05/25/2026
Kazual Moore and I attended the Conference on Crimes Against Women in Dallas last week. Honestly, I’m still processing the 15 sessions I attended. I’ll share more later, but this info warrants being a separate post.
Since I was already going to the metroplex for a concert Friday night, I signed up for the pre-conference Sunday all day training on strangulation. We knew the primary presenter, Kelsey McKay, from past conferences and Gateway bringing her to do a training for 46 area law enforcement and advocates in 2021. She’s a nationally recognized expert in investigating, prosecuting, and helping survivors of strangulation.
https://www.mckaytrainingconsulting.com
Last Sunday, we studied the crime itself, the wide range of effects (often unseen and untreated) it has on the body, the latest in strangulation medical exams, investigating and prosecuting these cases, providing services and advocating for survivors, etc.
We spent the day learning from presenters, role playing in scenarios, and going through two different case studies complete with recreations of crime scene photos taken by LE during the investigations.
Gateway staff knows the importance of the following warning due to a specific case we worked with a survivor of strangulation and r**e. Thankfully, Jennifer Taylor knew to ask for the specialized strangulation exam when she took the survivor for a Sane exam. In addition to identifying the physical damage done during the ‘choking’ and needed medical care, it yielded crucial evidence for the court case.
Please, please, please advise your family and friends to go for a medical exam very soon if they are ever choked. There are so many possible injuries not visible to the naked eye that can have serious, life-threatening, effects in the hours, days, and weeks following being even briefly choked.
Pictured: Kasondra Valencia, Julia Campbell, Kelsey McKay, Lyndia Allen.
