Today is the 40th anniversary of the MacDonald family murders

[XanaDUer]

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jeffrey+macdonald&search_type=&aq=f


AND

The murders

At 3:42 a.m. on the morning of February 17, 1970, dispatchers at Fort Bragg received an emergency phone call from MacDonald, who reported a "stabbing." Four responding military police officers arrived to find Colette, Kimberley, and Kristen all dead in their respective bedrooms.

Colette, who had been pregnant with her third child, was lying on the floor of her bedroom. She had been repeatedly clubbed (both her arms were broken) and stabbed 37 times (21 times with an ice pick and 16 times with a knife). Her husband's torn pajama top was draped upon her chest. On the headboard of the bed the word "pig" was written in blood.

5-year-old Kimberley was found in her bed, having been clubbed in the head and stabbed in the neck with a knife between eight and ten times. 2-year-old Kristen was found in her own bed; she had been stabbed with a knife 33 times and stabbed with an ice pick 15 times.<2><3><4>

MacDonald was found next to his wife, alive but wounded. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. His wounds were much less severe than his family's injuries. In addition to various cuts and bruises on his face and chest, he had what a staff surgeon referred to as a "clean, small, sharp" incision that caused one lung to partially collapse, as well as a mild concussion. He was treated in the hospital and released after one week...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_R._MacDonald

[raccoon]

1. I can't believe it's been that long. I don't remember hearing about it when it happened,

but I saw the miniseries FATAL VISION and read the book. From time to time, I've googled MacDonald.

I believe he is guilty as Cain.

[XanaDUer]

2. I believe that, too

nt.

[undergroundnomore]

3. I didn't realize that

it's been so long. I lived just outside of Ft. Brag for several months. I drove through the base and then out of some morbid sense of curiosity I tried to find the location. Obviously the original house no longer stands but this case has always haunted me.

I just don't understand how someone can kill their own child like he did. It was so violent so brutal. I thought he wanted a DNA test whatever happened to that?

[frogmarch]

5. the DNA

(excerpt from the Wiki article at the link in the OP):

DNA testing

Lawyers representing MacDonald were given the right to pursue DNA tests on limited hair and blood evidence in 1997 by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Testing began in December 2000. Defense lawyers hoped that the results would tie Stoeckley and her associate Greg Mitchell to the scene.

DNA test results released by the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory on March 10, 2006, showed that neither Stoeckley's nor Mitchell's DNA matched any of the tested exhibits. A limb hair found stuck to the left palm of Colette MacDonald matched the DNA profile of Jeffrey MacDonald. MacDonald's DNA profile also matched body hairs found on the multi-colored bedspread from the master bed and on the top sheet of Kristen MacDonald's bed. A hair found in Colette's right palm was sourced as her own. Three hairs, one from the bedsheet, one found in Colette's body outline in the area of her legs, and one found beneath the fingernail of Kristen, did not match the DNA profile of any MacDonald family member or known suspect.<25>

There is currently no motion before the court regarding the DNA results. MacDonald was unsuccessful in incorporating a motion regarding the DNA results into his motion regarding the claims of Britt, with the court stating that MacDonald must obtain a pre-authorization for what should be a separate motion regarding the DNA results.

[BlueIris]

7. Woah. I had totally missed that--and I just reread the Wiki articles last month.

"Three hairs, one from the bedsheet, one found in Colette's body outline in the area of her legs, and one found beneath the fingernail of Kristen, did not match the DNA profile of any MacDonald family member or known suspect."

Interesting.

[WinkyDink]

12. MacD talked big, that's all. He was hopped on meth, and he killed for his own survival.

He never wanted to be married, certainly not while in school, and not to a pregnant girl.

[mitchum]

4. Acid may be groovy, but speed kills

I still believe that amphetamine psychosis played a large part in his actions

[raccoon]

6. I wasn't familiar with that phrase "amphetamine psychosis"--just googled it.

I think you may be onto something.


I had a near relative who may've had the same problem.

[tonysam]

8. I think that is a good explanation of what went wrong.

I watched the 48 Hours rerun on the case which aired last night on the Discovery ID network or whatever it's called. Of course MacDonald is guilty as sin. I can't believe any other woman would have married him and think he was innocent. He does put on a good act, however.

[raccoon]

9. Some women are attracted to men like him.

Women Who Love Men Who Kill
~ Sheila Isenberg

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Journalist Isenberg writes about the little-known and unexplored phenomenon of women who seek and fall in love with one of society's most abusive elements: murderers. Assembling information from interviews, magazine and newspaper articles, television appearances, etc., Isenberg attempts to explain how these women (who are themselves often victims of abuse) feel compassion and a sense of power over the killer as long as he is safely locked behind bars. Her highly readable investigation is geared more toward popular psychology and true crime fans than people looking for in-depth psychological and statistical research.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Who-Love-Men-Kill/dp/0595003990

[tonysam]

10. And probably some of them think any man is better than no man at all. Sad. n/t

[WinkyDink]

13. Well, objectively speaking, Jeffrey WAS very handsome. And rich.

[WinkyDink]

11. Absolutely!! The shakes, chills, etc.! Also, JMacD was NOT tested for it.

OJ TOOK IT, ALSO, AND HAD THE SAME PHYSICAL REACTIONS IN THE LIMO.