Honey, I killed the kids

This guy, who has JOINT CUSTODY, kills his 3 young daughters and then calls the ex to let her know:

Slaying of 3 River Falls Girls Stokes Community Fears of Domestic Violence

Schaffhausen and his ex-wife had joint custody of the girls, and on the day of the killings, he contacted her to ask whether he could see the children, who were being watched by a baby sitter. Jessica Schaffhausen agreed, the criminal complaint states.

Less than two hours after the sitter left the girls at the home with Schaffhausen, he called Jessica Schaffhausen and said, “You can come home now because I killed the kids,” according to the complaint.

She called police, who then found the girls dead from cuts to the neck. The youngest girl also had been strangled. Schaffhausen soon after turned himself in to police.

On Friday, Wojcik said crimes such as the River Falls killings are less about violence than they are about power and control.

“He didn’t just murder them, he then called her to say (what he had done),” she said. “It’s a final act of trying to control that person and inflict the most harm they can on them.”

 

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:  How many of these stories do we have to read before these family court judges get a clue? Joint custody is for mild to moderate conflict, which are NOT typically the cases you see in family court. It’s just re-traumatizing to keep reading these cases. The media has to do its job, too, and provide some context. This is a pattern and deserves the media’s attention.

“Nice dad” kills daughter

Okay, you know those “nice guy” kills wife stories – well, they also apply to children. In this article, the paternal grandfather says what a great guy his son was and blames the deaths on the family court system. I understand that the perpetrator was his son, but when are people going to take accountability for their actions? Killing your 2-year-old daughter does not, can not change family court. And, saying it does to the media – well, why not just tell dads to keep killing their kids?

Slain girl’s grandfather says court system pushed his son over the edge

Here’s another side to this sympathetic story – the ex-wife feared him and separated from him while pregnant

Family: Custody issue central in dad-daughter death Mother feared for her child’s safety

Court records, reviewed by KCRA, also reveal that the mother had grave concerns  about her daughter when she was not returned from a court appointed visit with  her father. Those records also confirm that a judge had previously ordered the  father to undergo anger management counseling.

“I believe (Mourad Samaan) is out of control and our daughter is in  imminent danger in his custody,” read a court document filed August 8, 2011.

The mother also asked a judge to deny Mourad Samaan further visitation  rights until a hearing on August 30, court records show.

Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/28871771/detail.html#ixzz1VFJSbKHv

Another family court decision that resulted in death. Is the system broken, as the grandfather says? It sures is when it hands over innocent children to adults with anger issues, against the wishes of a frightened mother, and ends with the murder of children.

Today Show gives psycho from Psycho Ex-wife blog valuable air time

Dad behind ‘psycho ex-wife’ blog protests its shutdown  

I couldn’t think of a less deserving man to give such valuable air time to on the lofty topic of freedom of speech.But, you know, maybe discussing these psychotic angry divorced men might give people a clue as to what ex-wives are dealing with.

The guy was ordered to shut his blog down, so now he’s protesting it’s his freedom of speech to bash his ex-wife. [The very same guy that discusses parental alienation — the pseudo-scientific term that claims (mostly) women poison kid’s minds against them – is, umm, poisoning his kids – and about 200,00 readers (per month) – minds.] They said on the Today Show his blog was inaccurate, belittling, and “outright cruel.” Matt Lauer (who typically rolls his eyes at anything feminist-sounding) said that’s what blogs are all about (not sure what blogs he reads but I often thought he was a Men’s Rights Activist in disguise so he must be reading those – that would certainly account for the cruelty he’s reading).

Fortunately, they did present the wife’s side and she came off very rationale.

So, I wonder, why is it that when women badmouth their exes it’s parental alienation and when men do it, it’s their freedom of speech?

27 club

You wouldn’t recognize her name, or her voice, or her face. Especially her face.

Laura Ackerson, at the young age of 27, was killed by her ex-boyfriend, dismembered, her body parts put into ice chests, and dropped in a hot swamp in Texas. Her torso and head were found in the water.

Like many of the articles I post on Family Court, Laura was the one declared “unfit.” The boys’ father was given custody. 

The father – Grant Hayes- and his new wife killed Laura so that they could go to the Virgin Islands. Hayes and his wife also had a newborn.

And, again, like all the other Family Court articles, guess who has custody now? Why, the killer’s parents, of course (because they did such a great job raising a murderer?!) And she tells the reporter that the children are “resilient.”

