Donna Alexander, an anti-violence activist best known for creating The Anger Room, was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend, 34-year-old Nathaniel Mitchell, in September. On Tuesday, he was indicted on charges of murder. If convicted, he faces life in prison. 

Mitchell is accused of breaking into her bedroom on September 21 and beating her in the head while her children hid in their rooms. After the assault, Mitchell brought Alexander to the Baylor University Medical Center, claiming she slipped while getting out of the shower. Hospital staff didn't believe Mitchell's story was consistent with her injuries and quickly alerted the police. An investigation of Alexander’s home soon led to his subsequent arrest.

The 36-year-old advocate for domestic violence survivors was said to have spent much of her life speaking against domestic violence.

“At 14, she knew what she wanted to do.  She was really adamant about domestic abuse and working to do something for the community,” said her father, Donald Alexander. 

The Anger Room was her way of doing that. 

“You see so many crimes, and so many tragedies going on worldwide, and I thought that maybe if there was an anger room somewhere, we could have prevented this, or we could have helped that person out. [The idea] kept growing inside of me until I finally got up and did it,” she said in a 2012 interview.

Starting as a junk-filled garage for her friends and co-workers, The Anger Room quickly blossomed into a nationwide phenomenon. It was even featured on shows like The Real Housewives of Dallas and visited by Ozzy Osborne. 

The room was a 1,000 square foot warehouse in downtown Dallas the Chicago-native cluttered with furniture, computers, printers, glasses, bottles and dishes. She didn’t allow weapons like machetes, knives or ammunition in the facility. She was also keen on safety precautions, requiring attendees to wear safety goggles, helmets and jumpsuits. The entrepreneur was even planning on expanding The Anger Room into different states. Her death, however, has caused operations to cease, and the company is no longer in business. 

“No matter how much she tried to get away from it, he always ended up back in her life,” said her sister, Lauren Armour, referencing Nathaniel Mitchell.

In a 2017 Facebook Live video, Alexander gave an eerie sentiment surrounding death and violence. 

“We can’t help or control the inevitable," Alexander said. "We can’t stop the violence. It’s like a lottery. You are going to die eventually, and at a time you may not want to go.”

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