Hundreds gathered at an Ohio elementary school Monday evening to mourn the loss of the sixth-grade teacher allegedly stabbed by her soon to be ex-husband, former Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Lance Mason.
As Fox 8 reports, Fraser was stabbed to death in the driveway of Mason’s home Saturday morning while dropping off their two daughters to a relative.
Mason attempted to flee the scene in his vehicle before police arrived at his home but crashed into a Shakers Heights Police SUV injuring himself and an officer.
Loved seeing so much love for Ms. Fraser at the vigil tonight. You will be missed. May the Shaker Heights community forever honor you. #RIPMsFraser #RememberingAishaFraser
Posted by Kendall Marbury on Monday, November 19, 2018
The Shaker Heights Teachers’ Association held a vigil to celebrate the life of Fraser with candlelight, song, prayer, and kind words.
The Shaker Heights Teachers’ Association acknowledged the loss of Fraser that evening with a statement that read:
We are in deep mourning. Aisha exemplified the best of Shaker Heights Teachers; smart, amazingly caring of her students and her colleagues, active in her profession and in Our Association. She is loved by many…
This isn’t the judge’s first violent altercation with his wife. In 2014, the court sentenced Mason to two years in prison for repeatedly punching and slamming Fraser’s head on his car dashboard breaking her orbital bone.
According to Cleveland.com, upon his arrest, police discovered “smoke grenades, semi-automatic rifles, a sword, a bulletproof vest, and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition from the home.”
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) reports the presence of a gun in abusive relationships like the Masons’ increases the chance of homicide by 500 percent.
the assault, Fraser filed for divorce and won a $150,000 civil case against her husband.
Further, Mason was disbarred as a judge and his law license was suspended indefinitely in 2017.
During his sentence, Mason wrote a letter pleading for his wife’s forgiveness. The letter read:
My responsibility was to love and protect you. Instead of loving, protecting, and providing for you and our daughters, I have provided a terrible example, and exposed you to rage a violence. Instead, I have caused great pain, insecurity and fear. That certainly was not my intention as I prayed for you and our family in the morning
He served nine months in prison before he was granted early release in June 2016.
Gretchen Shaw, NCADV associate director, told Domestic Shelters :
“The chances are high that an abuser will be abusive again, and any past history of domestic violence should be a huge red flag. In order to change, the abuser has to consciously choose to change and take responsibility for being abusive, permanently.”
In August 2017, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson hired Mason as the director of minority business development. Mayor Jackson fired Mason on Saturday following his recent arrest.
The NCADV reports:
One in three women and one in four men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, speak up. Tell a loved one or contact local or national domestic violence resources. Warning signs include, but aren’t limited to, extreme jealousy, bad temper, and possessiveness.
Victims of domestic violence can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.