What More Evidence Do You Need Than a Woman’s Fear? The Murders of Stephanie Moseley, Wendy Black, and Tara Labang
Imagine watching a murder unfold through a phone screen—and doing nothing. In this episode of No Tears For Black Girls, host Samantha Paul unpacks the connected stories of three women whose lives were stolen by men who believed their rage mattered more than women’s right to live: dancer and actress Stephanie Moseley, shot in her Los Angeles apartment while her husband FaceTimed Floyd Mayweather; Wendy Black, a Maryland nurse anesthetist who begged the courts for protection and was told her fear wasn’t enough; and Tara Labang, a healer whose killing became a footnote to a Facebook Live confession. Three women. Two killers. One broken system that turned every warning sign into paperwork and excuses.
This isn’t a whodunit—it’s an examination of how. How protective orders get denied even when women say “he threatened to kill me with a gun.” How red flag laws are supposed to remove weapons from dangerous people, and why they so often aren’t used in time. How media headlines humanize some victims while reducing others to “domestic incidents.” Through survivor-centered storytelling, data on intimate partner violence, and a hard look at police, courts, and tech platforms, Samantha argues these deaths were not inevitable tragedies—they were preventable failures.
To go even deeper into this world, you can read our ongoing No Tears For Black Girls book series on Amazon. The series is available in both paperback and e‑book formats, and digital copies are included at no extra cost with an eligible Amazon Kindle subscription (such as Kindle Unlimited).
CREDITS:
Created, Written, & Produced by John Reedburg
Hosted & Narrated by Samantha Paul
Production Company: John Reedburg Media
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
https://www.youtube.com/@NoTearsForBlacksGirls
facebook.com/notearsforblackgirls
instagram.com/notearsforblackgirls
tiktok.com/@notearsforblackgirls
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Imagine this.
You're lying in bed next to your
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husband.
It's Monday morning, December
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8th, 2014.
Los Angeles, the Palazzo East
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Apartments, luxury living with
floor to ceiling windows
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overlooking the city.
You've been married three years.
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00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,280
You're a professional dancer and
actress on VH1's Hit the Floor.
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00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,160
You've worked with Chris Brown.
Britney Spears performed on
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stages most people only dream
about.
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At 30 years old, you're finally
getting the recognition you
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00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,800
deserve.
But your husband?
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He's a rapper who never quite
made it.
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00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,680
He's in Floyd Mayweather's
entourage, living off proximity
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to fame instead of earning his
own.
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00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,240
And lately he's been paranoid,
obsessed, convinced you're
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cheating on him with R&B singer
Trey Songz.
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00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:53,800
You've told him 1000 times it's
not true.
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You separated 2 years ago over
these same accusations, then
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reconciled because you loved
him.
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You thought love would be
enough.
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It's not.
You hear him on the phone in the
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other room.
His voice is different today,
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flat, cold.
He walks into the bedroom
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holding his phone.
He's Facetiming with Floyd
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Mayweather.
Floyd's trying to talk him down.
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You hear Floyd's voice through
the speaker, urgent, pleading.
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Your husband raises his other
hand.
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He's holding a gun.
You open your mouth to scream.
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The first shot tears through
you, then another and another.
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Floyd Mayweather watches through
a phone screen, helpless, 1000
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miles away.
Your name was Stephanie Moseley,
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and the man who killed you
thought jealousy justified
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murder.
Picture this.
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You're a nurse anesthetist in
Columbia, MD.
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It's Saturday, December 11th,
2021, seven years after
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Stephanie.
You're in your apartment, maybe
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doing laundry or reading a book
or making lunch.
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Normal Saturday afternoon
things.
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You have a daughter you're
fighting to protect.
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00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,360
Your ex-husband, also a nurse
anesthetist, has been
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terrorizing you for months.
You filed for a protective
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order.
You told the court he threatened
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to kill you with a gun.
You showed them text messages,
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documented his escalating rage,
explained how afraid you were.
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The judge denied your petition.
Insufficient evidence.
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They said you needed more proof.
What more evidence do you need
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than a woman's fear?
Six months pass.
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You try to feel safe in your own
home, but you can't.
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And today your worst fear comes
true.
