Michael Brea, actor, killed his mother with a samurai sword after religious rant

[RamboLiberal]

A deranged martial arts student, after delivering a terrifying religious rant, savagely killed his mother with a samurai sword inside her Brooklyn apartment, police and neighbors said Tuesday.

Suspect Michael Brea, 31, angrily screamed at his doomed parent to "repent" before delivering the death blows after horrified neighbors called for police.

"I heard this wild screaming," said Gregory Clare, 25, who lived one floor below the Prospect Heights apartment where Yannick Brea was brutally slain.

"Michael was yelling, 'Repent, repent, sinner, sinner,' over and over again," Clare said. "He was screaming, 'You never accepted Jesus.' It was real loud."

Yannick Brea, 55, howled for help that didn't arrive in time to save her.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/11/23/2010-11-23_brooklyn_mom_stabbed_to_death_with_sword_by_her_son_police_say.html#ixzz167jFDXiR

On edit Fox News says it was a Freemason ceremonial sword.

An actor who had a part in "Ugly Betty" repeatedly stabbed and killed his mother with a Freemason ceremonial sword this morning, cops said.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/23/ugly-betty-actor-kills-mother-sword-screaming-bible-passages-cops-say/?test=latestnews

Wow - horrible!

[originalpckelly]

1. Holy crap!

:wow:

[davidinalameda]

2. cue the usual attacks on religion

5...4...3...2...1...

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. Wow

That's your first reaction upon seeing this story?

:wow:

Empathy FAIL.

[Fumesucker]

4. Not at all, I think everyone's religion is deserving of automatic respect..

It's those evil atheists who are the real danger.

[Cheap_Trick]

30. We are.

Sleep with one eye open....

[BurtWorm]

5. This person seems to have had a truly psychotic episode.

What actually caused it is probably something chemical or mechanical that went awry in the brain.

It just looks like religion. (I had to give you what you wanted. ;-) )

[HereSince1628]

14. In general, substance abuse is a more important factor

in violent behavior than severe mental illness.

Severe mental illness alone has a much lower correlation with violence than substance abuse.

That isn't to say that a person without any mental illness or substance abuse can't become homicidal.
And that isn't to say that a person with a mental illness without substance abuse can't become homicidal.

It's only to say that substance abuse has a very very high correlation with violence, much higher than severe mental illness.

[BurtWorm]

15. I didn't see any mention of substance abuse in the article.

It just sounded like a crack-up. In any case, this isn't rational behavior--not even the pseudo-rational behavior of religious devotion. Something went seriously wrong with this man's synapses, it seems. Perhaps a drug interaction caused it.

[HereSince1628]

19. I didn;t see any evidence of the person being diagnosed with a mental illness

My point is that the leap to believing the person was mentally ill is just a leap.

And if we are going to leap, the statistics suggest that we leap toward substance abuse rather than mental illness.

[BurtWorm]

23. I hear you.

Your point is well taken. More info, I'm sure will be forthcoming.

[HereSince1628]

26. True. n/t

[Fumesucker]

20. What's interesting is that the substance most strongly associated with violent behavior is...

Alcohol..

[HereSince1628]

22. I believe that is correct.

It is certainly one of the reasons that mental health providers are so concerned about co-morbidities of alcohol abuse and mental illness.

[BurtWorm]

29. It would not be at all surprising to learn this was a reaction to alchohol and another drug.

It would also not surprise me if this was the result of a brain injury or disease. Not just "mental illness," assuming there is such a thing without a physical or chemical component behind it.

[Dorian Gray]

64. Plus

it could be both mental illness exacerbated by substance abuse. Whatever it is, this story is absolutely shocking. And it happened in my neighborhood.

[Time for change]

76. Drugs and homicide

Here's a study of 1594 homicides. Misuse of drugs other than alcohol played a major role in only 1% and a minor role in 14% of the homicides. Alcohol played a major role in 6% and a minor role in 39%.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16869841

[Fumesucker]

79. Thanks for that..

I get *really* tired of the old "drugs did it" lame-o excuse, it's good to hear a bit of rationality for a damn change.

[Time for change]

80. Worst of all

It fuels the "War on Drugs", which fuels our massive prison system, with its highest incarceration rate in the world.

[Fumesucker]

81. That's the main reason I find it so nausea inducing...

When it turns out the most culpable "drug" by far is alcohol, the drug that is never named as a drug.'

Even people who should really know better use the term "drugs and alcohol", like alcohol is not a mind altering substance.

[piratefish08]

6. okay, I'll bite. I'll bet nobody has ever dismembered a parent with a samurai

sword while screaming an atheistic rant.

I'm not even sure what an atheistic rant would sound like.........

:shrug:

[DavidDvorkin]

11. Five minutes of silence?

[Kalyke]

21. Like this board...

...disrespect the beliefs and opinions of anyone who is religious by calling them stupid and lumping them in with the stereotypical fundie nut.

