Strollerderby : Murder

UPDATE: President Obama Issues Statement About Dr. George Tiller

Brett Singer — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:36:00 GMT

President Barack Obama has issued a statement about the murder of Dr. George Tiller:

I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence.

Well said, Mr. President.

TheRoot.com points out: "It's fairly unusual for the White House to comment on this type of local story. But the news of Tiller's murder, allegedly by an anti-choice activist apprehended this afternoon by local and state police, has reverberated across the country in a matter of hours—and inflamed a longstanding debate about abortion rights in America."

Methinks this won't be the last we hear about the matter.

Original post follows:

*-*-*-*

Sad news from Kansas -- Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed while ushering at church. A suspect is in custody.

From Huffington Post:

WICHITA, Kansas -- Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas doctor whose clinic received national attention for performing late-term abortions, was shot to death as he entered his Wichita church on Sunday.
Tiller has been among the few U.S. physicians performing late-term abortion, making him a favored target of anti-abortion protesters. He testified that he and his family have suffered years of harassment and threats. His clinic was the site of the 1991 "Summer of Mercy" protests marked by mass demonstrations and arrests. His clinic was bombed in 1985, and an abortion opponent shot him in both arms in 1993.

Anti-abortion group Operation Rescue was no fan of Dr. Tiller; there is a "Tiller Watch" page on their web site. The group has issued a statement condemning the murder.

Tiller was recently tried for "allegedly consulting a second physician in late-term abortion cases who was not truly 'independent' as required by Kansas state law." It was a big deal case (we covered it on Strollerdery), with both sides tossing out big deal rhetoric. "Columnist Jack Cashill compared the trial to the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi war criminals, while NYU Professor Jacob Appel described Tiller as 'a genuine hero who ranks alongside Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King Jr. in the pantheon of defenders of human liberty.'" (Source for both quotes: Wikipedia)

This is an ugly end to an ugly story. Hopefully the police have the right person and they will be punished. That won't bring anyone back to life, of course. No matter what side of the abortion debate you are on, I hope you agree that shooting someone in cold blood is a horrible thing to do.

Source: Huffington Post

Image: CrooksAndLiars

Finish Line - Creepy Cakes, Sesame Street, And Much More

They Say: We Don't Know How the Hell to Treat Pregnant Women

No Hugs For You At Some High Schools

Top Cause of Death for Pregnant Women is Murder

Sonogram Cufflinks for Father's Day ... or a Pro-Life March

Top Cause of Death for Pregnant Women is Murder

Brett Singer — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:08:00 GMT

Well, now I'm depressed.

According to Baltimore TV station WJZ, "Murder is the leading cause of death for pregnant women."

The story mentions a number of murders, and makes the following even more depressing statement: "In each case, police say the killer was the unborn baby's father. Ending the pregnancy was the motive."

At least I'm not the only one to be surprised. Isabelle Horon of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, "We were completely shocked to find that homicide was the leading cause of death."

The WJZ story says that "Thirteen years ago, Maryland passed a law allowing prosecutors to charge a pregnant woman's killer with two murders." Prosecutors want to use the law in the case of Valicia Demery, a pregnant woman who was murdered. However, "Of the 36 states with similar laws, Maryland is one of the few that requires proof that the unborn child could have survived outside of the womb." California, by contrast, does not require such proof to charge a killer with a double murder.

Here's where it gets tricky. Clearly killing a pregnant woman is a horrible crime. And doing so beacuse you want to end her pregnancy is even more horrible. But is it a double murder? If it is, doesn't that open a door to equating abortion with murder?

No matter what, this is a very depressing statistic.

Source: WJZ.com

Boy Accidentally Shoots Self With Forgotten Gun

Fox News Hates Kids In Political Videos Except When They Don't

Mom Puts 9 Year Old Girl On Craigs List For Revenge

Did This Woman Commit Suicide Because She Couldn't Breastfeed?

Are Familicides On The Rise?

Kate Tuttle — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:31:00 GMT

Boston public radio host Robin Young recently looked at a troubling rise in the most horrifying crime: familicide. The term may not be familiar yet, but the concept sure is -- the murder of an entire family, usually by a father who then commits suicide. There are currently four to six of these crimes nationwide each year, yet Young's guest, Dr. Richard Gelles of the University of Pennsylvania, says that today's economic crisis is driving a spike in this type of crime, during which we can expect to see a dozen or more a year.

One of the most recent was a family of four from Long Island who died at the hand of father and husband William Parente. Another was the family of Christopher Wood, a 34-year-old sales accountant who shot his three children and wife, leaving notes detailing his enormous debt load. Both men fit the profile Gelles described to Young (while noting, of course, that its very hard to predict who will commit this kind of crime): men who are older than the typical violent offender, men who consider themselves "enmeshed' in their families, long-term employees with no expectation of a job loss, whose roles as caretaker and breadwinner provide the chief source of their identity.