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Your ex-husband forces his way
into your apartment.
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He's already killed his other
ex-girlfriend, Tara.
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Earlier today, he confessed to
that murder on Facebook Live
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streaming his breakdown to the
world.
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Now he's in your home.
You fight, You beg, you try to
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reason with him.
Nothing works.
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He shoots you multiple times.
Then he turns the gun on
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himself.
Your name was Wendy Black.
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The court told you your fear
wasn't enough.
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Six months later, you were dead.
One more story.
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You're a healer, Filipino,
Hawaiian heritage, a woman who
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dedicated her life to saving
others.
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It's Saturday morning, December
11th, 2021, same day as Wendy.
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You're in Baltimore, less than
30 miles away from where Wendy
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will die later today.
You used to date a man named
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Raji.
Nurse anesthetist.
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Intelligent, professional.
But the relationship ended and
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you moved on.
He didn't.
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He's been texting you, calling
you, showing up unannounced.
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This morning, he shows up again.
Maybe you let him in because you
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think you can talk to him.
Maybe you're trying to be kind.
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Maybe you don't realize how
dangerous he's become.
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He kills you.
Then he gets in his car and
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drives to Facebook.
Not the company, the platform.
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He goes live, confesses to your
murder, tells the world he's not
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done.
He drives to Columbia, to his
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ex-wife Wendy's apartment.
After he kills her, after he
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kills himself, your name becomes
a footnote, the first victim,
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the catalyst.
But you weren't a footnote.
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Your name was Tara Labang, and
you deserved so much more than
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being the first body in a spree
killers rampage.
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When I first came across these
cases, Stephanie Story was
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already well known because of
the Floyd Mayweather connection.
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Celebrity tragedy, tabloid
headlines.
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The kind of case that gets
attention because famous people
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were adjacent to it.
But Wendy and Tara?
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I found them buried in local
news archives, barely a blip in
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00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,920
the national conversation.
Three women, two killers, one
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00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,880
devastating pattern.
Men who believe their rage
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mattered more than women's
lives.
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And I couldn't stop asking how
many more women have to die
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before we stop treating intimate
partner violence like a private
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family matter and start treating
it like the public health crisis
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it is.
I'm Samantha Paul.
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This is no tears for black
girls.
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The cases they ignored.
If you're new here, we don't
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00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,640
just tell true crime stories.
We expose the systems that
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failed these women.
We connect the dots and we
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demand accountability.
Let's talk about patterns.
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When Nicole Brown Simpson was
murdered by OJ Simpson in 1994,
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she had called the police. 9 * 9
documented cries for help.
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The system failed her.
When Rihanna was beaten by Chris
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Brown in 2009, photos of her
battered face went viral, but he
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served no jail time.
When Gabby Petito went missing
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in 2021, the story dominated
every news cycle for weeks.
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Wall to wall coverage, national
search efforts.
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And yes, her case mattered.
But compare that to the hundreds
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00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,720
of missing and murdered
Indigenous women, Black women,
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Latina women whose cases never
made it past local news.
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The media called Gabby's
disappearance A tragedy.
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They called Wendy and Tara's
murders a domestic incident.
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You see the difference?
One case gets humanized, the
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00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,400
others get categorized.
Here's what the data shows.
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One in four women in the United
States will experience severe
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intimate partner violence in
their lifetime.
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For Black women, that number is
35% higher.
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00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,960
Black women are nearly three
times more likely to be murdered
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by an intimate partner than
white women.
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Not because Black men are
inherently more violent, but
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because when Black women report
abuse, they're less likely to be
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believed, less likely to receive
protective orders, less likely
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to get the resources they need
to escape.
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The system is designed to fail
them, and then we act surprised
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when they end up dead.
So let's talk about Stephanie
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Moseley, Wendy Black, and Tara
Lebang, 3 women who should still
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be alive.
Let's talk about Earl Hayes and
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Raji Black, two men who chose
violence.
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And let's talk about the systems
that enabled both tragedies,
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Because these deaths weren't
inevitable.
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They were predictable,
preventable, and entirely the
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fault of a society that refuses
to take women's fear seriously.
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Stephanie Moseley was born in
Vancouver, Canada.
