Carol Browne of Berlin Township, N.J., was stabbed to death on Wednesday by whom authorities believe is her ex-boyfriend.
Browne had previously received a restraining order and took other measures to defend herself against the main suspect, Michael Eitel. She applied for a gun license on April 21, according to to the Courier-Post.
Despite checking in with the state as recently as Monday to see the status of her license, police believe Eitel broke the restraining order and killed Browne.
The application process to obtain a gun in New Jersey usually takes at least two months, as fingerprints and reference checks for each candidate are needed.
"We did not get the fingerprint information yet," Berlin Township Police Chief Leonard Check said of Browne's application.
Shortly before trying to get a gun license, Browne had security cameras and an alarm system installed at her house.
"She got a restraining order about a month ago, and right after that her car windows were broken," one of Browne's co-workers said.
Browne was trying to defend herself against someone who has a history of abusing girlfriends.
Eitel, a convicted felon and now a fugitive, plead guilty to a weapons offense charge in 2008. He was indicted in 2006 on a charge of aggravated assault with bodily injury and received a five-year sentence. Neighbors told the Courier-Post that the assault was on a former girlfriend.
