domestic violence!!! abusive relationship!!!

A friend of my husband (his ex actually) is in a very violent relationship. We live in the same state but maybe 2 hours away from each other. For the past few years she's been saying that her husband has been getting more and more violent towards her. They have 2 children together and she thinks one may be autistic. They've broken up before but of course she took him back.

She tells my husband they fight over the smallest things, mostly because of food. he doesn't like the way she cooks. the last incident she told me of was when she was fixing him lunch he got angry and pushed her up against the wall when she tried to leave and told her that if she calls the cops that he'll beat the living daylights out of her.

She doesn't have any more friends close to her anymore because her husband scared them all away, and even when her neighbor tried to call the cops he tried to go after her. She pretty much feels alone.

She's called the hotlines for domestic violence and is talking to them trying to find out what to do. The shelters are all full and she's been put on a waiting list for about 3 months. I can't even talk to her (phone or online) when her husband is home because he gets upset if he thinks she even has friends to talk to. He's also cheated on her and my husband feels he's still fooling around but wants her to stay with him.

She wants to get out, but of course is scared to move her children and she doesn't know where to go. My family is in a 1 bedroom apartment, but we offered to go and get her and her children but I suggested she go to the courthouse first to get custody of the children before leaving the county & city so her husband doesn't file kidnapping charges.

What else can she do and what can me and my husband do to help her?
I'm at a loss and since I'm not there I can't force her to leave him. If I was there I'd probably beat him if I could. I'm scared one day he'll go too far and seriously hurt her so I want her out of there. She's a stay-at-home mom with no income other then from her husband so she doesn't have an income of her own. She has no family anywhere near her either and none willing to help as well.