By Michael Phillips | FLBayNews and Father & Co.
An investigative report published December 22, 2025, by WLRN has placed renewed focus on Florida’s family court system—particularly in Broward County—and the life-or-death consequences when warning signs of domestic violence are discounted in custody disputes.
The reporting documents a troubling pattern: courts prioritizing shared custody and “agreed orders” even as clear red flags—credible threats, documented mental instability, prior injunctions, and repeated pleas for help—go unheeded. In several cases, those failures preceded unimaginable tragedies involving children and families.
Three Cases That Exposed Systemic Cracks
The Mary Gingles Triple Homicide (2025)
In February 2025, Mary Gingles, her father David Posner, and neighbor Andrew Ferrin were fatally shot in Tamarac.
Mary had repeatedly warned authorities that her estranged husband, Nathan Gingles, was stalking her, threatening her life, breaking into her home, and tracking her movements. A domestic violence injunction was in place. Firearm surrender was ordered—twice.
Yet enforcement relied largely on self-reporting. Gingles retained access to weapons and now faces multiple first-degree murder charges, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. An internal investigation by the Broward Sheriff’s Office concluded there were “failures on so many levels,” resulting in widespread discipline of deputies.
The Greyson Kessler Murder-Suicide (2021)
Four-year-old Greyson Kessler was killed by his father, John Micheal Stacey, amid a bitter custody dispute. Greyson’s mother, Ali Kessler, had warned of escalating threats and harassment but was pressured into a 50/50 time-sharing arrangement.
That case directly inspired Greyson’s Law, enacted in 2023 to require courts to consider credible threats and imminent danger—even without a criminal conviction—when determining custody.
The Melody Duran Case (2024)
In Pembroke Pines, two-year-old Melody Duran was killed during an unsupervised visit with her father, Jeronimo Duran, despite repeated warnings from her mother about his severe mental health instability and multiple involuntary commitments under Florida’s Baker Act. A domestic violence injunction was dismissed in favor of an “agreed order.”
Patterns Advocates Say Are Impossible to Ignore
Advocacy groups such as Families Against Court Travesties argue these cases are not isolated. They describe recurring problems in Florida family courts:
- Pressure on victims to drop injunctions in exchange for “amicable” custody agreements
- High litigation costs that advantage wealthier parties and force others to proceed pro se
- “Litigation abuse” through endless motions and delays
- Inconsistent application of Greyson’s Law due to limited judicial training
- Broad judicial discretion under the “best interests of the child” standard, allowing personal bias
These advocates warn that when courts default to shared parenting without fully addressing safety risks, they may unintentionally enable escalation.
A Center-Right Perspective: Safety and Due Process
From a center-right standpoint, the issue is not whether domestic violence should be taken seriously—it must be—but how reforms are implemented.
Many conservatives and fathers’ rights advocates support firm protection for genuinely endangered parents and children, while also emphasizing:
- Due process for accused parents, ensuring restrictions are evidence-based
- Guardrails against false or exaggerated allegations being used as leverage in custody disputes
- Balanced application of Greyson’s Law, distinguishing real danger from high-conflict but non-violent cases
- Preservation of shared parenting as a default when both parents are fit and no credible safety risk exists
The fear is that reforms driven solely by worst-case tragedies, without safeguards, may swing the pendulum toward “guilty until proven innocent,” harming non-abusive parents and children alike.
Legislative Response: Closing the Gun Enforcement Gap
In direct response to the Gingles case, Florida lawmakers have introduced companion bills for the 2026 session:
- HB 729
- SB 858
Sponsored by Robin Bartleman and Tina Polsky, the bills would require active law-enforcement seizure of firearms under domestic violence injunctions—mirroring Florida’s red-flag laws—rather than relying on voluntary surrender.
For many across the political spectrum, this proposal represents a narrowly tailored reform: addressing a proven enforcement failure without altering custody standards wholesale.
A System at a Crossroads
The WLRN investigation underscores a hard truth: family court decisions can carry irreversible consequences. The challenge facing Florida lawmakers, judges, and advocates is finding a path that protects children and vulnerable parents without sacrificing fairness, evidence, and parental equality.
As the 2026 legislative session approaches, these cases will likely shape a broader debate—not just about guns or custody formulas, but about whether Florida’s family courts can balance compassion, caution, and constitutional rights before the next warning goes unheeded.
Support Independent Journalism
Florida Bay News is part of the Bay News Media Network — a growing group of independent, reader-supported newsrooms covering government accountability, courts, public safety, and institutional failures across the country.
Support independent journalism that isn’t funded by political parties, corporations, or government agencies
Submit tips or documents securely — if you see something wrong, we want to know
Independent reporting only works when readers stay engaged. Your attention, tips, and support help keep these stories alive.
Florida Bay News 
Leave a comment