Family Annihilators + Look Back at 2019

The holidays are often spent with family. My family, especially my siblings, are a nutty bunch whose thoughts run in line with mine (must be in the DNA). So, as I sat around the dinner table, tossing love gazes at each and every member of my clan, my mind wandered to… familicide. Specifically, I wondered about family annihilators and the psychology behind their murderous acts.

What pushes someone to murder their entire family? It’s difficult to even fathom the idea of killing those we love most in this world.

Familicide is the murder or murder-suicide of multiple close family members in quick succession, most often children, relatives, spouse, siblings, or parents. In about half the cases, the killer saved themselves for last; a murder-suicide plot. Professor David Wilson, along with two colleagues at the Center of Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University, conducted a taxonomy study which looked at the characteristics of killers who murder family members.

In the paper he wrote for The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Wilson and his team busted open the myth that family annihilators kill for revenge or altruism (self-sacrifice or selfless concern for the wellbeing of others). Of the 71 family annihilators studied, 59 were male — 55% of which were in their 30’s when they committed the crime.

Four Types of Family Annihilators

Self-righteous killers hold the mother responsible for the breakdown of the family and will often call Mom to explain what he’s about to do.

Disappointed killers believe their family has let them down in some way. The murder could be triggered by something as minor like his son refused to go to church that day.

Anomic killers see the family as a mirrored reflection of their own success. If he should suffer some sort of economic failure — loss of job or filing for bankruptcy, for example — the family symbolizes an anchor around his future success. In this family annihilator’s warped view of reality, his family is the reason why he isn’t achieving his goals.

Paranoid killers are motivated by the desire to protect their family from a perceived threat, such as social services taking away his children. He or she would rather see the children dead than let the state step in.

Most family annihilators fell into the self-righteous or anomic categories, according to Wilson.

“There are a variety of ways for men to be men,” Wilson told Wired Magazine, “but what really is happening with family annihilation is that these are usually men who will reach a tipping point about various things within the particular category of family annihilator that we identify. To see it simply [as being] about women having a greater role [in modern society] might be trying to imply the woman is responsible, whereas in fact it’s always about the man.”

A 2010 study shed light on the psychological makeup of family annihilators. In Familicidal Hearts: The Emotional Styles of 211 Killers by Neil Websdale, a professor at Northern Arizona University, he argues that these killers share one common trait: a feeling that they’ve fallen short of societal ideals of manhood.

Other researchers compiled results of a 10-year study on family annihilators, and the findings are unsettling — family killings rise with the unemployment rate. Causal links between the economy and murder are weak, at best. But family annihilations fall into a different category, according to Jack Levin, a professor of sociology at Northeastern University and lead author of the 10-year study. Levin compared the number of familicide murders in the first four months of 2008, when the unemployment rate was at 5%, to the same period in 2009, when the rate leapfrogged to nearly 9%. Examining a narrow set of cases (those involving at least three victims and a suicide), he found that the number of incidents in the U.S. grew from 7 to 12 and the number of victims from 29 to 56.

Oddly enough, Professor David Wilson discovered that most family annihilators struck during the summer, specifically in August, and many of the murders happened on Sunday when everyone was home.

As we pass into a new year, if you’re watching the game with dear ol’ Dad, be sure to keep him happy. Just don’t turn your back on Mom. Female family annihilators can be just as vicious.

A Look Back at 2019

What can I say? 2019 was good to me, both professionally and personally. It wasn’t always an easy year, but I’m too stubborn to let that stop me. When life bodyslams us to the ground, get back up and fight. It’s as simple and as difficult as that. When I shared my story of living with chronic pain, I learned how blessed I am to know YOU. Each and every one of you are amazing, caring, generous, kind, and supportive individuals. Your comments and emails… well, you’ll never know how much they meant to me.

Thank you for showing up. Thank you for caring. Thank you for supporting me and reading my work. A million times, thank you! I don’t always feel worthy, but I always feel loved. What more can we ask for in life?

If you’re wondering about my health, I’m still fighting the good fight, winning more days than I lose. Through trial and error I discovered a secret weapon: pure CBD edibles (without THC). What a super all-natural anti-inflammatory! It’s also a pretty good pain reliever. My rheumatologist tells me many of her patients are turning to CBD to help with RA, psoriatic arthritis, and other arthritic conditions. Be careful, though. Not all CBD products are created equal. The crap they sell at headshops is a waste of time and money, and so are the tinctures and oil, IMO. For really good CBD products order direct from a reputable company that focuses on cannabidiols derived from hemp. I should probably add, always consult a physician first.

Professionally

Tirgearr Publishing released two of my thrillers, SILENT MAYHEM and RACKED. In May, I received an amazing opportunity to write true crime for Globe Pequot (a full partner of Rowman & Littlefield). I drove all over New England, researching murder cases. I met some amazing people, saw some incredible places, and learned more about New England history than I ever could’ve imagined. It’s been an exciting, yet humbling, experience. I almost hate to see it end, but I’m nearing my final deadline of Feb. 1, 2020.

Pretty Evil New England is slated for release on Sept. 1, 2020, which kicks off a New England-wide book tour. Looking forward to that. 🙂

2019 Also Brought Conflict

Some things, like my social media presence, took a nosedive, because I had to concentrate on mastering the craft of true crime. The guilt almost ate me alive, because I have THE BEST Facebook friends and Twitter followers. Eventually, though, I finally managed to see the forest for the trees. Not only is social media my fun place to let off steam, it’s also part of my job — writers need to mix, mingle, and stay active online — but if I didn’t give this book my all, I risked letting down my readers. There’s no worse fate for me. Plus, I could potentially lose the opportunity to write more true crime in the future.

So, I made a choice.

About twice per week I poked my head into the land of social media. I blogged here and on the Kill Zone, alternating between the two. Most of my time I spent working as hard as I could  — focused researching and writing that took priority over playing, marketing, and even book sales. Nothing, except family (or Poe), could distract me from writing Pretty Evil New England. The only time I’ve been away from my desk, besides research trips or family get-togethers, is on Sunday afternoons when Bob and I nestle into the couch with our munchies and warm blankets to watch football.

Milestones

On December 18th, Bob and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Murder Blog won two awards: Feedspot’s Top 100 Crime Novel Blogs on the Net (3 years in a row!) and Best Crime Blog from Expertido.org. The Kill Zone won several Best Writing Blog awards, as well. I scored a featured article with The Big Thrill Magazine, published by International Thriller Writers, which was very exciting, and I was invited to appear on a few fun podcasts. This year was my best year yet for book signings. During the nice weather I made my yearly rounds at book venues and local fairs, and sold out of paperbacks quite a few times.

A Gift from Beyond

The biggest shocker of the year was finding out I had a sister. Not from my father’s side but from Mom. Imagine? 52 years and I never knew she existed.

As you can imagine, this news rocked my world off its axis. What I learned about the pregnancy and my sister’s birth hit me even harder. Shattered me, really. But once I moved past that, I couldn’t imagine my life without my sister. Still can’t. She’s the missing piece of our family puzzle. Never again will I doubt the power of nature over nurture.

This story begs to be written. It’s a tale of survival, pain, a mother’s love, and the lengths one woman was willing to go to protect all three of her children. But it won’t be an easy project. On the other hand, maybe I’ll get to know my mother on a whole new level, as an adult instead of a teen. Still toying with the idea. For now, however, my brother, sister, and I are enjoying this wondrous gift. Thirty-three years after Mom’s passing, and she continues to amaze me.

Blessings to all of you for a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year. See ya in 2020!