But it's not enough to just look at the today's terrible economy; the roots for this kind of crime go much, much deeper. As one Baltimore Sun columnist wrote, men who kill their whole families -- for any reason -- are betraying a mindset that says they own them. It is, she writes, evidence of "a toxic kind of patriarchy, in which the man views his wife and children as possessions, and believes it is his right to treat them any way he wishes - even to hit and abuse them." She goes on:

What happened to these two families is a tragedy. But it is not simply the result of economic strain or mental illness. And it wasn't random craziness or a lightning strike. Beneath the exterior of these model fathers were men who believe they had the right and the obligation to make all the family decisions, including those of life and death.

It's not always life and death, though. Gelles says he sees these crimes as "the canary in the mine shaft," noting that they always accompany a rise in more common, less severe violence within families, including child and spousal abuse. Because the federal government's statistics on child abuse and domestic violence tend to lag two years behind, Gelles says, the recent spike in familicides should put authorities on notice to "get ready" with more social workers, more foster homes, more awareness at the police and hospital level. "Cities," he says, "should be careful where they cut funding."

More by this author:

They Say: Bilingual Babies Learn Better

Why Are We So Shocked When Women Kill?

(Public) Breastfeeding Now Legal in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Mother Kills Daughter, Unborn Child

Kate Tuttle — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:31:00 GMT

A tragic and horrifiying story emerged from the Boston suburbs this week. Fang Chi Xue, a 38-year-old woman living in Quincy, Massachusetts, allegedly killed her nine-year-old daughter, then turned slit her own wrists. Many accounts indicate that she then turned the knife on her own pregnant belly, stabbing until she had killed her unborn child. (her court-appointed lawyer says that's not the case). She's currently hospitalized at Boston Medical Center, undergoing a psychiatric evaluation that clearly comes too late. Another daughter, 14, ran away and survived the attack; she claims her mother tried to strangle her.

The family had been investigated by social services back in February after reports surfaced that Fang had tried to kill her unborn child by drinking a toxic substance. Despite worries that she could be a danger to the other children in the home, authorities did not remove them. Fang will be held without bail at the Worcester State Hospital pending arraignment, but the current charges of murder and attempted murder could be raised to a double count of murder if it's determined that the fetus was capable of surviving outside the womb.

Some reports have claimed that Fang's husband had been having an affair, and that she had expressed fears he would leave her and take the children, but there's no authoritative story on the cause of the crime. And crimes like this are too horrifying to really be explained, it seems to me. How can anyone ever understand why someone would kill her children? Whatever stresses Fang faced, surely the deaths of her daughter and unborn child offer no solution, only unimaginable and unendurable pain.

More by this author:

They Say: Bilingual Babies Learn Better

Why Are We So Shocked When Women Kill?

(Public) Breastfeeding Now Legal in Massachusetts

Another Hospital Baby Mix-Up, Now With Added Racism!

Why Are We So Shocked When Women Kill?

Kate Tuttle — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:01:00 GMT

We may never know why a 28-year-old Sunday School teacher, a woman described as a "mother hen," allegedly killed her own daughter's young playmate, but the Friday arrest of Melissa Huckaby in the murder of eight-year-old Sandra Cantu has rocked the small town in which both lived. Part of the surprise came from the two families' acquaintance -- they both had mobile homes in the same small Northern California town, and the two girls played together often -- and part from the rarity of a woman being accused of this kind of crime. The local police chief was quoted expressing surprise, citing FBI statistics on child murders.

Huckaby is a pastor's granddaughter and the mother of a five-year-old girl. It was to her house that Sandra was seen skipping in the last known video footage of the girl, whose body was found in a suitcase owned by Huckaby in an irrigation pond. Although some of her friends and relatives are quoted describing Huckaby as a kind mother and maternal figure to her eight younger siblings, others refer to mental and emotional troubles.

When women kill children, it's almost always their own babies and kids, almost always due to postpartum psychosis (a much more rare and severe syndrome than postpartum depression). The kidnapping and murder of another family's child seems particularly chilling when carried out by a woman with kids of her own -- yet it's unsettling to realize how unsurprising we find it when men kidnap and murder little girls.

Huckaby was arrested after a six-hour interrogation; police have no other suspect in the case. One can only hope that if she's found guilty she will at least no longer pose a threat to any other children, including her own.

More by this author:

Exploited and Discarded? Seeking Protection for Egg Donors

Another Hospital Baby Mix-Up, Now With Added Racism!

Spurred to Action by Natasha Richardson Death, Parents Save Girl

Child Support Suffers in a Recession, Too

Young Girl Charged in her Baby Brother’s Death

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:00:00 GMT

A 14-year-old Pennsylvania girl is facing homicide charges for the death of her brother, who drowned when he was one-year-old. His sister, who was just eleven at the time of his death, was originally going to be tried as an adult, but—thank god—a compassionate county judge moved the case to juvenile court.

