Wisconsin Man Kills Wife, Children, Self ("to bring my family to heaven")

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/4160958/detail.html

Police: Wisconsin Man Kills Wife, Children, Self

POSTED: 3:16 pm EST February 3, 2005

HILLSBORO, Wis. -- Authorities in Wisconsin say a man shot dead his wife, her 5-year-old daughter and 14-year-old stepson before killing himself.

<snip>

The man left a note saying "God asked me to bring my family to heaven."

The bodies of 36-year-old Mary Ganshert and her two children, 5-year-old Mandi and 14-year-old Troy Klein Jr., were found dead of gunshot wounds in their Hillsboro, Wis., home late Wednesday.

<snip>

Cary said two notes left at the sister's farm and two notes left at the Hillsboro home showed the man believed his family was going to, quote, "a better place."




http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/4160958/detail.html

...here in Madison.

They said that the note said he killed his family to 'save them from upcoming hardship', or something like that. No mention of any religious aspect whatsoever.

Putting this together with what it says in that El Paso website (El Paso?) about 'God wanting him to send his family to heaven', it sounds like the guy might have been 'rapturing' his family -- with a .357 Magnum.

voted for Jesus Bush. A real nutcase, just look at his family values

?

his own malfunctioning brain and leave it at that.

"his wife, her 5-year-old daughter and 14-year-old stepson"

Got to spread that "Christian Love" around. This is much like Andrea Yates needing to spare her children the pain of being raised up in a sinful world. Fundamentalism should be classified as an addiction like alcoholism although I think it differs some in that one does have a chance of recovering from alcoholism.

:toast:
Welcome to DU

A small number can be saved from being "saved" through Cult deprogramming techniques the rest are SOL

???

dont hear him clearly, they obviously have to much static going on.

God is telling people to do a lot of whacky things:

Invade countries.
Deny people rights.
Kill children.

God sounds like he might be a bit messed up in the head.

Sounds pretty much like the bible, line and verse.

too is beyond cruel.

"The Diary of Martha Ballard" I almost got locked in overnight in the library because I lost track of the time, so absorbed was I in reading this work.

Martha Ballard was a midwife in Maine and as such, kept a diary of all her births, as midwives were required to do at that time. This became a record, as there was no census taking at that time and many geneologists use this diary to locate their ancestral families.

But it is not a boring spreadsheet of births and names. Included in that diary are many historical facts and interesting observations on life at the time (around 1780). For instance, Martha saw fit to teach her daughters how to weave fabric and to make a small living out of that. The loom was built by her son. ONe of her births was recorded to a woman who was not married, but, as was the custom, blurted out the name of the father of the child and it happened to be Martha Ballard's son. Much in that diary about herbal medicine also.
and the custom of women attending in support of the woman giving birth, as they all congregated in the room to help her.

It is the only surviving diary of a midwife practicing in the US--soon after that, midwives were replaced by doctors, and Martha has some interesting things to say about the new doctor that arrived and infringed upon her practice.

http://www.dohistory.org/

In that diary there is an account of the slaughter of a family by the father of that family. If I remember, there were seven children and the father went on a rampage, killing all the members including the wife, because of almost the same reasons as given in this recent case. He axed them--only one, a teen, survived because he managed to run away and escape. This is not a new phenomena, and I would suspect that there is some mental illness involved on the part of the murderer who slaughters his children and wife for stated religious reasons.

you must read the last two paragraphs

Ballad Of Hollis Brown Lyrics
( Bob Dylan Lyrics )

Hollis Brown
He lived on the outside of town
Hollis Brown
He lived on the outside of town
With his wife and five children
And his cabin brokin' down.

You looked for work and money
And you walked a rugged mile
You looked for work and money
And you walked a rugged mile
Your children are so hungry
That they don't know how to smile.

Your baby's eyes look crazy
They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve
Your baby's eyes look crazy
They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve
You walk the floor and wonder why
With every breath you breathe.

