Living Under the Veil of Domestic Violence: Lara Sabanosh's Headline Story

Today's story is about special guest Lara Sabanosh's encounter with domestic violence and the aftermath of this all-too-common, ongoing situation in society today. Her new book, Caged, is the true never-before-told other side of an international, headline story that captivated audiences around the world in 2015. From the Today Show, NBC News, small-town newspapers, to Al Jazeera, everyone told their own version of the events that left Lara and her daughters exiled, the Commanding Officer of Guantanamo Bay’s Naval Base dismissed, and her husband dead.  

Jan 9, 2015, Christopher Tur, a civilian worker at Guantanamo Bay’s Naval Base, went missing. On Jan 11, his body was found and his wife, Lara Sabanosh, was left to deal with the aftermath of what took place at the time, and the events leading up to that moment, forcing her to examine more than twenty years of abuse and the denial and deceits that occur in all households subjected to domestic violence.

Caged is a window into the toughest moments of Sabanosh’s life, moments no one should ever have to endure. But she did. Sabanosh offers a call to action for reform, encourages others to seek out help, and urges those in positions of authority to assess existing procedures and question certain long-standing policies.

Lara Sabanosh grew up in various parts of the country and for a time, lived overseas in Guantanamo Bay (GTMO), where she was an education service facilitator at the Fleet and Family Support Center and became acting director in December 2013. She spent much of her adult life as a wife, mother and student, eventually completing two doctoral degrees. Sabanosh is currently retired from government service.