According to the prosecution, the girl found the baby boy in a trash can partially filled with water. She screamed for her mother and then pulled the boy out. A few days later, according to a family friend, the girl was very distraught and said that her brother’s death was her fault, but she didn’t elaborate.

Either some very important facts are going unreported in this tragic story, or our country is in serious need of more stringent protections for juveniles. I find it alarming that there is no mention of the parents at all. The girl was just a child at the time of her brother’s death. Whatever role she played in the tragedy is at least partially her parents’ responsibility.

The prosecution is relying in part on testimony from the girl’s aunt, who says that the girl was physically abusive to her baby brother and that she once said she wished he would die. Why didn’t her parents address these serious concerns? Why was the girl left alone with her brother if she was known to be physically abusive? And why was she so troubled in the first place?

Yes, there are some children who are simply violent, no matter how loving their parents are. But this is a tiny fraction of the population. When young children are involved in something as deplorable and tragic as a baby’s death, a lot of tough questions need to be asked before locking a child up. This is not to say that youth are not responsible for their actions, just that they are likely not the only people responsible for their actions. Psychiatrists and social workers—not just law enforcement—are needed to fully uncover the factors that contributed to this tragedy.

Photo: zipporah.com

Another Country Bans Spanking

Why Teens Are Quick to Blame Rihanna

Casey Anthony Obsessed with Skull Images after Caylee’s Disappearance

Cole Gamble — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:00:00 GMT

In the time after Caylee Anthony disappeared, her mom, Casey, began collecting photos of skulls and sketches of skeletons kissing. This discovery comes after the Orange County Sheriff's Office released about 1,100 pages of interview reports and photos this week.

Caylee Anthony, who disappeared in early June, was not reported missing until a month after she vanished. Police records show the images of skulls and skeletons were posted to Casey Anthony's online photo account on June 26. The reason for Anthony's interest in the images is still not clear.

The Most Awesomely Epic High School English Paper of All Time

Parents Name Their Baby "World Crisis", “Circumcision”

Musical SpongeBob Rectal Thermometer. Fun for Your Kid’s Butt?

Even in the White House, Sasha and Malia Still Have Chores

My Dad, the Serial Killer

KeriF — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:05:00 GMT

How does it feel to find out your father is a murderer?

Bobbie Bellfield and her sisters Jessica, Hannah, and Jaynie found out almost five years ago, when their mother, Becky, told them their father had been arrested. Levi Bellfield was convicted last year of the brutal murders of two women and the attempted murder of a third. He was also the primary suspect in the murder of a 13-year-old girl seven years ago.

The Bellfield children, who refer to their dad as Levi (as Jessica says, "He isn't a dad figure,"), had been estranged from their father for some time. According to the article in the Guardian, Levi was abusive and threatening to the family since Becky divorced him in 1994.

When Levi was arrested in 2003, things were rough on the kids. "People would walk up to us and shout 'murderer' to our faces, like it was our fault," remembers Jessica. Her sister Hannah was beaten up at school.

Today, the girls have dyed their blond hair black and often give their mother's surname when asked their own. The girls say they will always wonder what made Levi commit the murders, though they vow they will never again speak to him.

These girls sound remarkably normal. Not that I have anyone to compare them to. In fact, you don't often hear about the families of serial killers. I once saw a special on TV about Jeffrey Dahmer, in which the parents argued the whole time about who made him the monster he was. And just as Dahmer's parents wondered what they had passed on to their son to make him so violent, I'm sure the Bellfield girls wonder what their father might have passed on to them.

For their sake, I hope he passed on nothing.

Caylee Anthony Doll, the Worst Toy Idea Ever

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Can you imagine buying a doll of a slain toddler you’ve never met for your child? Well, a Florida company whose humanity has clearly been entirely eclipsed by dollar signs hopes the blond-haired Caylee Sunshine doll (only $29.99!) will be a great addition to your child’s American Girl dolls and teddy bears.

One can only imagine the pain Caylee’s grandparents have been in over the last year, due not only to the horrific tragedy of Caylee’s death, but to the ubiquitous sensationalist news coverage of it. It’s terrible enough to know that perfect strangers are getting some morbid enjoyment out of reading about the greatest tragedy of your life, but then to find out that perfect strangers are seeking to make a cheap buck out of it? I can’t even fathom the outrage Caylee’s grandparents must be experiencing.

According to their lawyer, the company never sought approval from Caylee’s family before going on a media blitz about the new doll. Fortunately, an outraged public has sufficiently spoken out against the shockingly ill-conceived Caylee doll that the manufacturer, Showbiz Productions, had no choice but to listen. They have decided to hold off putting the doll on the market.

