Tag Archives: child murder by a parent

July 23, 2023 · 1:00 am

Family Annihilators

File:Ours.JPG

Author Pic-Puce at French Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

A young girl runs down the street screaming that her father is killing everyone [1].  In fact, the father is found to have murdered his sons — ages 3, 4, and 7 — as well as attempting to murder his wife.

The term “family annihilators” (those who kill their families) was first coined by psychiatrist Park Dietz in 1980 [2A].  Tragically, such individuals are becoming increasingly common [4A].

Family annihilators are primarily, though not exclusively, men [3A][4B].  They tend to fall into one of four categories [4C]:

  • Self-Righteous:  Those who are self-righteous, for instance, blaming their spouses for the break-up of a family and angry about diminished access to children.  Infidelity and the desire to punish can set off this type.  Alcohol can, also, play a role [2B].
  • Ashamed/Disappointed:  Those who are ashamed of themselves or disappointed with their families.  Cultural honor killings fall into this category.  Alex Murdaugh, convicted of murdering his wife and son after Murdaugh’s own corruption came to light, is an illustration [3B].
  • Paranoid:  Those who are paranoid and motivated by a desire to “protect” their families from a perceived threat, such as the removal of children by social services.  This type of family annihilator may believe family members are wholly dependent on him/her for their survival, and rationalize he/she is acting mercifully to “save” them from a cruel world.  Depression can, also, be a factor [2C].  Until the killing spree, such an individual may be perceived by outsiders as dedicated to the family.  Andrea Yates is an illustration [5].
  • Sociopathic:  Those who are socially alienated or outright sociopathic, killing their families for monetary gain or similar cold blooded motives.  Family members are viewed as objects, mere means to an end, by such individuals.  Greed and other narcissistic purposes can motivate this type.  Susan Smith, who drowned her two sons to further a romantic relationship, is an illustration [6].

Continue reading →

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May 23, 2021 · 1:00 am

Missing and Murdered

Remains of missing 15-month-old Evelyn Boswell found on family property: Authorities - ABC News
Evelyn Boswell, Image courtesy of ABC News

WARNING:  Graphic Images

The 15 month old toddler, Evelyn Boswell, is about to have a Tennessee law named after her [1].  The baby disappeared from her home in December but was not reported missing till February.  Police were told she was on vacation with a friend or visiting her grandmother. 

When the lies were disproven, and the child’s remains were found on the family property, her mother, Megan “Maggie” Boswell, was charged with felony murder [2][3]. 

The new law would require that parents or legal guardians notify law enforcement or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation within 24 hours of the disappearance of a child 12 years of age or younger. Failure would result in a Class A misdemeanor.  A higher penalty would apply, if the missing child were later found to have serious bodily injury.

But Evelyn Boswell is not the only missing child later found murdered. Continue reading →

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June 23, 2019 · 1:00 am

Why Parents Kill

“The Sacrifice of Abraham” by Giovanni Beinaschi (c. 1636), Musee des Beaux-Arts de Brest, Source https://musee.brest.fr (PD-art, PD-old-70)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

  • In 1994, divorced mother, Susan Smith, deliberately drowned her two young sons [1]. First fabricating a story that she had been hijacked, Smith ultimately admitted having intentionally rolled her vehicle into a lake with Michael, 3 y.o., and Alex, 14 m.o., still in the backseat.  Smith claimed to be suicidal at the time.  However, testimony at trial revealed Smith’s desire to resume her relationship with a man who did not want children.
  • In 1997, Melissa Drexler, 18 y.o., gave birth in a bathroom stall at her prom, suffocated her newborn, and left the baby’s body in a trash can [2].
  • In 2002, Andrea Yates drowned all five of her young children in the bathtub [3]. Yates had been suffering from serious postpartum depression, and had made multiple suicide attempts.  She was ultimately found not guilty by reason of insanity.
  • Last year, Stephanie Adams, a former Playboy model, pushed her son, Vincent, 7 y.o., out a Manhattan hotel window to his death before jumping herself [4]. Adams was involved in a custody dispute with the boy’s father at the time.
  • Last month, Martin Pereira burned his daughter Zoey, 3 y.o., to death [5A]. Intent on committing suicide, Pereira had placed the child in the backseat of his vehicle, with gas cans in the vehicle and the rear doors chained shut.  Pereira, himself, escaped the blaze at the last moment.  He, too, was involved in a custody dispute.

The names change, but the story remains the same.

A study published in Forensic Science International found that as many as 500 children per year in the United States are killed by a parent [6].  This does not take into account abortions. Continue reading →

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