Tewksbury man charged in girlfriend's death days after she bailed him out of jail

TEWKSBURY, Mass. — Kathy Gadd is devastated over the death of her daughter, 39-year-old Jennifer Kalicki, who was found dead Sunday morning in her Tewksbury apartment.

"She was a most wonderful daughter a mother could ask for and I can’t believe I’ll never see her again," Gadd told Boston 25 News in an interview Monday.

Jennifer’s boyfriend, Eric Griffin, has been arrested and charged with domestic assault and battery.

"He murdered her. He murdered her," Gadd said. "There’s no two ways about it. I want him to get the most they can give him."

Authorities say when they found Jennifer Kalicki after 8 a.m. Sunday, she was already dead. They could see trauma on her face, neck and extremities. On Saturday morning, 24 hours before Kalicki was found, authorities say she sent disturbing texts to Eric Griffin’s sister.

"He’s ripped the door open. Choked me, slammed me to the ground," the text messages read. "Please help me. He’s losing it...I just need help. I’m tired of him making me the victim."

"During those text messages, the victim was begging the defendant’s sister for help," prosecutor Suzanne Wiseman said in court. "She also indicated in those text messages that the defendant slammed her on the ground and the defendant had strangled her."

Eric Griffin’s sister never called Police. At the time of Kalicki’s death, Eric had just gotten out of the Billerica house of correction, where he was held on a drug charge.

Griffin Was released from jail on Wednesday. The only reason he got out is because Kalicki herself went to Lowell District Court and paid his $250 bail. Half a week later, Kalicki was dead -- investigators say at the hands of the man she helped get out of jail.

"I just hate him. I hate him so much," Gadd said. "And he’s going to try and say he’s sorry. That’s the type of person he is. He’s not sorry. He’s just sorry he got caught."

Boston 25 News spoke with an advocate for domestic violence victims who says there was one thing that she believes could have saved Kalicki's life.

"What we know from the research is when a domestic violence case is dropped, even if the victim wants it to be dropped, the risk of more violence and lethal violence goes way up," said Wendy Murphy, a former prosecutor, and women's advocate.

A Lowell District Court Judge has revoked Griffin’s bail. He is due back in court for a dangerousness hearing on Friday.

"If you haven't lived it, don't judge. Women in these circumstances get very desperate, and then we look at them and say, 'You had so many other options,'" Murphy said.

"The fact that she called her abuser's sister for help tells me that she felt completely incapable of seeking help from police or prosecutors, the people that are supposed to protect her."

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