In the meantime, they are sure to come up with other shockingly ill-conceived merchandise.

Michelle Obama Objects to Sasha and Malia Dolls

Ty Company Discontinues Sasha and Malia Dolls

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Parents Who Waited Decade to Report Son Missing Now Murder Suspects

JeanneSager — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:26:00 GMT

Prosecutors in the case of missing Adam Herrman have announced his parents are suspects facing possible murder charges.

Really, is anyone surprised here? These are the parents who waited a decade after their son went missing to report his disappearance to police.

Adam was eleven years old when he disappeared. He'd be twenty-one today. But his Valerie and Doug Herrman, the people who took him in as a foster child when he was a toddler and later adopted him, claimed that he was frequently running away. When he ran the last time, they claim they figured he'd gone back to his biological parents or was simply homeless.

Valerie Herrman has since come out in news reports saying she spanked him with a belt just before he ran off, but she was afraid of reporting his disappearance, lest her younger sons were removed by child protective services over the spanking issue. Because no one would want to remove kids from a parent who just let her eleven-year-old run off and not go after him?

In a strange way, Valerie's statements make sense - Adam had been removed from the home before over bruising found by a counselor, although Valerie has continued to deny allegations of abuse. Just as she continues to deny that she was anything less than a loving parent to Adam. Her actions have done such a fantastic job of backing her up, of course. Especially her insistence that she's sorry.

Police have yet to find Adam's remains, even in a search of Doug and Valerie's trailer. But prosecutors have announced even without remains they are considering first degree murder charges against the Herrmans.

Even if they didn't kill their son outright, I'd wager anything unfortunate that befell him in the past ten years should land on the Herrman's conscience - if not land their "sorry" butts in jail.

Image: CNN

Why Cops Should Let Casey Anthony Attend Caylee's Funeral

Kid Woos Prospective Foster Parents With Letters

Grandpa Hires Hitman So He Can Visit Granddaughter

Wife Set Husband's Genitals On Fire, Charged With Murder, Endangering Life

Brett Singer — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:58:00 GMT

Rajini Narayan, the woman who lit her husband's penis on fire in December because she saw him hugging another woman (it's not alleged because she confessed), will now face murder charges because her husband died after the incident. The "endangering life" charges are because her three children were home when she poured "an alcohol-based solvent" on his genitals and then lit them on fire. That fire spread to the rest of the house, as well as the townhouse next door, causing over 1 million dollars (Australian, about $711,000 U.S.) in damage, according to MSNBC.

Narayan said that she wanted to burn her husband's penis, "so it belongs to me and no one else." Narayan and her attorney maintain that she did not want to set the house on fire or put anyone else in danger.

I have two thoughts whenever I hear about a story like this. (Not that I've ever heard a story with these exact details, but stories that are somewhat similar.) First, shouldn't she be entering a plea of insanity? How is it not insane to light someone's genitals on fire, especially if you then say that you didn't think the fire would spread? Are you unfamiliar with the way fire works? The second thought, clichéd though it may be, is for the kids. How can they move on after something like this? What do you say to them about how their father died?

Remember the Phil Hartman case, where his wife killed Phil and herself? They had kids. Every time I see an old SNL bit with Hartman I think about those kids. I've never looked up whatever happened to them, it's just… sad.

Source: MSNBC
Image: news.com.au

Third Hand Smoke Can Harm Your Kids

On Jett Travolta, Howard Stern Gets It Right

Grieving Chinese Parents Not Allowed To Sue

They Say -- Vaccines Work

Best of FameCrawler: Week of December 19th

Whit Honea — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:00:00 GMT

Isla Fisher Does NOT Look Old Enough To Be A Mom

Brad and Angelina Don't Spoil Their Kids

Connor Cruise: Dad Tom Skips His Son's Premiere to Promote Valkyrie But Why

Megan Fox is a Step MILF in Waiting

Clay Aiken Pregnant Again!

Jennie Garth: Daughter Weirded Out by "Twilight" Dad Fans

Brit Wants More Kids With K-Fed!

New Halle Berry Topless Pics

Sheen Girls in Car Crash

1981 Murder of Adam Walsh Solved (Photos)

Seal Is A Brave Man

Letterman Asks Jen Aniston: What's In YOUR Uterus?

No Worker's Comp For Son of Woman Murdered

Kelly Mills — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:33:00 GMT

Taneka Talley was stabbed to death at her job---she was a clerk at the Dollar Store in Fairfield, California. Now the company is denying worker's compensation benefits to her surviving eleven-year-old son. The boy's grandmother, who won custody, is fighting the case, and her lawyer says, "They're saying (the killing) didn't arise out of her employment, except that in this case she wouldn't have been killed if she hadn't been at work. This person didn't know her, just walked into the store and picked her out."

