Indiana woman killed her 3 children and herself, police say

[alp227]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- An Indiana woman shot her three children and set the family's house on fire before turning the gun on herself, police said.

The bodies of the four were discovered Friday, when police in Austin, Indiana, responded to the home to conduct a welfare check.

"Upon arriving, the officer had to make a forced entry into the residence," Indiana State Police said Monday in a statement. "Once in the residence, he saw parts of the home had suffered recent fire damage and also located four deceased persons in the home."

The state police assisted with the investigation, which preliminarily concluded that 30-year-old Amanda Bennett shot the children -- 14-year-old Jasmine Abbott, 9-year-old Katelynn Bennett and 4-year-old Ryan Bennett -- before starting the fire and shooting herself.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/25/indiana.mother.children/index.html

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Things must've been hard for this woman, having her first child at age 16 and not having a father around.

[JI7]

1. why did she have kids if she wanted to kill them ?

things must have been hard on her ? so why kill the kids ?

[SheilaT]

2. I'm no expert, but when people get to that

point they are not thinking rationally. As with any suicide, all the person can think about is being dead, not the effect it will have on others, or that there may be a solution to the problems at hand.

[JI7]

5. yes, i understand that in cases where they kill themselves, but yes they do know

what they are doing when they kill other people. and that's where i have a problem and lose any sympathy for them.

she wrote some message to her husband about "you got what you wanted". so she was just trying to get him back or something by killing the kids.

[TheMadMonk]

22. Simplistically. Fathers kill their kids to hurt the mothers.

Mothers kill their kids to keep them from harm in a world that does not have them there to protect them.

A little less simplistically: Dads kill to give themselves an oportunity to reinvest in sperm that they can influence. And screw the mother who died or otherwise abandoned him.


Even nastier, these are limbic pathways, not normally triggered, but when they are, the actions that result are almost impossible to stop whilst the opportunity to carry them through to completion remains.

[CakeGrrl]

45. THIS mother didn't give a damn about those kids. She just wanted revenge.

She hated that her husband was starting up with someone else, so she killed the kids not because they'd be alone, but because she figured it'd be the best way to spite him.

There was a movie (I won't name it so as not to be a spoiler) that had a somewhat similar situation. The woman killed her infant son because that was the only thing her abusive, hateful husband cared about, so it was the only way she knew to strike back at him.

[decidedlyso]

7. Because in her mind, the kids would be treated badly. I have seen

this happen many times.

[JI7]

9. is there any evidence of that ?

so far we just have that one message she send to the husband which just makes it seem like she was doing it to hurt him.

[decidedlyso]

11. Not from the information presented. But from my limited experience

working the suicide hotline at SHN, that was later bought by WebMD, the two main reasons for suicide and homicide of the suicider's children is: 1. The feeling there was no hope left. 2: The children will be treated badly no matter their disposition. I know three people who will probably commit suicide this year. They are all older. They all cite reason one with some expansion.

[Skittles]

18. kudos to you, ds

what a tough job you do and I hope you realize you do help, a lot

[decidedlyso]

23. Thanks, but I don't do it anymore. When SHN got bought, everything

change, became more formal and seemingly less caring. I wouldn't want to do it again.

[Ian David]

25. So they'd be with her in Heaven? n/t

[cutlassmama]

3. She put the blame on the husband not wanting her and the

children, yet she's the one that pulled the trigger. Victim mentality strikes again~

[whathehell]

4. Sad, and yet infuriating.....As Mr. Whathehell says "Why don't they kill themselves first"? n/t

[JI7]

6. she wanted to stick it to her husband

[slackmaster]

8. I'm sure she taught him a good lesson

:argh:

[whathehell]

21. Did she say that?

or are you assuming it?....If it is the truth, she's effing evil, as are the numbers of men who do the same

to "stick it" to their estranged wives.

[Rage for Order]

24. From the article:

Jasmine, the teenager, had made references to marital problems between her parents and a possible divorce, friend Karen Barrett told CNN affiliate WDRB.

Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Jerry Goodin told CNN that authorities examined online content as part of their investigation, including a posting purportedly from Amanda Bennett that blamed her husband, according to WDRB, saying, "You got what you wanted, no wife and no kids."

