Police believe woman killed in Whitby was victim of intimate partner violence

Intimate partner violence's role in Whitby murder Police say Latonya Anderson was a victim of intimate partner violence, with her husband facing second-degree murder charges.

A woman killed in Whitby over the weekend is believed to be the victim of intimate partner violence, according to police in Durham Region.

Latonya Anderson, 34, was found fighting for her life at a residence in the town east of Toronto on Saturday after her husband, Troy Moulton, 33, went to a local police station to speak with officers.

“From that conversation, it sent officers to come to an address on Kressman Court in Whitby," Sgt. Joanne Bortoluss told CTV News Toronto. "They did attempt life-saving measures, however they were not successful and she was pronounced deceased on the scene.”

Moulton has been charged with second-degree murder following Anderson’s death. It isn’t clear how she died, but police say they’re not aware of any weapons being found at the scene.

Durham police said Anderson is the 12th homicide victim of 2023.

She’s being remembered as a “vivacious and ambitious woman” by her employer, the Scarborough Health Network (SHN), which said she worked as patient support representative at Centenary Hospital.

“Latonya never hesitated to help her team, including her willingness to jump in and work as a personal support worker during the pandemic,” Penny Karafile, director of SHN’s support services and business development, said in a statement issued to CTV News Toronto.

“This tragic loss will be felt across our organization and community,” Karafile said.

According to a GoFundMe campaign set up for Anderson’s family, the Whitby resident leaves behind a 12-year-old son and would have turned 35 years old on Nov. 8.

Anderson’s death comes just five days into November, which is domestic violence awareness month, and marks a heartbreaking but unsurprising trend, according to Jasminder Sekhon of Victim Services Toronto.

“We know that a woman is killed every 48 hours in Canada and a woman is killed once a week by her partner in Canada," Sekhon told CTV News Toronto in an interview.

Of the 17,000 to 20,000 calls received annually by Victims Services Toronto, which offers confidential support for anyone who has experienced crime or sudden tragedy, 70 per cent of those are about intimate partner violence, according to Sekhon.

"We are not the police. You can reach out to Victim Services Toronto and get the resource you need, without ever having to report," Sekhon said.

The investigation into Anderson’s death is ongoing, police said. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Durham police.

With files from CTV News Toronto's Allison Hurst