"Today" and MSNBC host Tamron Hall is finally speaking out about the murder of her sister, Renate, after much hesitation.
In an interview published by People on Wednesday, Hall talked about her relationship with Renate, her stepsister, and shared her sister's past experiences with domestic abuse, saying that she had a tendency to "fall for men who took advantage of her."
"No one deserves what happened to my sister," Hall told the magazine. "For a long time I was hesitant about sharing our story. I didn't want to be another well-known person saying, 'Look what happened to me and my family.' But then I said, screw that. I can save a life."
In 2004, Renate was found brutally beaten and floating facedown in her backyard pool in Houston, Texas. The only person of interest named in the case was a man with whom Renate said she had a "love-hate relationship." But due to lack of evidence, no arrests were made and her homicide case remains unsolved.
"Do we know who did this to her as defined by a court of law? No," Hall said, explaining that she once witnessed a "brutal altercation" between her sister and the man. "But I can tell you I witnessed an act of violence and there were only two other people in that room."
Since her sister's death, Hall has taken a stand against domestic violence by working with groups like Safe Horizon and Day One. In addition, Hall's show, "Deadline: Crime" helps families who've faced similar tragedies as her own find closure.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline or visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline operated by RAINN. For more resources, visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.
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