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She moved to Los Angeles to
chase a dream, and she caught
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it.
Professional dancer, actress.
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She worked with some of the
biggest names in entertainment.
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Chris Brown, Britney Spears.
You've probably seen her work,
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even if you didn't know her
name.
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She was cast on VH1's Hit the
Floor as one of the Devil Girls.
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Finally, her face was being
seen, not just her choreography.
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She was beautiful, talented,
hard working, and she was
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married to Earl Hayes, a rapper
who never quite broke through.
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He was part of Floyd
Mayweather's entourage, which
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meant he had access to wealth
and fame without earning it
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himself.
That kind of proximity breeds
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resentment.
Earl was jealous of Stephanie's
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success, obsessed with the idea
that she was cheating on him,
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specifically with Trey Songz.
There's no evidence the affair
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ever happened, but in Earl's
mind, it didn't matter.
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Perception was reality, and his
perception was poisoned by
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jealousy, insecurity, and rage.
Wendy Black was a nurse
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anesthetist.
If you don't know what that
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means, let me tell you.
It's one of the most demanding
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jobs in healthcare.
CRN as administer anesthesia,
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monitor patients during surgery,
make life or death decisions in
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seconds.
Wendy was smart, capable,
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dedicated.
She had a daughter, she was
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building a life.
And then she met Raji Black,
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also a nurse anesthetist.
On paper, they seemed like a
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good match.
Same profession, same education
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level, same ambition.
They got married, had a child
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together, but the marriage fell
apart.
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Custody battles, restraining
order attempts.
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Raji couldn't accept that Wendy
had moved on.
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In his mind, if he couldn't have
her, no one could.
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Tara Labang was a healer in
every sense of the word.
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Friends described her as someone
who lit up every room she
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entered.
She had that rare combination of
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intelligence and warmth, the
kind of person who made everyone
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around her feel seen.
She worked in healthcare like
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00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,400
Wendy and Raji.
She dated Raji after his
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00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,840
marriage to Wendy ended, but she
broke up with him, moved on with
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her life, and Raji couldn't
handle it.
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Another woman who rejected him.
Another woman who had the
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audacity to choose herself over
him.
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Earl Hayes and Raji Black.
Two men, different cities,
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different circumstances, but the
same entitlement, the same
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00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,000
belief that women existed to
validate them.
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And when those women refused,
violence was justified.
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Earl convinced himself he was
the victim of Stephanie's
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alleged infidelity.
Raji convinced himself he was
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00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:45,200
the victim of Wendy's custody
fight and Tara's rejection.
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Both men told themselves a story
where they were the wronged
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party.
Both men use that story to
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justify murder.
Let's be clear.
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Jealousy is not love, control is
not protection, and murder is
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not passion.
These are the lies we tell
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00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,640
ourselves to make male violence
seem understandable.
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00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,200
Earl didn't kill Stephanie
because he loved her too much,
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he killed her because he didn't
see her as a person.
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She was an object he owned and
when he thought someone else had
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touched his property, he
destroyed it.
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Raji didn't kill Tara and Wendy
because he couldn't live without
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them, he killed them because
they dared to live without him.
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December 8th, 2014.
Stephanie and Earl are in their
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00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,120
apartment at the Palazzo East in
Los Angeles.
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00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,200
Luxury building security.
The kind of place where you're
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00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:43,240
supposed to feel safe.
Earl is on FaceTime with Floyd
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00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,320
Mayweather.
Floyd's in another city, maybe
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00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,360
Vegas, just talking to his
friend.
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00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:52,080
And then Earl's mood shifts.
He starts talking about
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00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,640
Stephanie, about Trey Songz,
about betrayal.
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00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,480
Floyd realizes something's
wrong.
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00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:02,400
He tries to talk Earl down.
Stay calm.
202
00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,320
Don't do anything stupid.
Think about what you're doing.
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00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:11,120
But Earl's already decided.
He walks into the bedroom where
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00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,120
Stephanie is.
Floyd can see her on the screen.
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00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:19,040
Earl raises a gun, Floyd
screaming now, begging him to
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00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:23,160
stop.
But Earl fires once, twice,
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00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:27,560
multiple shots.