[whathehell]

28. You are responding to a post I made to another, Ignored...That's okay

as long as you realize that it's a one-way conversation.Buh bye:hi:

[EC]

10. She live out in the sticks or what?

Nobody reported the fire or gun shots? This says they were found during a wellness check, so why hadn't the neighbors reported the fire or shots?

[decidedlyso]

12. I hesitate to ask questions like that anymore for fear someone will

say "no one really gave a shit".

[EC]

13. I know,

sad...

[decidedlyso]

15. If you ever get the chance, try and get a hold of the book..

Alone Together by Sherry Turkle. I can't rate it high enough.

[whathehell]

20. It's hard to imagine it wouldn't be more complicated than that...

Most people do "give a shit" when it comes to the killing of children.

[AngryOldDem]

42. Small town in southern Indiana.

Fire self-extinguished. And it's been extremely cold and snowy, meaning people aren't out much. That doesn't necessarily imply that they don't give a shit. The husband called the cops after not hearing from her for a couple of days. A neighbor whose kid went to school with one of the children said the child would come to school telling of arguments between the parents.

[Kennah]

14. If pushed to the limit ...

... I could understand someone setting their own house on fire for insurance purposes. Please note, I am not advocating this because firefighters could get hurt or killed. But there is no way in Hell I could hurt my kids.

Lose my job, lose the house, and lose our health insurance. Fine, we live in the van at first, then sell everything else, and move to Canada.

Such a sad sign of the times, and unfortunately I expect the worst is yet to come.

[prolesunited]

19. You really can't just move to Canada

They have pretty strict criteria

[Kennah]

36. I imagine one doesn't just walk across the border ...

... but it's hard to imagine their standards, and the manner in which they apply them, in any way approach those of the U.S.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp

[SoapBox]

16. But of course...Right in America's "heartland"...

...the most Pious and Holy Bible thump'n area of America AND
she was able to get herself a gun.

Thanks to,

Religious Freaks

NRA

Those that failed her and the children, by not giving her help.

[Riftaxe]

17. Amen Brother, i mean without a gun

it's not like she could drive a car full of her kids into a lake or something...

:sarcasm:

[freshwest]

26. You nailed it.

:dem:

[JitterbugPerfume]

31. you have it right

I am familiar with the community and it is a gun--drug mecca

[Imagevision]

27. God only knows how many killings the msm refuses to report [understandibly so though]

[EnlightenedOne]

29. Oh for God's sake people

Can there be absolutely NO compassion for anyone or anything? The woman's husband left, she was obviously on welfare and struggling raising 3 children - she lost all hope, and couldn't leave her children behind. This happens alot more than we would like to believe. The problem is not with this woman - its with the total inequality and injustice in our system. Most of you judging have no idea how you would react under the same circumstances/conditions.

Give it a rest and RIP. May she have peace and understanding now.

[cali]

34. My compassion is for the children. Her act was heinously selfish

and you are projecting your own sensibilities and feelings onto her. And no, it does not happen a lot. thankfully. Oh, and yes, the problem damn fucking well was with her.

May the children have peace.

[EnlightenedOne]

35. Apparently it is you who is projecting your own

sensibilities and feelings onto her(all negative I might add), whereas I have no judgement about it whatsoever. Only compassion. All suicide is heinously selfish, and of course if all suicides could be coherent enough or aware of the innate selfishness, less people would no doubt choose that route. I see no point whatsoever in pouring condemnation, judgement, contempt and vitrol on someone you know absolutely nothing of.

You obviously have no understanding or comprehsension (or do you want to) of the amount of pain someone's heart and soul are suffering which so diseases their mind to the point that one would commit an act such as this.

And, then, there's also that other possibility which is karma at work, which would make your judgement moot. You will note too that I said "it happens more than we would like to believe".

Regardless, my original post still stands - who are you or any one of us to judge her? Not your place, nor anyone else's. Your hostility is noted however.

[cali]

41. no, all suicide is not heinously selfish. Is it selfish for a person with a

chronic and painful or terminal illness to commit suicide? And yes you were projecting. You made several judgments in your post- you exonerated her and blamed society. That's called a judgment.

She. Murdered. Her. Children.

This wasn't just some suicide.

Yes. I judge people who murder children or torture or commit other acts of cruelty.

