NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Daun Bauman said she’s in a much better place than she was last month.
Her husband is in jail accused of violating his probation in a neighboring county. He was on probation for aggravated stalking of a different woman when he was arrested for beating his wife.
This is not the man she knew, much less the person she proposed to earlier this summer.
“I guess that’s kind of part of why I’m spinning out of control. What was isn’t what is,” Bauman said.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates chose to conceal the name of Bauman’s husband, because at this moment, he’s only been charged with domestic violence against Bauman but hasn’t been convicted.
A closer look at his past — uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates — demonstrated he had an extensive history of domestic violence spanning four Tennessee counties.
Since 2011, Bauman’s husband has been charged with violating an order of protection and especially aggravated stalking women on six different occasions.
Overwhelming is the word Bauman chose to describe her life after what she said has been nothing short of a nightmare. She’s never before been in fear for her life the way she had been over the past several weeks and the name that keeps coming up is Lauren Johansen.
Bauman watched NewsChannel 5 Investigates coverage of Bricen Rivers, who was bonded out of Nashville jail and later was accused of murdering his girlfriend Lauren.
Bauman said speaking with Johansen’s father helped her find peace of mind, but moments before our interview, she began to reflect on why she was in the seat.
“I don’t want to be a Lauren, and I think that’s a fair request. I just think it’s fair that I shouldn’t have to worry about being murdered. That’s all I’m asking,” Bauman said.
Bauman knew her husband had a troubled past, but nothing she said they couldn’t reconcile.
“Every day he just showed me a side of himself that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man,” Bauman said.
Only weeks after they were married in a small Pigeon Forge ceremony did Bauman begin to see another side of her husband.
Bauman remembers bits and pieces of the night on Broadway where she says her husband relapsed on alcohol and became abusive.
“He took my cell phone from me, and then I remember being punched with a closed fist,” Bauman said.
Graphic photos appeared to show a gash on the top of Bauman’s head and bruising around her body.
She was willing to blame alcohol and move on, but then Bauman’s friend said she got a text from Bauman’s husband.
“He answered my phone and told my best friend he was going to make me gone,” Bauman said.
Bauman told Metro Nashville Police officers what happened, and soon after, officers arrested her husband on charges of domestic assault with bodily injury and already violating the order of protection she had just filed.
“When I called the jail to ensure he was there, I told them he’s on felony probation. Like is anyone following up?” Bauman said.
She told arresting officers, members of the court, attorneys, and anyone she could about her husband’s priors expecting him to be held without bond.
Bond was instead set at a combined $5,000 for both charges and soon her husband was released.
“What’s that like telling all of these different agencies that this man is dangerous and then not seeing the follow through?” we asked.
“Scary, because I’m out here hiding in the middle of nowhere, fearful to go to work,” Bauman said.
Bauman was in hiding when we sat down for an interview, out of fear that her husband would track her down and do something to keep her from talking.
By now, she has moved out of her home but said she still lived in fear for weeks.
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake first openly expressed concerns earlier this year when describing a judicial system he said “continues to fail people.”
“Once we arrest them, they’re back out. I mean, that’s a problem,” Drake said.
Davidson County General Sessions Judge Jim Todd responded by telling NewsChannel 5 in May that judicial magistrates don’t have access to the National Crime Information Center or NCIC.
This means the people in charge of setting bonds often do so without knowing important context like if a suspect has been charged with similar crimes in a different county.
“The reality of it is we can’t set bonds with an Ouija board,” Todd said.
Other law enforcement agencies located in the same building as the magistrates do have access to NCIC and Todd said it could be as simple as sharing resources already under one roof, but that hasn’t been the case.
“I understand the frustration and I understand the optics. The public needs to know that the court system is aware of this issue and has been,” Todd said.
Presiding General Sessions Judge Allegra Walker sent a statement to NewsChannel 5 Investigates where she wrote they are currently working with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to be granted NCIC access.
Walker says they’re also working with the Metro Council and the Mayor’s Office for funding this effort because ideally, they would like to hire staff dedicated to searching NCIC.
“Our Magistrates knowing a person’s complete criminal history before making a decision regarding bail, bond or pre-trial release conditions is vitally important. We are hopeful that our efforts will lead to this enhancement,” Walker said.
Bauman said none of what’s been proposed changes the fact that many others continue to live in fear during what’s considered one of the most vulnerable times for any domestic violence victim.
The man she once knew has a record of stalking, assaulting others, and violating protective orders. All of which she says could have made a compelling argument for the magistrates to order GPS monitoring.
“Getting an ankle monitor, that would be the game changer,” Bauman said.
Bauman remembers the stories of Lauren Johansen and Marie Varsos who were killed after their partners made bail and right before trial.
She says there’s no magic wand to undo what at first may have felt like a fairy tale romance, so instead she’s leaning on faith and speaking out when others can’t.
We’ve reached out to TBI to find out what it will take for these magistrates to get access around the state and we’re still waiting on an answer.
This is a developing story.
