Batten, a Harvard-educated lawyer, was a Software Development Engineer in Test for Microsoft, supporting Rare on its 360 titles work. She had worked for Microsoft since 2002, earning credits in Halo 3 and Gears of War as an SDET. Earlier, as a lawyer, she had been a public defender for the Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, N.C.) Public Defender's Office.

Her husband, Joseph Batten, was also 36. He had also worked for Microsoft but most recently worked for Wizards of the Coast, publisher of hobby games such as Magic: the Gathering. Melissa had obtained a restraining order against her husband on July 21. Another news story describes Joseph Batten as obsessive and verbally abusive, and when she learned he had obtained a handgun, she sought the protection order.

There has always been murders in this world. But today it just feels like you can't tell who's right in the head. It could be a neighbor, friend, or even a family member. It's so unexpecting. How do they get to that point, and what drives these people to commit these crimes. It's like the existence of natural love is becoming non-exsistent. Even amongst the living we do some pretty shameful things. Sometimes I feel as if people have a shallow soul, or are just cold. You can find anything on the internet. Ever since the world wide web has grown popular you have people who commit suicide live on their webcam with people cheering them on. There is something wrong with that.

Another example. Not to long ago a man in Germany put a ad in the newspaper about trying to find a victim to be killed so he could eat them. Someone actually responded to the ad saying that for the longest time they wanted to die in that manner. The result, another person finally questions what he/she saw in the newspaper and reported the ad. Later that year police found the killer who was eating his victim over the past few months. Later he would become a vegetarian in prison?! It's just not that someone replied to the ad that bothers me, but also the newspaper allowed it to be published!