Stephanie Mosley, 30 years old,
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00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:31,360
dies in her own bed while a
boxing champion watches through
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00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:36,080
a phone screen, helpless.
Floyd calls 911, but it's too
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00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:40,240
late for Stephanie.
LAPD and SWAT respond.
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00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,080
By the time they breach the
apartment, Earl has turned the
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00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:48,920
gun on himself.
Murder suicide, The phrase the
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00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,160
media uses when men kill women
and then take the cowards way
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00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,000
out.
The news reports focus on Floyd
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00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,120
Mayweather.
What did he see?
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00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:00,280
What did he hear?
How traumatized is he?
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00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:05,440
And yes, Floyd was traumatized.
Witnessing murder scars you.
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00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:10,280
But here's what bothers me.
Floyd was on the phone with Earl
219
00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:12,160
for several minutes before the
shooting.
220
00:13:12,680 --> 00:13:15,000
He heard the threats, he saw the
gun.
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00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:19,080
And he didn't call 911 until
after Stephanie was already
222
00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:22,040
dead.
Could he have saved her if he'd
223
00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,720
called sooner?
We'll never know.
224
00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,480
Floyd's not legally responsible
for Stephanie's death.
225
00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:32,720
Earl is.
But there's a question that
226
00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,640
haunts me.
When you witness someone
227
00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:38,520
threatening violence, do you
have a moral obligation to
228
00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,160
intervene?
I think you do.
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00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:48,520
December 11th, 2021, Seven years
after Stephanie Raji Black wakes
230
00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,480
up that Saturday morning with a
plan.
231
00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,760
He drives to Baltimore, to
Tara's Place.
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00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,640
The woman he used to date, the
woman who broke up with him.
233
00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,640
What happens in those moments
before he kills her?
234
00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,440
We don't know.
Maybe she tried to reason with
235
00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,120
him.
Maybe she fought.
236
00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:09,160
Maybe she begged.
All we know is that Tara Labang
237
00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:12,240
dies that morning.
And then Raji does something
238
00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,840
chilling.
He gets in his car, opens
239
00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:19,240
Facebook on his phone, goes
live, starts confessing, tells
240
00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:22,920
his followers he just killed
Tara, says she drove him to it.
241
00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:26,040
Says he's not done, Says Wendy's
next.
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00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,640
People are watching this in real
time, commenting.
243
00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,360
Some beg him to stop.
Some don't believe it's real.
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00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:36,160
Some think it's a sick joke.
It's not.
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00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:41,240
Raji drives from Baltimore to
Columbia, MD, less than 30
246
00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:43,040
miles.
Wendy's apartment.
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00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:47,640
She filed for a protective order
months ago, told the court Raji
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00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:49,120
threatened to kill her with a
gun.
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00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:52,840
The judge denied it.
So Wendy's home alone.
250
00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,240
When Raji forces his way inside,
she fights.
251
00:14:56,760 --> 00:15:00,160
Neighbors later report hearing
screaming, but no one calls the
252
00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,920
police in time.
Raji shoots Wendy multiple
253
00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,240
times.
Then he turns the gun on
254
00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,640
himself.
By the time police arrive, three
255
00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:14,680
people are dead.
Tara, Wendy, Raji and the
256
00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:17,640
Internet has footage of a man
confessing to murder in real
257
00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,280
time.
Here's what makes me sick.
258
00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,400
Wendy Black told the system she
was in danger.
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00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:27,760
She went to court, filed
paperwork, documented threats,
260
00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,800
said the words.
He threatened to kill me with a
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00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:35,320
gun and the judge said not
enough evidence, denied.
262
00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:39,000
What more evidence do you need
than a woman's fear?
263
00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,200
We expect women to predict their
own murders, to have documented
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00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,880
proof that the man threatening
them will follow through.
265
00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,800
We expect them to wait until
after the first act of violence
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00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:54,160
to get protection, and by then
it's often too late.
267
00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,520
Wendy did everything right.
She left the marriage.
268
00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,920
She filed for protection.
She told the truth and the
269
00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,120
system said come back when he
actually tries to kill you.
270
00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:09,040
Six months later he did, and she
didn't get to come back.
