Tony At 10: MURDER MOST FOUL; BLOG #2041; JULY 15,2016

THE MESSAGE:

What motive can possibly explain the shocking reality of a parent killing their child? Whether the murders can be attributed to mindless acts of violence, mentally debilitating conditions, honour killings or depressed parents, the cause can seldom come across to us as a justifiable act.

HERE ARE 2 CASES THAT MAY CAUSE US TO RECONSIDER.

ROBERT LATIMER

In an act of mercy killing in 1993 Robert Latimer, a Saskatchewan farmer, took the life of his twelve-year old daughter Tracy. The girl had been brain-damaged at birth and suffered from the worst form of degenerative cerebral palsy. She had the mental capacity of a three to four month old baby. She was subject to virtually constant seizures that wracked and damaged her body, causing great pain. Anti-convulsants reduced the seizures to a few per day, but this medicine conflicted with strong pain medications, which then could not be used to alleviate her pain. Tracy had been subjected to four different operations designed to ease the pain and mitigate the damage caused by the seizures. The procedures involved cutting muscles to reduce the violence of her movements during the seizures. Her last operation inserted rods to straighten her spine, which had become deformed from the stress of her seizures.

There are some that have voiced strong and unsympathetic criticism of Latimer's action. They believe that only God can decide when human life should be ended. In a free society the views of such people must be accepted, insofar as their own lives are concerned. But should their perspective be imposed on all of society?

CHARLOTTE FITZMAURICE WISE

Nancy Fitzmaurice, born blind with hydrocephalus, meningitis and septicaemia, could not walk, talk, eat or drink, the Mirror reported.

Her health was so poor she required 24-hour care and was fed, watered and medicated by tube at London’s Great Ormand Street Hospital. Her health deteriorated and as she grew she would scream in agony for hours despite being given morphine and ketamine.

Her mother, Charlotte Fitzmaurice Wise who had given up work as a nurse to be with Nancy, realized her daughter was suffering constantly and that the pain was too much for the 12-year-old to bear. She deserved to be at peace and had the right to die.

Charlotte said in court, “The light from her eyes is now gone and is replaced with fear and a longing to be at peace. I am appealing to you for Nancy as I truly believe she has endured enough. For me to say that breaks my heart."

Her application was granted immediately, setting a precedent. It is the first time a child breathing on her own, not on life support and not suffering a terminal illness has been allowed to die in the UK.

FILICIDE

The deliberate act of killing a son or daughter

It is surprising just how common ‘filicide’ actually is. Reports of distressed fathers murdering their children due to the breakdown of a family unit are depressingly commonplace.

In our society, it is difficult to believe that killing a daughter in the name of family honour occurs in some Asian or Middle Eastern families. Often it happens because a daughter refuses to enter an arranged marriage. It is also true that homosexual family members have been killed under the practice of honour killing. Many cases of a father killing his own daughter in cold blood because of her desire to make her own choices have sadly occurred.

Regrettably, the following truly disturbing list is not exhaustive and may not even contain the worst cases of filicide, which might escape unreported in the more isolated areas of the world. But these are 8 cases of parents murdering their own flesh and blood that most would deem utterly, earth-shatteringly shocking.

ELAINE CAMPIONE

In October 2, 2006, 31 year-old single mother, Elaine Campione, of Barrie, Ontario, drowned her two daughters in the family bathtub. She dried off their bodies, put them in their pyjamas, and laid the girls hand-in-hand on her bed, a turquoise rosary and a photo album between the deceased sisters. She then took what she thought was an overdose of clozapine, a medication prescribed to treat bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia.

MEREDITH BOROWIEC

A Calgary mother told police she left 3 newborns in the garbage at separate times. Meredith Borowiec was charged with attempted murder after a newborn baby was found alive in a dumpster near her home. She was found guilty of infanticide in the deaths of two other babies.

During a police interview, Borowiec said she had given birth to babies in 2008 and 2009. She said in both cases she wrapped the babies in a towel, placed them in a garbage bag and put them in a dumpster. Their bodies were never recovered. She said that in all three cases she hid the pregnancy from her long-time partner.