See, the murder was motivated by racism. The man who is going to stand trial for killing her allegedly decided he wanted to kill a black person, and Talley was the first person he saw. He walked into the store where Talley was stocking shelves, stabbed her, and fled.

Worker's compensation benefits don't cover injuries or deaths that have a "personal" motive, such as a spouse attacking someone at work. The company is arguing that in this case, Talley's murder was personally motivated, even though she did not know her attacker, and therefore her son should be ineligible to receive $250,000 in death benefits. Personally I think that it's a crappy case to make, and in drawing this line, they obviously harm her young son, the one she was working to support. Heartless.

Eight-Year-Old Charged With Murdering His Father

Kids Yell Assasinate Obama On School Bus

Best of FameCrawler: Week of December 5th

Whit Honea — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:00:00 GMT

Tom Cruise Has Creepy Ideas

What's In Christina Aguilera's Locket?

A-Rod Cheating on Madonna With Melissa Britos? (Photos)

Matthew McConaughey Going Bongo in Brazil

Britney's Hidden Messages: Bringing New Meaning To The Term 'MILF'

MC Breed Has Died

Gwen Stefani and the Men in Her Life - Photos

Jennifer Hudson's Brother-In-Law Arrested For Murder Of Family

NBC is Pissed: Britney Cancels Performance at Last Second

Clay Aiken is a Push-Over

From Fat To Fab: Ricki Lake Lost 140 Pounds!

Guess Which Gossip Girl Is Pregnant?

Eight-Year-Old Charged with Murdering His Father

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:59:00 GMT

An eight-year-old Arizona boy is facing two counts of premeditated murder for the deaths of his father and his father’s friend. Police are investigating whether abuse played a role in the murders, even as they continue with plans to prosecute the child.

Soon after 29-year-old Vincent Romero and 39-year-old Timothy Romans, who was renting a room at the Romero house (pictured), were fatally shot, the boy went to a neighbor’s house and said that he believed his father was dead. Police immediately arrived on the scene, and claim to have gotten a confession from the child. But the boy’s lawyer is charging that officers questioned him too severely without the benefit of a parent or representative at his side. (The boy’s father had full custody, with the mother visiting from out-of-state on the weekends.)

"They became very accusing early on in the interview," attorney Benjamin Brewer said. "Two officers with guns at their side, it's very scary for anybody, for sure an 8-year-old kid."

Although the boy’s home was unknown to Child Protective Services, police had responded to domestic violence calls there in the past. The judge has ordered a psychological evaluation.

Under Arizona law, children as young as eight can be charged with crimes. Even though the town’s police chief understands that an eight-year-old does not “just decide that he’s going to shoot his father and shoot his father’s friend for no reason,” police are pushing to have the boy tried as an adult.

To me, the fact that the boy immediately alerted neighbors of the deaths indicates that he lacked the moral reasoning necessary to understand the emotional complexity and consequences of his acts. No one, no matter how young, should be excused for committing murder, but I will be heartbroken if this boy, well before his mental capacities are fully formed, faces murder charges as an adult.

As a defense attorney uninvolved in the case commented, “[S]ociety has to make a decision as to whether they want to start using the criminal justice system to deal with 8-year-olds. That doesn't mean you don't have a troubled kid."

Photo: AP

Online Husband Murdered By Bitter Ex

Kelly Mills — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:25:00 GMT

Nobody said marriage in an interactive game was easy. What do you do when your husband in "Maple Street" (similar to "Second Life") up and divorces you? Well, you are going to feel a whirlwind of emotions, and your fury and hurt might know no bounds. But of course, while you might contemplate murdering his avatar, would you go ahead and do it, thus taking a virtual life?

One woman in Japan answered yes to this. When her spouse in the game divorced her, she says "I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning. That made me so angry." Murderously angry. She used the login and password she got from her hubby when they (virtually) married, and axed him. (She doesn't know the guy in real life.) She now faces a possible five years in prison and a fine of up to $5000 for manipulation of computer data and illegal access on a computer. Thank god they did not have any virtual children that I am aware of, because it's always worst for the child avatars.

I have an idea here. Maybe they should send her avatar to prison in the game, thus completing the cycle of wacky internet justice. She'd have to play out the rest of her online life in a small, virtual cell. Fitting, no?

Missing Teen's Dad Blames XBox Game

Good Kids Like Video Games Too---Who Knew?

Best of FameCrawler: Week of March 28

Whit Honea — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:15:00 GMT

Johnny Depp Has a Heart of Gold

More Hookers for Spitzer

Fergie Has A Bun In Her Oven

Jamie Lynn Spears And Casey Aldridge: ENGAGED

Michelle Williams' Family Squabble With Ledgers Over Heath's Will

'American Idol' Carly Smithson Pregnant?

