braslow. The transcript of the December 6 hearing shows Braslow was not asked to remove Douglas. The Scripp family later filed an $11 million suit against the county.
Three months after Anne Scripps' death, there was a break in the case when a railroad employee found the corpse of a man in jeans, not far from where Douglas' car was left. Dental records identified the corpse as Scott Douglas. The Scripps family met the news with relief. "It was a surprise, but the nightmare is over," stated Anne Morrell. "We don't have to worry anymore about him coming after us or Tori," said Alexandra Morrell.
The Scripps family went on to rebuild their lives, the holidays forever marked by the violence of that New Year's Eve. Authorities re-examined the "system" that failed Anne Scripps Douglas and made changes. The modifications that the Westchester County dealt with domestic violence would prevent a similar occurrence from happening, authorities hoped. Scripps ex-husband Anthony Morrell died in 2005.
Suicide of daughter Annie Morrell
On September 25, 2009 the Huffington Post stated the New York State PoliceNew York State Police
The New York State Police is the state police force of over 4,600 sworn Troopers for the state of New York. It was established on April 11, 1917 by the New York Legislature, in response to the 1913 murder of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in Westchester County, which at that time did not...
believe the Annie Morrell Petrillo, daughter of slain newspaper heiress Anne Scripps Douglas with first ex-husband Anthony Morrell, had jumped to her death from the same bridge her stepfather Scott Douglas jumped from on January 1, 1994 after murdering his wife. Police were searching the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
near the Tappan Zee Bridge
Tappan Zee Bridge
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, usually referred to as Tappan Zee Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at one of its widest points; the Tappan Zee is named for an American Indian tribe from the area called "Tappan"; and zee being the Dutch word for "sea"....
around 25 miles north of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
for the body of Anne Morrell Petrillo. Authorities state they found a note and believe she got out of her car and jumped off the bridge the evening September 24. On September 27, the police state they found a body in the Hudson River that is believed to be Anne Morrell Petrillo. According to a witness, she stopped her car on the Tappan Zee Bridge and got out and jumped. The contents of the suicide note were released by an interview on the ABC show 20/20 in 2010. Family friends state that Annie never got over the senseless tragedy of her mother's murder and she had been hospitalized several times for depression. At the time of Annie's death, she was finalizing a divorce and had a son Michael.