In the early years on the farm there was no phone on the farm. Almost every farm has a gun, not to mention all the other tools, equipment, and machinery available to use, said Bigaouette. For the people and the kids on the farm, those weapons have always been there so their presence, as opposed to if they were in an urban home, is simply normal, said Bigaouette. In 1998, Jim arrived home one day to discover Connie had packed up and left. Jim was so surprised that their oldest son, Michael, removed the family's hunting guns from the house, worried about the safety of Jim.
Farms require continual attention.
Often, despite orders for protection filed against a farmer, judges allow them to return to the farm, in order to milk the cows, tend to the crops and feed the animals, said Bigaouette. While it'd be best that an order for protection is enforced or that a farmer jailed for assault is kept for the full sentence, that might end up hurting the victim and any children, said Bigaouette. If the victim can't take care of the farm alone, then in many cases an abuser has to be back on the farm, said Bigaouette. If the abuser must return, the solution is to have a place, like a long-term shelter, for the victim to stay, said Bigaouette. In 1977, after charges were pressed by Connie's surgeon Dr. Joseph Merickel, Jim was convicted of aggravated assault.