271
00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,520
The investigations were
straightforward because both
272
00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:17,080
killers were dead.
In Stephanie's case, LAPD had
273
00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,040
Floyd Mayweather's witness
testimony.
274
00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:23,040
They had the 911 call.
They had the bodies.
275
00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:28,840
Murder, suicide case closed.
No trial, no accountability.
276
00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:33,800
Just two families burying their
dead in Wendy and Tara's case.
277
00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,560
Baltimore PD and Howard County
PD had even more evidence.
278
00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:42,600
Facebook Live confession,
digital trail witnesses who saw
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00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:44,800
Raji driving between crime
scenes.
280
00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,760
Murder suicide, case closed.
But here's what doesn't close
281
00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:53,120
the questions.
Why didn't Wendy's protective
282
00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:56,520
order get granted?
Why didn't anyone intervene when
283
00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:58,680
Raji was live streaming his
confession?
284
00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,760
Why do we have a system that
waits for women to die before we
285
00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:07,599
take their fear seriously?
After Stephanie's death, people
286
00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:11,560
asked why she stayed with Earl
after their first separation.
287
00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,960
After the jealousy and
accusations, why did she go
288
00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,960
back?
After Wendy's death, people
289
00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:19,760
asked why she didn't just leave
sooner.
290
00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:22,839
Why did she marry Raji in the
1st place?
291
00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:27,640
These questions miss the point.
The question isn't why did she
292
00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:31,320
stay, the question is why did he
kill her?
293
00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,360
We put the burden of survival on
women.
294
00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,720
We tell them to leave abusive
relationships, but we don't talk
295
00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,520
about the fact that leaving is
the most dangerous time.
296
00:17:42,120 --> 00:17:46,160
Women are 70 times more likely
to be killed by their abuser in
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00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,000
the weeks after they leave than
at any other point in the
298
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:53,280
relationship.
Stephanie left Earl once they
299
00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,720
reconciled, she thought it would
get better.
300
00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:00,120
Wendy left Raja, filed for
divorce, filed for a protective
301
00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:02,360
order.
She did everything the system
302
00:18:02,360 --> 00:18:04,840
told her to do and she still
died.
303
00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:10,720
Los Angeles, Baltimore,
Columbia, MD different cities,
304
00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,280
same story.
Luxury apartments and suburban
305
00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:16,240
homes.
It doesn't matter where you
306
00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:18,760
live.
Domestic violence doesn't care
307
00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:24,080
about your zip code. the Palazzo
East where Stephanie died had
308
00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,200
security guards and gated entry.
Didn't matter.
309
00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:30,760
Wendy's apartment in Columbia
was in a safe neighborhood,
310
00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,360
Didn't matter.
Tara's home in Baltimore had
311
00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:38,520
neighbors close enough to hear,
Didn't matter because the danger
312
00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:43,720
wasn't outside.
It was intimate, known, trusted
313
00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:48,280
the men who killed them, had
keys or knocked on doors that
314
00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,640
opened.
They didn't need to break in.
315
00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,520
They were already inside.
Let's talk about the systems
316
00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,200
that failed these women
protective orders.
317
00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,120
In theory, they're supposed to
keep abusers away.
318
00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,800
In practice, they're pieces of
paper that rely on abusers
319
00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,080
following rules.
And abusers don't follow rules.
320
00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:10,480
But even a flawed protective
order is better than nothing.
321
00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,840
It gives police the authority to
arrest on site.
322
00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,600
It creates a legal record.
It shows the court that a woman
323
00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,520
is afraid.
So when Wendy Black filed for a
324
00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,840
protective order and told the
court Raji threatened to kill
325
00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,440
her with a gun and the judge
denied it, that wasn't just
326
00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,600
bureaucratic failure.
That was a death sentence.
327
00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:33,720
What more evidence do you need?
A body.
328
00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,560
Because that's what you got six
months later, Wendy Black's
329
00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,760
body.
I want you to think about that,
330
00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:45,080
judge, the one who denied
Wendy's petition.
331
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,440
I want you to imagine them
reading the news, seeing Wendy's
332
00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,360
name, realizing they could have
helped her.
