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JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -- It's been five years since we learned the sad story of Tanya Mitchell, who was sentenced to prison in Vandalia for 15 years for killing an abusive husband.

In 2005, Mitchell told us she felt helpless to do anything about a husband who beat her often.

On Monday in Kansas City, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster will hold another regional meeting of his task force on domestic violence.

It's an effort to develop better law enforcement and court responses to abuse victims.

Koster thinks more must be done so domestic violence cases never escalate to someone's death.

“This is an opportunity for us to take a complete look at how victims are interacting with the system, and whether the system is appropriately responding to the needs of domestic violence victims all over Missouri.” Koster said.

Koster said the task force has already learned that early intervention is key.

"Does a detective at a local police department go visit a victim of domestic violence two days after the attack, or two months after the attack?” Koster said. “The answer to that question makes all the difference in whether the victim participates in the prosecution of the case from start to finish.”

Koster said resources for abused women are still inadequate Missouri. Last year, 25,000 women here reached out for shelter services. Koster said more than half were turned away for lack of space.

Koster is also keen on special domestic violence court dockets like the one used by Boone County Judge Debbie Daniels, which concentrate a court's focus on the problem and usually accelerate the prosecution of abuse cases.

"The use of domestic violence dockets across Missouri is still the exception, rather than the rule,” Koster said. “It is the rule in Columbia, Missouri, and it’s a best practice we're trying to spread across the entire state.”

That practice could reduce the number of situations like that of Tanya Mitchell, who, when we visited her in prison, told us women who do not get out of abusive situations ultimately have one of only two fates.

"You're gonna wind up dead or you're gonna wind up here.”