Best friend's cousin murdered recently, long but please read?

I hate to say it but I think your friend is bordering on fruitbasketness... Her cousin being murdered probably sparked many emotions in her and she probably is evaluating many things in her life right now. Thus the visit to her abusive ex. Which is really, really stupid on her part. You can't do anything to "fix" the problem; I know men are problem-resolvers by nature. If I were you, I'd hep her by offering her names of very good psychiatrists. Don't try and take this problem on, yourself. This is way too much. Talk to her, be a productive listener but certainly offer the idea of professional help. Good luck.

I think she's sad because that this alleged murderer was also young and she's just thinking how can such a young and innocent young person kill another young person. I don't think you could directly help her, but you can be there for her and suggest that she goes to church (if she believes in God) or to a psychiatrist and talks about it. She might feel better. But be gentle and careful in suggesting that. And also tell her that her ex is no good. Be firm about that.

Invite her over, somewhere low stress, and ask to talk about how she's doing. It should be a very, very long talk, but you'll probably find out more about how she's feeling. Make sure you aren't accusing her of anything (don't bring up the soon-to-be-ex). Don't offer advice. Just listen. If at the end of the conversation she asks for advice, trust your heart. If she's religious, recommend for her to talk to her pastor or church leader. If not, a counselor would be very useful.

The best thing to do is to take her to a psychologist. It's as simple as that. She is so absorbed in the sorrow of her loss that she cannot think as clearly as she used to. Now, she is going back to a life that caused her pain, and you have to stop her. A psychologist or a psychiatrist will really help.

Hope this helped!