333
00:19:53,120 --> 00:19:56,040
Do they feel responsible?
Do they regret it?
334
00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:00,080
Or do they tell themselves it's
not their fault, that they were
335
00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,680
just following procedure?
Because here's the thing about
336
00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:06,440
systems.
They let individuals hide behind
337
00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,120
protocols.
The judge who denied Wendy's
338
00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:12,320
order can say I was just
applying the standard.
339
00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:15,760
The police who didn't take
Stephanie's previous calls
340
00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:18,720
seriously can say we didn't have
enough evidence.
341
00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:22,920
The Facebook employees who saw
Raji's confession in real time
342
00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:26,240
but didn't immediately alert
police can say we're not law
343
00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,960
enforcement.
Everyone has an excuse, and
344
00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:33,040
women keep dying.
Black women face intimate
345
00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,520
partner violence at rates 35%
higher than white women.
346
00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,800
They're 2.7 times more likely to
be murdered by a partner.
347
00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,440
Why?
It's not because Black men are
348
00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,480
inherently more violent.
It's because when Black women
349
00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,400
report abuse, they're less
likely to be believed.
350
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:54,080
When they seek protective
orders, they're more likely to
351
00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,760
be denied.
When they call the police,
352
00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,680
they're more likely to be
dismissed.
353
00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:03,360
The system is built on biases
that say Black women are strong,
354
00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,200
resilient, unbreakable.
Which sounds like a compliment
355
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,640
until you realize it means
people don't think we need help,
356
00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,360
don't think we can be victims,
don't think our fear is
357
00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:16,920
legitimate.
The strong black woman trope
358
00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:20,360
kills us because when we say
we're in danger, people assume
359
00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:24,040
we can handle it, and when we
can't, they blame us for not
360
00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:27,760
being strong enough.
Here's where these cases stand
361
00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:32,160
as of January 2026.
In the years after Stephanie's
362
00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:36,200
death, California expanded its
red flag law, what the state
363
00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,520
calls a gun violence restraining
order.
364
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,600
If someone's threatening
violence, family members or
365
00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,200
police can petition to
temporarily remove their
366
00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,240
firearms.
Would it have saved Stephanie?
367
00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,920
Maybe, if someone had reported
Earl's escalating threats?
368
00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:55,400
If Floyd had called police
earlier?
369
00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,160
If a red flag petition had been
filed.
370
00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:02,760
But it requires people to act.
Wendy Black's murder poured
371
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:06,200
gasoline on the already burning
debate in Maryland about how
372
00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:10,040
hard it is to get a protective
order, making the standards less
373
00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:12,760
stringent.
Believing women when they say
374
00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,840
they're afraid.
But the reforms haven't passed.
375
00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:18,760
Committees, debates,
bureaucracy.
376
00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:23,960
Meanwhile, women keep filing for
protective orders and some still
377
00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,280
get denied.
Tara Lebang's death is barely
378
00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,600
mentioned in the discussions
about reform.
379
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:34,280
She's the footnote, the first
victim, the warm up act to the
380
00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,040
main tragedy.
And that's the problem.
381
00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:39,920
We don't value all victims
equally.
382
00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:44,000
Stephanie got attention because
Floyd Mayweather was involved.
383
00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:48,560
Wendy gets attention because the
protective order denial is such
384
00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,000
clear system failure.
Tara gets overlooked.
385
00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,040
But Tara mattered.
Her life mattered.
386
00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,480
And if we forget her, we've
learned nothing.
387
00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,800
Stephanie Mosley is buried in
Vancouver, her hometown.
388
00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,080
Her family remembers her as a
light, a dancer who moved with
389
00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:11,400
grace on stage and in life.
Her social media pages are still
390
00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:16,800
up, frozen in time, photos of
her smiling, performing, living.
391
00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,880
People still comment, rest in
peace.
392
00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,200
You deserved better.
Gone too soon.
393
00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:26,200
Wendy Black is buried in
Maryland.
394
00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:30,040
Her daughter, the child she
fought to protect, had to grow
395
00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:32,840
up without a mother.
Wendy's colleagues in the
396
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,640
medical field remember her as
brilliant, dedicated, the kind
397
00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,080
of nurse you wanted in the room
during a crisis.
