For many Filipinas, the promise of a life in America—of love, security, and a brighter future—is a powerful and enduring dream. But for two women, Josephine Austria and Alay-ay M., that dream curdled into a terrifying nightmare of domestic abuse that ended in the most tragic way imaginable.

Their separate stories, unfolding in different states and under different circumstances, paint a chilling and heartbreaking picture of the hidden dangers that can lurk behind the promise of a new life abroad.

The Case of Josephine Austria: A May-December Romance, a Fatal Argument

Josephine “Niki” Austria, a 51-year-old Filipina nurse in Clearwater, Florida, was a loving mother and doting grandmother.

After a previous marriage ended, she, like many, turned to online dating to find companionship. In 2012, she connected with Alexander Richardson, a 24-year-old man who was 27 years her junior.

Despite the significant age gap, they fell in love, and Alexander, an Army Reservist, moved into Josephine’s home.

To the outside world, they were a happy, if unconventional, couple. But in private, the relationship was volatile and marred by Alexander’s alcohol-fueled rage.

In February 2014, Josephine sent a series of desperate text messages to a friend, revealing that Alexander had physically abused her and threatened her with one of his three guns if she called the police. Though terrified, she couldn’t bring herself to leave him.

The relationship continued its toxic cycle, culminating in a tragic night on April 19, 2014. The couple was hosting a birthday party at their home.

Both were drinking heavily, and after Josephine became ill, the party began to wind down. At around 1:00 a.m., Alexander emerged from their bedroom, telling the remaining guests that he needed help, that Josephine was in the bathroom, bleeding. A friend rushed in to find Josephine on the floor with a gunshot wound to her head.

Alexander’s initial story was that of a tragic accident. He claimed that as he was putting his gun away in a bathroom cabinet, it accidentally discharged, striking Josephine.

He said that in his panic, he ran to a nearby gas station to call for help instead of using a phone in the house. But the evidence and witness testimony told a different story.

The jury, while not convinced the act was premeditated, rejected the accident defense. They found Alexander Richardson guilty of second-degree murder, and in 2016, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the violent end to a turbulent relationship.

The Case of Alay-ay M.: A Violent Past, a Chilling Confession

In Arlington, Texas, 34-year-old Alay-ay M. believed she had found her second chance with 64-year-old Edward Rogers. After meeting online, she moved from the Philippines to be with him, and in 2018, they welcomed their son, Zachary.

But the happy family photos she posted on social media concealed a dark and dangerous reality. Edward was a man with a violent past and a terrifyingly short temper.

The relationship was plagued by domestic abuse. Alay-ay had filed for a protective order against him after multiple violent incidents, including one where he choked her and another where he threatened her with a knife.

But like many victims, she found herself trapped in a cycle of abuse and reconciliation. For the sake of their son, and due to her precarious immigration status, she kept returning.

What Alay-ay may not have fully known was the true extent of Edward’s violent history. In 2004, he had taken the life of a coworker, a crime for which he had served time after pleading guilty to manslaughter. The man she was trying to build a life with was a convicted killer.

In July 2019, the cycle of violence reached its tragic conclusion. After another argument, Edward took Alay-ay’s life, pushing her and causing a fatal head injury, according to his later confession. In a chilling and brazen act, he then hid her body in a garage freezer.

He calmly called a friend, confessed to what he had done, and even showed the friend the body. After the friend left in horror and called the police, Edward sent a series of goodbye texts to his family and took his own life before authorities could arrive.

The separate, tragic stories of Josephine and Alay-ay serve as a devastating reminder of the universal and insidious nature of domestic violence. Both were brave Filipina women who sought love and a better life in America, only to find themselves ensnared by dangerous men whose charming facades concealed a capacity for unimaginable violence.