The rats have got your flour
Bad blood it got your mare
The rats have got your flour
Bad blood it got your mare
If there's anyone that knows
Is there anyone that cares ?

You prayed to the Lord above
Oh please send you a friend
You prayed to the Lord above
Oh please send you a friend
Your empty pocket tell you
That you ain't a-got no friend.

Your babies are crying louder now
It's pounding on your brain
Your babies are crying louder now
It's pounding on your brain
Your wife's screams are stabbin' you
Like the dirty drivin' rain.

Your grass is turning black
There's no water in your well
Your grass is turning black
There's no water in your well
Your spent your last lone dollar
On seven shotgun shels.

Way out in the wilderness
A cold coyote calls
Way out in the wilderness
A cold coyote calls
Your eyes fix on the shortgun
That's hangin' on the wall.

Your brain is a-bleedin'
And your legs can't seem to stand
Your brain is a-bleedin'
And your legs can't seem to stand
Your eyes fix on the shortgun
That you're holdin' in your hand.

There's seven breezes a-blowin'
All around the cabin door
There's seven breezes a-blowin'
All around the cabin door
Seven shots ring out
Like the ocean's pounding roar.

There's seven people dead
On a south Dakota farm
There's seven people dead
On a south Dakota farm
Somewhere in the distance
There's seven new people born.

I'm adding that book to my wish list, it sounds fantastic! I dislike fiction, I love non-fiction i.e. biographies, history, true crime. Thanks for posting that info.

And a quick thanks for always posting such great stuff, I always look forward to what you have to say on any subject... you post some of the best rants at DU, LOL!
:hug:

they seem to do this a lot, though my perception could just be a result of the sensationalism of these types of stories. Wonder what the real stats are. Women, gay and minorities just don't seem to do this sort of thing. Women occasionally kill thier children or an abuser, but rarely the whole "family".

Anybody have any real numbers?

I don't have any specific numbers. We had a spate of them in Oregon a few years ago. In one of the three cases, the guy killed everyone including himself. In the other two, the guy killed just the wife and children.

All were deeply religious and were in financial trouble.

I don't know the specific name that they assign to this type of killing. I keep coming up with familicide, but I think there is a more specific name for it.

It SHOULD be accorded the immunity from rational judgment that it is because it's just a better worldview.

There's nothing inherently difficult with squaring the observable world with the fantasy supernatural one; the two aren't at odds at all. It's important that the unprovable be held in greater esteem than anything in reality.

Nothing bad that happens in the name of god is the responsibility of others who hold that belief, and anyone who says it is must be silenced.

This is disgusting. Is anyone keeping count of this crap?

It's not just a regrettable side-effect of religion, it's a guaranteed effect of believing in afterlives and daddygods to whom one is subservient. Religion should be tolerated, not exalted, yet that's the opposite of how it's held.

Disgusting.

It's not just an aberration, it's a logical result of elevating superstition to cultural necessity.

"Hey Joe I need you bring your family up here pronto. What's that? Yes today! Why? None of your fucking business! Didn't anybody tell you I work in mysterious ways? What? No, I don't care how you do it. Just go get that gun of yours and blow them all away. Hurry up Dip Shit!"

I remember back in 2000 when Tipper Gore vowed to make mental health issues her top priority as first lady.

Now, we don't even hear much about the mental anguish that follows our troops home.

Some people just don't understand that family members are not porperty and don't take it well if spouses think independently.

<snip> Another sheriff's department had been investigating Ganshert's death when deputies came upon documents that led them to believe Ganshert's wife, Mary, was in danger. Other family members contacted authorities as well but it was too late.</>

Documents? Had she seen an attorney or judge?

:cry:

Another morally and spriritually Red Stater proves his close connection to the Almighty! You just know that a degenerate New Yorker would never kill his entire family for the totally valid and unassailable purpose of brining them closer to Jeebus! PRAISE JEEBUS!