398
00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,680
Tara Labang is buried with
honors befitting a healer.
399
00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:47,400
Her family and friends created a
Memorial Fund, raising money for
400
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:50,440
funeral expenses and a
scholarship in her name.
401
00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:54,240
Community support.
Turning grief into action.
402
00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:58,480
That's how we honor the dead.
Not with thoughts and prayers.
403
00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,280
With change.
Here's what I need you to
404
00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,400
understand.
These deaths were preventable.
405
00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,120
Not in a vague, philosophical
sense.
406
00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,760
In a concrete, actionable sense.
If Earl Hayes had been reported
407
00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:14,960
for his threats and his guns
removed, Stephanie might be
408
00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:17,640
alive.
If Wendy Black's protective
409
00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:20,400
order had been granted, she
might be alive.
410
00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,480
If someone had called the police
the moment Raji started live
411
00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:27,360
streaming his confession, Tara
might be alive.
412
00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,440
Every single one of these
tragedies had an intervention
413
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:35,840
point, a moment where someone
could have done something and no
414
00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:40,000
one did, or they did and the
system failed them anyway.
415
00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,640
That's the part that should
enrage you, not the
416
00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:46,080
inevitability, the
preventability.
417
00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:49,600
If you're listening to this and
you recognize yourself in these
418
00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:53,120
stories, if you're afraid of
your partner, if you've thought
419
00:24:53,120 --> 00:24:56,520
about leaving but you're scared
of what will happen, please hear
420
00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,600
me.
You deserve to be safe.
421
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,880
You deserve to be believed.
You deserve help.
422
00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:07,360
Call the national domestic
violence hotline AT180799 safe.
423
00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:12,560
That's 1800 seven 99 safe.
They have advocates available
424
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,840
24/7.
They can help you safety plan.
425
00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,520
They can connect you with local
resources.
426
00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:20,800
They can remind you that you're
not alone.
427
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,960
And if you're someone who knows
a woman in danger, don't wait.
428
00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:27,160
Don't assume she'll ask for
help.
429
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:29,680
Don't assume the system will
protect her.
430
00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:33,040
Intervene, call the police, help
her leave.
431
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,920
Be the person who breaks the
pattern because Stephanie, Wendy
432
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,480
and Tara needed someone to
intervene and no one did.
433
00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:43,240
Or they tried and it wasn't
enough.
434
00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:48,800
Don't let that be your story.
Before we close, I want to tell
435
00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,560
you how you can support this
show and the work we're doing.
436
00:25:52,120 --> 00:25:55,560
If you want early access to
episodes like this one, you can
437
00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:59,720
now subscribe through Spotify.
Your subscription helps us keep
438
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:03,400
investigating these cases, keep
telling these stories, keep
439
00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,680
demanding accountability.
If you want to go deeper into
440
00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:10,280
these stories, are No Tears for
Black Girls book series is
441
00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:14,000
available on Amazon.
These are novels inspired by
442
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,720
real cases, fictional stories
that explore the systems and
443
00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:20,640
circumstances that lead to these
tragedies.
444
00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:24,440
And if you want to support us
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445
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,720
Every contribution helps us keep
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00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:32,560
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help our mission grow is to like
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Tell people why this show
449
00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:42,320
matters.
Help us reach more listeners
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00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,280
because the more people who hear
these stories, the more pressure
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we put on the systems that
failed these women.
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You can also experience these
stories through sound by
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00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,800
searching for the No Tears for
Black Girls soundtrack anywhere
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00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:58,680
you stream music.
We've created music that
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00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,960
reflects the pain, the
resilience, and the demand for
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00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:07,200
justice that drives this show.
Stephanie Moseley, Wendy Black,
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00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:12,280
Tara Labang say their names,
share their stories.
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Demand justice, not just for
them, for every woman still
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living in fear, for every woman
the system has failed.
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00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:23,720
For every woman who deserves
better than thoughts and
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00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,600
prayers, we owe them more than
grief.
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We owe them change.
Thank you for listening to No
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00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:34,160
Tears for Black Girls.
Stay loved, stay blessed, and
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00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:36,880
stay safe.
This is Samantha Paul.