CHRIS BENOIT:

Killed his wife and child Other members of this ghoulish list have killed more, either through mental instability or the sheer presence of evil intent. But few were as shocking as this murder-suicide carried out by this Canadian professional wrestler. The 40-year-old athlete had been a two time world champion, was four times WWF/E Intercontinental Champion and was worth millions of dollars. But in 2007, Benoit murdered his wife and proceeded to kill their seven-year old son, Daniel. The wrestler later hung himself, ending a tragic event that shocked the country.

DEANNA LANEY

Killed two of her sons. Laney was declared insane after murdering her children in the yard of their Texan home in 2003. She smashed her sons’ heads in with rocks, claiming that her actions were demanded by God. Joshua was just eight and Luke was just six when their mother killed them in such shocking fashion. Her third son Aaron, who was just 14-months old, miraculously survived his mother’s crazed attempts to kill him, although he suffered grave injuries and brain damage. Astonishingly, Laney was released from Kerrville State Hospital in 2012.

MICK PHILPOTT

Killed six children, of which five were his own.In 2013, Philpott, his wife Mairead and Paul Mosley were jailed due to their involvement in the deaths of six children. The thoughtless trio had set fire to a house in Derby, UK, that had been the Philpott family home. The plan was to set fire to the house, rescue the children sleeping inside and then frame one of Philpott’s former partners. Tragically, Jade (10), John (nine), Jack (seven), Jesse (six) and Jayden (five) were all killed in the arson attack, whilst their half-brother Duwayne (13) died a few days later from the injuries he sustained. Philpott was jailed for life; Mired Philpott and Mosley each earned a sentence of 17 years

ANDREA YATES:

Andrea killed her five children. The Texan, Yates, had a history of mental illness which came to a head when she decided to drown her five children in a bathtub in 2001. Noah (seven), John (five), Paul (three), Luke (two) and Mary (six months) became the unfortunate victims of their mother’s disturbed mind. She was found not guilty of murder due to insanity but was sent to various state mental hospitals.

LINDSEY LOWE

Lindsey Lowe is a 25 year old woman who is now behind bars because she killed her twins only a minute after each was born. The babies were born in the toilet of her parents’ home. Lowe told the police later that she didn’t want her parents to know that she was pregnant and had babies. The mother put her bare hands on the mouth of each twin until they fell silent and stopped breathing.

She hid the dead babies in a laundry basket inside her room and covered their bodies with a blanket. Their presence in the home was reported to the police by Lowe’s father. A neighbour also revealed that she was sure Lindsey was pregnant because of the way her body looked.

ALEXANDRA V. TOBIAS

A 22 yr old Jacksonville, Florida woman unbelievably killed her 3-month-old son because his cries were distracting her from playing FarmVille on Facebook. SERIOUSLY? Alexandra told the police that she left the game and shook the boy when he would not stop crying. Then she smoked a cigarette and shook the boy again. This act could have damaged the baby’s brain and caused his death. Ruled not a first degree murder, the mother still faces life long imprisonment.

ON TRIAL

SUSAN DIANE EUBANKS

Whose life was beset with marital problems, debts and violence from her estranged husband, may be arraigned today in her hospital bed, where she is recuperating from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the abdomen, officials said.

MEGAN HUNTSMAN

Arrested for the murder of six babies In a recent grizzly case, this Utah resident, in April 2014, was charged with the murder of six infants. Bodies of the babies, all believed to be Huntsman’s children, were discovered in containers in a garage. A seventh infant’s body was also found, although Huntsman claims this tragic child was stillborn. The murderous mother strangled or suffocated her own babies and now faces six first-degree murder charges.

EMMA WILSON

Emma, who is on trial for the murder of her 11-month-old son Callum, today told a jury that his 23-month-old brother is responsible for inflicting the injuries that led to Callum's death. Callum was taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in March, 2011, with a detached retina, which had caused him to lose his sight. He had multiple fractures and bruises all over his body, and died two days later. The trial continues.