Battered woman or murderer?

Defense: Murder suspect was in constant fear

By Julie Manganis
Staff writer


DANVERS — Kathie DeFelice lived in fear, the kind of fear "you can taste in your mouth," for the seven years she spent with William Olsen Jr., her lawyer told jurors yesterday.

During their time together, Olsen knocked out a tooth and broke her arm and sexually abused her; he subjected her to constant humiliation and insults; and, over and over again, he threatened to kill her, defense lawyer Edward Hayden said during his opening statement in DeFelice's murder trial yesterday.

The years of abuse led DeFelice to develop "battered women's syndrome," said the lawyer. And on the night she killed him, she was in fear for her life and acting in self-defense, he said.

Prosecutor Kate MacDougall acknowledged that "there were moments of true ugliness" in the couple's relationship and that Olsen should not have been at DeFelice's Lynn apartment on the night of Oct. 30, 2006 — a domestic restraining order barred him from contact with her.

But in the days before the slaying, DeFelice had made many calls to Olsen — her cell phone records showed more than five hours' worth of calls to Olsen's Danvers apartment between Oct. 25 and 30.

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