Rapper Cavlar Killed

Victoria Beckham Makes Eva Longoria Look Pregnant

Suri? Suri? Where Is Suri Cruise?

Minnie Driver Needs a Huge Martini

Firefighter's Wife: I Killed Him Because He Called Me Fat

Brett Singer — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:00:00 GMT

Ah, the New York Post. Where would we be without you? This story isn't exactly "Headless Body in Topless Bar," but it's still quality tabloid fodder.

Here's the scoop: in December of 2007, Janet Redmond-Mercereau called 911 and reported that her husband, Staten Island Fire Marshall Douglas Mercereau, was dead. Two days later, the Post referred to her as "the elephant in the room" because of suspicions that she had murdered Douglas because of "humiliating fat jokes he made at her expense." On Saturday (3/22/08) she was charged with murder.

Now comes the defense. Her lawyer says that "her husband had been verbally abusive after she gained weight because of a thyroid condition." The prosecution says, "We believe [the abuse] not to be true."

I know it's just a quote and could be out of context. But let's say, just for a moment, that it was true. That her husband had called her "Fatty McFatso." That she was wearing a t-shirt from Guess and he said, "I don't know, 245? 260?" (That last line I swiped from a comedian whose name I can't remember.) If he did that, she can kill him?

Well, no. But Andrea Peyer has a column warning guys to "be careful" when they poke fun at the little woman for not being so little. Still, to me it seems like a pretty thin defense strategy. (Pun intended.)

It does seem that the accused is a tad, shall we say, unhinged. A The New York Times story says that she had an oak tree in their yard chopped down because Douglas' family compared him to it at the funeral. The Staten Island Advance quotes Janet as saying, "I feel like a model," to a photographer when he arrived at her home to get a photo. And The Post describes her as "winking" to her family at the arraignment.

For the record, Janet is listed at 5' 3" and 240 pounds. But I'm not saying a word about that. Just in case she's acquitted.

Who Killed Santa Claus?

makeitadouble — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:26:00 GMT

It's a classic scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Christmas morning, children in pajamas crouched in front of the tree bursting with anticipation. Their weary bath-robed parents smile in the background as the kids tear open a gift wrapped box containing a book describing in graphic detail the murder of Santa Claus.

This is essentially what happened in British Columbia to Krista Saunders family this past Christmas morning when her two sons opened a gift they’d received from their grandfather. Based on the packaging alone the book of short stories, called “Whodunits: Little Giant Book and Kit” which comes complete with a flashlight and magnifying glass, seems innocuous enough and even comes with a disclaimer stating the contents of the book are appropriate for children over the age of seven. However, one of the stories depicts a famous chef being hacked to death with a meat cleaver while another shows a child seeing bruises on his mother’s arm, and then of course there’s the story titled, “Who Killed Santa Claus?”

A section of the story reads, “They discovered every child's worst nightmare, the lifeless body of Santa Claus. He was in a storage room his head bashed in by the butt end of a .44 revolver.” Apart from whether or not parents encourage their children to believe in Santa Claus and besides what are the ingredients of 3am night terrors for any second grader, how could anyone, especially a child, tell on first glance that the murder weapon was a .44 revolver? What is this: CSI: North Pole? You got David Caruso in an elf tunic collecting forensic evidence and monotoning one-liners like, “Some one’s been naughty.”?

The contents of the book so upset Mrs. Saunders that she took her concerns to the manager of the book store where the gift was purchased and demanded the book is pulled form the shelves immediately. Whoa, slow down Mrs. Saunders. I can see how the stories in this book could be upsetting and I even agree with you that the contents are not suitable for young children, but Canada like the United States has a constitutional law that protects the freedom of expression.

Get store credit and let your sons choose a book that you approve of, but don’t start demanding that a book be pulled from shelves simply because you don’t agree with it. This is no different than using ratings as a guide to limit the levels of violence children are exposed to in video games, movies and on television.

If you believe that the qualification on the packaging that states that the book is appropriate for children over the age of seven is wrong then contact the publisher and suggest they change it to include a warning explaining that some stories contain violence and mature themes that may be unsuitable for young readers.

Do it for the children Mrs. Saunders, and if not for them then do it for David Caruso.

Injustice: Mom Kills Son, Gets to Keep Alimony

makeitadouble — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:17:00 GMT

Here’s the dilemma I’m grappling with: Is there enough room along side Curt and Lori Drew on the Gold Medal Podium of the most horrible parents in the world for one more medal recipient or should they be asked to raise their evil fists of involuntary manslaughter and exit stage left to make room for the next news cycle of reprehensible breeder? In case you’ve been living under a rock or merely looking for a good one to cast at these soulless monsters Curt and Lori Drew are the parents who tormented, tortured, and ridiculed Megan Meier on MySpace until she committed suicide.