Oh, and then be sure to tell them their god is nothing but a "sky father" and giggle about some spaghetti thing.

[verges]

38. +1

[Arugula Latte]

40. Yeah, and then we go on killing rampages after that ...

Oh, wait ...

[snooper2]

45. Some of us don't giggle about the "spaghetti" thing

If you don't have faith in the flying spaghetti monster that's your problem, and you can blame your parents for pushing the wrong faith on you.

I pray every morning to the richness of the noodles, and at night to the power of the sauce.

[msanthrope]

51. Ramen!!! I am looking forward to 'Holiday' this year. n/t

[Arugula Latte]

52. I am of the traditional "flour" spaghetti monster tradition

Those new age "whole wheat" noodleists are infidels who should be boiled alive in salt water for about seven minutes or until they stick to a wall when thrown against it!

[snooper2]

55. I agree, and anything other than Al dente is blasphemy

We had somebody exiled from our church for breaking that religious tenet after multiple violations

People think the old testament is hard core, they have no idea :hi:

[surrealAmerican]

58. I'm a semolina devotee myself ...

... with eggs, no less.

[piratefish08]

63. blasphemer!

[PavePusher]

68. Spinach noodles are the work of Cthulu!!!! n/t

[Occulus]

82. I don't HAVE to respect any religion that calls me an abomination. n/t

[H2O Man]

7. I blame his mother.

[DainBramaged]

8. Yup, the whole purpose of this thread.....

[ProfessorGAC]

10. Just Silly

GAC

[DBoon]

12. It was a sword, you you can't cue the usual attacks on guns

nt

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

18. Not true

If this was a story about a radical Islamo-fascist flipping out instead of a radical Christo-fascist it would sink like a stone.

[WildEyedLiberal]

42. Nah, but it would be filled with posts like "but I bet a crazy Christian could do this too!"

Frankly, I don't think "religion" had any more to do with this than the samurai sword did. This screams "crazy" or "junkie" to me.

[cleanhippie]

35. looks like you were wrong.

epic fail in 5..4..3..2..1..

[Hello_Kitty]

39. Cue the usual whining from defensive God botherers. eom

[snooper2]

43. I think religion will be okay

:)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

59. What's that on your shoulder? Is it an Intel processor, a Pringles, or a casino token?

Can't quite make it out from over here.

[boppers]

73. It's a health insurance plan.

For children.

[Rex]

71. So you are trying to get people to start posts that attack religion...

got it. :holyfacepalm:

[Steely_Dan]

72. And rightfully so.....n/t

[Pathwalker]

9. Mental illness creates many victims. Here are three more of them.

:cry:

[HereSince1628]

17. Mental illness is less likely to cause harm than substance abuse

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/155/2/226

http://www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov/topic/facts.aspx

As far as I can tell, there is no evidence in the story that the person who committed this act was diagnosed with a mental illness.

We fear what is alien to us, and so most 'healthy' people fear the mentally ill. Certainly the mentally ill can do violence. But the perception of the risk that the mentally ill represent is all out of proportion with reality.

Substance abusers are much more likely to be violent than the mentally ill.

The mentally ill are much more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.

[Pathwalker]

28. Both my brothers were mentally ill. "More likely" isn't an absolute.

Yes, I admit my brothers scared me. I had good reason to fear them, and I have the scars to prove it.

[HereSince1628]

31. True. I am speaking about epidemiolgical risks

Epidemiological risks are always averaged across a population or a stratum of a population.

And without the presence of a drug, mentally ill are about as likely as anyone else to commit a violent act.

The point of which is only that on average the mentally ill present no more of a risk than anyone else.

The correlation between mental illness and violence is positive, but it is very much less than the correlation of violence with substance abusers, persons with previous history of violence, age (younger) gender (male) and socioeconomic status (lower).

[Pathwalker]

32. Unfortunately, my brothers also fit those other criteria.

And being Vietnam war veterans didn't help either. After their mental illness, they became substance abusers trying to self medicate, but that only made it worse. But their mental illness came first.

[HereSince1628]

33. Intimate partners and family members are often victims of violence

Several factors probably contribute to this: the history of conflict/frustration with close contacts is greater than with others, familiarity reduces the role of social inhibitions making 'acting out' more likely, family members and intimate partners are accessible.

And the research suggests that when mentally ill do commit a violent act it is most likely against a care-giver or family member. Interestingly when the mentally ill are victims of the violence it is most often from family members or people they know.

[Initech]

13. Jesus was a ninja?

[Hannah Bell]

34. it was a freemason *ceremonial* sword, ninjas had nothing to do with it.

i thought ceremonial swords weren't sharp...

[Initech]

37. The OP said "samurai", totally threw me off.

[Poll_Blind]

16. Historically, is this NOT the way many non-believers were converted to Christianity?

:shrug:

Is this something new?

The forced conversion of Jews to Christianity under penalty of death in Spain in the 1400's (IIRC) comes to mind. Is it only disturbing on a small scale, but not the large?