And yes, I have a great deal of understanding about pain and depression. YOU know nothing about me and judge me. Oh well, as E.M. Forster said: "only hypocrites condemn hypocrisy".

As for karma, I'll leave that out of the equation.

Oh, and try being honest. We all judge. YOU certainly proved your alacrity in that department.

[EnlightenedOne]

43. Nope. You're wrong.

You do not understand the difference between what is a "judgment" and what is a "fact".

I called you out on your condemnation of her. Again, that's not a "judgement", that's a fact clearly evidenced by your own words ("that fucking woman"). Your condemnation of her tells me that you "think" you understand pain and depression, but your post clearly proves to an educated person that you don't. Again, that's not my "judgement" of you, that's a fact based on your own words.

The poster Crim son has expressed very well here what REAL depression is in an effort to help educate you and others. She's not making any judgements either, just stating the facts.

Its not my place to "exonerate" her or to "blame" her. I did neither. I expressed compassion for the dead and disgust at the stones being thrown at a dead woman by people who live in glass houses (i.e., have no understanding of her mental state, circumstance, or anything else).

And, to say that society holds no responsibility whatsoever for this woman's condition is again, not an excuse or a judgement - its just what clearly "is". She was on a single mother, have you ever been one? She was on welfare, have you yourself been on welfare? How were you able to make ends meet? Did your husband walk out on you and leave you with 3 children to raise alone?

Do you have good healthcare and the ability to see a good psychiatrist when needed? Do you think you could afford the doctor's visits and the medications necessary to help you recover? Do you have any idea how my doctor visits it takes before they can actually get the "right" medication and adjust it properly to one's needs?

I doubt very seriously that she had much of ANY healthcare quality or otherwise, much less MENTAL healthcare. So again, these are not my "judgements" but they are the facts.

[JitterbugPerfume]

30. I am familiar with this small community

in southern Indiana. Drug use is epidemic there and most of the people are painfully poor.There are no jobs and no hope . It is not a good place.

[Javaman]

32. So many sad comments on this thread.

No one knows why she did it, but she did.

And one thing I can say for sure, she did it because she probably believed she had no other recourse.

As someone above mentioned, this suburb was not the best of places.

Poverty infects the mind and causes otherwise rational people to resort to sad desperate things.

I feel sorry for this person that she believed, whether it was selfish or not, that killing herself and her kids was the only solution to the problems in her life.

The poor dog is down, don't kick it.

[crim son]

33. I suffer from serious depression

and all the mindless insanity that goes along with it, when it gets out of control. INSANITY. As in, not sane, not thinking. It's not merely a matter of being very sad, you forget where you are, you forget how to get out of the house, you are batshit crazy. I know, I've been there several times. Of course one can't "excuse" the murder of one's children, it's absolutely appalling. But by taking the note to the father at face value, the critics in this thread are missing the whole point. We don't point a gun at our head and shoot if we're just pissed off or sad. We're nuts.

If you haven't suffered from depression, there is an excellent chance you can't imagine what it's like, and perhaps you might consider withholding judgment in this case.

Oh, and "victim mentality"? Bless you for your ignorance.

[EnlightenedOne]

37. Thanks for your post

I hope it will serve to educate those that know nothing of depression. I sincerely hope you have found help, and things that do help?

[crim son]

38. I expected to be yelled at. :)

And yes, I am very vigilant and have family members who help me recognize when things start to go wrong, so usually my mood is under effective control. Thank you for your kind response!

[EnlightenedOne]

39. You know, that's just a sad commentary

that you thought you would be yelled at. So many are so freakin angry about everything anymore it seems. No wonder people are going crazy!!! As if world weren't harsh enough, you have to worry about getting yelled at for telling the truth. I hope you haven't been given too much grief here, but if so, just try to let it go best you can.

I'm very glad you were so open and honest and there weren't any negative responses. Obviously, there are alot of people who do not know or or do not understand depression.

[crim son]

40. I have very thick skin when it comes to online exchanges!

The "freedom that comes with anonymity" discussion has been done to death, but that doesn't make it less pertinent. I'm pretty sure that virtually everybody means well, yelling or not, and I like to treat them that way. I can be cranky myself when posting in the gun forum. :P

[Blue_Tires]

44. she shot the dog, too??

she should have gotten a mental evaluation long before reaching the point of no return...