What could be worse than a set of parents using a fake profile on MySpace to bully an innocent 16 year old girl until she kills herself? Well I don’t know if it’s worse, but how about a raging alcoholic of a mother who kills her own son by kicking him in the throat and is still allowed to collect alimony once she serves her prison sentence?

I’ll give you a second to let that sink in.

Here are the distasteful details. Linda Calbi lost custody of her two sons due to her alcoholism and drug addiction but was granted visitation rights. During an overnight visit, Linda’s 14-year old son Matthew asked Linda to turn down the television because he was trying to sleep. In a drunken rage Linda verbally and physically attacked her son who retreated to his room. In an effort to make amends Linda prepared Matthew breakfast in bed; you know, eggs, toast, orange juice, a fatal kick to the throat. Everything a growing boy needs.

She was sentenced to a paltry 30 months in jail for this heinous and unforgivable act and though the presiding judge suspended her alimony payments Linda is eligible to receive them again upon her release. I am sickened by this decision and I hope you are too.

Superior Court Judge Eugene Austin at the hearing said, “I am not going to terminate the contract (of alimony).” Why the hell not? This isn’t child support for their younger son, who I can only pray is kept far away from this felon, this is over $3,000 a month for her to spend on inventory for her wet bar.

Linda Calbi's blood sucking leech Lawyer Ian Hirsh said this of Calbi’s husband who is petitioning to have the alimony payments terminated, "Mr. Calbi is using his son's death to take away any obligations he has. I think he's trying to take advantage of a tragedy and turn it around to his economic benefit." No ambulance chaser, Mr. Calbi’s son was murdered by his drunk of a wife and he no longer wants to contribute financially to her life of depravity. Not "son's death", "son's murder". Get it straight.

After the judges decision was handed down Mr. Calbi said, “That I should have to support the woman who did this to my child is beyond comprehension.” It’s beyond mine as well.

My verdict: Linda Calbi, you are one of the most horrible parents in the world. Wear your medal proudly. My hope for you is that the memory of your murdered son haunts you for the rest of your life.

Children Raising Money for Mom’s Bail

makeitadouble — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:04:00 GMT

When I first read the headline about this story I immediately thought that it was either an elaborate scam meant to grift the elderly and other compassionate do-gooders too charitable to realize they’re being swindled or it was a recent episode of My Name is Earl. “Will you help us raise bail money to spring our mama from prison? She promises to stop shoplifting GPS systems from the Costco. Please, the trailer is so lonely without her.”

Once I was able to put my cynical inner-child to bed with a ½ empty cup of water and actually read the article though, I felt both a twinge of guilt for being such a dipshit and the unavoidable tug of war being played with my parental heartstrings. The story is that the children of Cheryl McCafferty have taken to soliciting donations online to help raise the one million dollar bond needed to get her out of jail in time for Christmas.

Before I finished the article I went to their website on which is written, "We desperately need your help to bring our Mom home this Christmas! Our lives were shattered when we lost our Dad, our Mom, our dogs, and the life we once knew. Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, we found out that we are going to lose our house this coming January. In an attempt to bring our Mom home for our LAST Christmas in our home, we are trying to raise her $1,000,000 bond. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP US!"

I’ll be honest with you, when I read their plea I felt their loneliness and their loss. I thought about my own children spending Christmas alone then reached for my wallet and tried to remember which of my credit cards isn’t over the limit. That is until I read the rest of the article and discovered that Cheryl McCafferty shot her husband in the head while he slept and claimed it was in self-defense for over 20 years of marital abuse.

Though reactions to the children's plight have ranged from horrible and shameful, to justified and rational, mine reaction is uncertainty. Whereas I don’t know how it feels to be in an abusive relationship, I also don't know the extent of the alleged abusive that occurred in the McCafferty home that made Cheryl feel that her only recourse, her only escape, her only way to protect herself and her children was to shoot her husband in the head while he slept.

All that is known right now, and I say it again, is that she shot her husband in the head while he slept leaving two children with one parent in the ground and one in jail. Cheryl’s Father has urged that people withhold judgment on his daughter until they hear the facts at trial and because so little is known, and I will try do just that.

But I will also be putting my wallet back in my pocket for now.

Teen Who Plotted School Attack Chatted Online With Finnish Teen Who Carried Out School Attack

Kelly Mills — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:33:00 GMT

I love the internet because it can bring together like-minded people from all over the world who share some common interest. And in the case of teens who want to shoot up their schools in Columbine-style attacks, it did. Police report that the Finnish teenager who killed eight people before committing suicide had contact with the Philadelphia boy arrested for plotting a school attack and amassing a small arsenal. They shared video games and Columbine footage, and of course, that notorious attack was a topic of conversation.