PB

[Javaman]

24. Sounds like someone was off his meds. nt

[Johonny]

25. Freemason ceremonial sword!

and people are worried about attacks on religion and substance abuse. L O L ITS THE FREEMASONS! Now a good solid freemason rant anyone can enjoy.

[HereSince1628]

27. I never heard of Freemason swords, let alone a masonic samuri sword

Interesting which details make it into the media.

[Duer 157099]

61. There was just one on Auction Kings

it's some new aution show that takes place in Georgia, I just watched an episode last night where they sold such a sword.

[cleanhippie]

36. We need tougher sword laws.

Why is it so easy for someone to obtain a sword?

[piratefish08]

41. when swords are outlawed, only outlaws and ninjas will have swords.

[snooper2]

47. I've been making a 1000 layer sword in my garage...

got about 7 years into it, 287 folds...

only a couple decades left :)

[piratefish08]

48. are you planning to face down the Highlander?

there can only be one.

[snooper2]

50. eventually, one drop of blood, one tear, and one drop of sweat

in every fold :P

[cleanhippie]

65. There can be only ONE!!!!!

[TexasObserver]

44. Was he on an anti depressant?

Sounds like one of the occasional bizarre murders associated with anti depressants. They warn people that a few may suffer that side effect for a reason - it's true. I'll be interested to see if he has been on any kind of meds.

[Blue_Tires]

83. Either that or PCP

this guy is gonna be in the padded room for the rest of his days...

[guardian]

46. Sound like we need

more sword control laws.

[AnArmyVeteran]

49. When I grow up I want to go to a religion free world.

Religion is a man made disaster. Religion abhors rational thought and tries to erase all traces of it with irrational rituals.

[proteus_lives]

53. Might as well wish for a human-free world.

Religion is what men make of it.

It can be used for good or evil.

[cleanhippie]

66. No, religion is made by men, not what men make of it.

A religion-free world is not an impossibility, however unlikely. Too much power in religion, it will never go away.

[proteus_lives]

74. Was this made a church official of some kind?

Then this was what he made of it. I wasn't talking about people running the organizations.

"A religion-free world is not an impossibility"

Yes it is, unless you control what people think and do.

[cleanhippie]

77. Got it on the first part.

Thanks for the clarification.


The second...sure its possible. Educate people about the real world and being scared of old mythology will eventually go away. Not that I ever think religion will go away, but it is possible.

[proteus_lives]

84. Here's the rub.

Do away with old mythologies and new ones spring up in their place.

"Educate people about the real world"

They've been doing that since the Enlightenment. And people still worship as they please, including some very intelligent, educated people.

[cleanhippie]

85. You are right.

And I think I tried to say so. I just mean to say it IS possible, however, extremely unlikely. You are right, people are stupid and need mythology, regardless of how well educated they may become. It is a head-scratcher for me.

[proteus_lives]

86. How dismissive.

"You are right, people are stupid and need mythology, regardless of how well educated they may become. It is a head-scratcher for me."

If you dial back the arrogance and look at things from the other side of the aisle, you might understand better.

[cleanhippie]

87. I have tried.

I have tried, for nearly 40 years, to understand "things from the other side of the aisle" (I assume we are talking religion here) and I actually understand less about what makes believers believe. Arrogance? Maybe, but it is arrogance stemming from education about the subject.

Lets just agree to disagree, I don't see how this can go in a more positive direction.

[proteus_lives]

88. You're right.

This will not go in a positive direction.

So I'll leave you with this.

Unfounded arrogance never helps.

[cleanhippie]

89. I have got to hand it to you.

Even after several attempts to be cordial, understanding and supportive, you spit in my face. I really feel like saying "fuck you" to you, but I will refrain.

[proteus_lives]

90. What spit?

It's a piece of advice.

[The Straight Story]

54. Sounds about the same as political parties. China is pretty religion free

Maybe that is the world you would like to go to.

[Stevenmarc]

56. OK who the hell was he on Ugly Betty...Man in the crowd#2

[earth mom]

57. More sad proof that fundies are bat shit crazy insane.

:(

[Odin2005]

60. Religion + Mental Illness = Ugh.

:(

[Catherina]

62. "Freemason ceremonial sword". Nothing to do with Christianity here. Sorry folks. n/t

[cleanhippie]

67. Huh? This has a lot to do with christianity....that is what he was ranting about.

[Fumesucker]

70. From the article quoted in the OP..

"""Michael was yelling, 'Repent, repent, sinner, sinner,' over and over again," Clare said. "He was screaming, 'You never accepted Jesus.' It was real loud."""

Sounds fairly involved with Christianity to me..

[Swamp Rat]

69. What Would Samurai Jesus Do?

[MattBaggins]

75. Sooooooo about those "find jesus get out of jail early programs"

Maybe he could be an instructor.

[Binka]

78. Someone told me he decapitated her...WTF? n/t