Pekka-Eric Auvinen killed six students, the school principal, and a nurse in a rampage he foreshadowed with YouTube video posts. Dillon Cossey was arrested and admitted in juvenile court to planning to shoot up a school. Cossey's attorney says he was "horrified" to learn about the attack in Finland. Both boys had been bullied for years.

This might sound odd, but I'm just sad these teens couldn't use their shared experiences and find enough solace with each other to deter them from horrifying acts of violence.

Play Asks Why Moms Kill Their Kids. Dads? Eh, Maybe Next Season

thezeroboss — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:33:00 GMT

When I first saw this story about 1:23, I was taken aback. I've been running a blog about parents who harm their kids - and here someone had gone and made a stage play about it. I blanched, though, when I read the description:

What would bring a woman to kill her own child? As 1:23 explores, the answers are rarely simple. When the show begins, a mother appears on a television screen, pleading for the return of her two young children, the incidental victims of a carjacking. But as the details are examined more closely, her story begins to fall apart and the nondescript black carjacker she blames for the crime materializes only as a figment, a threat or an angel of society's collective imagination. In another time, a police sergeant begins an interrogation of another woman, who is being questioned in a Texas station regarding the drowning of her five children....

The play focuses on two separate incidents, both of them involving mothers. The implication is clear: moms who kill their kids are an enigma - but dads? Completely understandable. After all, men are just nasty, mean, brutish creatures who swill beer, watch football, and beat their offspring, right? We're devoid of any natural feeling for our kids, so no one has to ask why a minority of men turn on their own children. Or so the implied story goes.

1:23 bills itself as covering a collage of cases, so they may have thrown a dad in there for good measure. But it's telling that their own description, as well as the press coverage, focuses solely on moms. The truth is, the murder of a child by a parent - either parent - is an inexplicably tragedy. Even in cases where there's a straightforward motive - revenge against one's spouse, insurance money - we can't explain it. The question we're trying to answer is not "Why?" - it's "How?" And that's likely not a question any of us can answer unless we've walked that dark corridor ourselves. Like a religious revelation, it must be experienced to be believed - and like a revelation, once experienced, it can't be communicated to non-believers.

It's maddening that our society believes this is such a perplexing question when applied to moms, but spills little ink when the genders are switched.

Man Gets More Time for Beating Boy than Killing Him

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:24:00 GMT

What was this jury thinking? That's what I want to know following the conviction of Oakland resident Chazarus Hill, who admitted to beating his 3-year-old son with switches and belts when the toddler made mistakes with flashcards or the alphabet. The beatings were so bad that the little boy, Chazarus "Cha Cha" Hill Jr., "walked like an old man" and grimaced when hugged, according to neighbors. In the end, the beatings were bad enough to kill the boy, who died in 2003 from head trauma following a round of punches, kicks, switches and belts.

Says the father, "I may have hit (Cha Cha) harder than I was supposed to." Ya think? But that's not the only crime here.

The jury convicted Hillhim of involuntary manslaughter -- which carries a prison sentence of six years. But wait a minute. Hill was already convicted of child abuse, which brought a sentence of 25 years. Are you telling me he gets more time for beating the boy than for actually killing him? I'm no law-talkin Lionel Hutz, but that just doesn't seem right.

I remember visiting a prison in California for a story I did on restitution or shanks -- I forget which -- and an old-timer told me they had a special brand of justice for child molesters and abusers. The old-timer traced the air with a flat hand, making a cutting motion -- and not in a very friendly place. I'm wondering now if the jury isn't going to offer a tough sentence on Hill, maybe prison just might -- regardless of how long he serves.

British "Evil Scum" Parents Convicted For Bully Murders

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 12:02:00 GMT

In a case perfectly appropriate for Parents Behaving Badly, a British couple accused of killing the parents of their daughter's "bully" are going to jail.

Natalie Connor and Lucy Cochrane, two teens, met at school and then—big surprise!—had a falling out. Natalie accused Lucy of bullying her and so she and her parents resolved the problem using the only resource available to them: White Trash Justice. The Connors (photo) carried out an 18-month campaign of harrassment against Lucy and her parents culminating with Michael and Jane Connor hatching a plot to pour gasoline through the mailslot of the Cochrane's house and setting the house ablaze. The fire killed the Cochranes and injured Lucy.

Michael and Jane Connor, referred to as "evil scum," came up with their brilliant plan while drunk. It seems that Jane could convince Michael to do anything as long as she plied him with drink, including pouring £3-worth of gas into the mailslot of the Cochrane's home. Looking at their photos, I'll bet cash money that arson and murder aren't the only things Michael was coerced to do for Jane while shit-faced.

These two simpletons will be sentenced later this month and will be going to prison for a good long time. I'm sure they'll spend their years wondering how the hell they were found out. That's the thing about White Trash Justice—it usually doesn't quite work out as planned.

[photo credit: BBC.com]