Husband and wife kill and dismember mother of his sons a MONTH after having a baby so family can start new life in Virgin Islands

Slain mom mentioned custody dispute in email to ex-boyfriend

Custody battle for Kinston woman and murder suspect’s children

Ackerson filed a complaint against Hayes in September of 2010.  She wanted custody of her 2 boys.  At the time, Hayes lived in Manhattan, but by the time he filed a counter complaint on May 17th, of this year, he was living in Wake County.

Hayes got a lawyer and was awarded emergency custody of his children on June 15th.  That document reads “the defendant (Hayes) is the fit and proper person to have the care, custody, and control of the minor children.”

Yes – the one with the resources ($$$), tends to be the one that gets custody. He calls her unfit. Abusers can manipulate the court into thinking they’re the better parent and further punish their exes.

The antidote to Casey Anthony

The antidote to the trial of one mother accused of killing her daughter? How about all the other child abuse/murder cases going on simultaneously that has no outrage, no vigilante justice, no new laws.

Violent selfish fathers, vs. violent, selfish mothers on trial

During the time that Florida mother Casey Anthony was in custody and on trial, any number of American fathers, stepfathers, and
live-in boyfriends killed their children.

Daily, the local and national media dutifully report awful examples of paternal cruelty and infanticidal violence.

Most recently, on June 30, 2011, a single Texas father, Carlos Rico, choked his four-year-old son, and then left him for dead;
miraculously the boy lived. This father faces attempted murder charges. One wonders whether he will become a media sensation. Heshould. His only motivation seems to have been that his son’s very devoted stepmother left him and changed her Facebook
status to “single.”

On June 13, 2011, a 37-year-old Maine father shot his wife and their two children
(ages 12 and 13) inside their home. Angry and frustrated about an ongoing custody dispute, he resolved the matter by killing everyone, including himself.

On May 8, 2011, a Los Angeles father shot his girlfriend, their two five-year old twins, and then himself. Precious little ink has been spilled about this.

On April 19, 2011, an Arkansas father ran over his two children, ages 18 months and 4 years-old; he was arrested and was charged with two counts of capital murder.

Nobody knows his name. No petitions have been launched, no demonstrations held. For the record, his name is Robert Carter and he is 23 years-old.

In addition, during this approximately two month period, if we are to believe the existing studies, an untold number of fathers abused their wives and children both physically and sexually.

However, the American public did not launch any vocal campaigns against any of these violent and abusive fathers or against fathers in general….

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/07/12/violent-selfish-fathers-vs-violent-selfish-mothers-on-trial/#ixzz1S8XIjq8j

 (But the Huffpost had an article complaining about the false allegations of domestic violence, child abuse, and child sexual abuse in custody battles – apparently oblivious to the child murders that make it into the newspaper weekly, sometimes daily.)

 Naples lawyer, father accused of zip tying up daughter gets custody of younger girl

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/jul/08/attorney-Jon-Parrish-zip-tie-daughter-custody-case/

With two parents locked in a bitter back-and-forth, the family court has had to decide who can better care for a 12-year-old:

A father and local lawyer who has admitted to tying up another daughter, then-15, with zip ties and threatening her with a shock-producing device?

Or a mother who has been uncooperative in court proceedings and could be trying to turn her children against their father?

Lastmonth, Collier Circuit Judge Lauren Brodie sided with the father, Jon Parrish,agreeing with two impartial third-party experts. The mother, Julie Price, wasoffered supervised visits but declined.

And

Duringthose three months, Price became uncooperative, Brodie stated in a ruling.Price didn’t follow through with allowing visits between Parrish and thecouple’s youngest daughter, and she unilaterally canceled court-ordered appointments.

It left Brodie with a decision: Should the couple’s now- 12-year-old live with a father still facing abuse charges, or go against two impartial experts andaward temporary custody to the mother.

And

For deciding custody or a primary residence in such cases,  Florida law outlines 13 factors for a judge to consider. Among those pertinent
to this case: Which parent will encourage contact and a relationship between the child and another parent, evidence of domestic violence or child abuse, and the need to maintain continuity in a single household.

___

One year probation for father who shakes and throws baby,
waits 5 hours for medical care, and blames injuries on girlfriend

Father charged after Orange City infant shaken and thrown

http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/west-volusia/2011/07/13/father-charged-after-orange-city-infant-shaken-and-thrown.html

 Ten year old kills father (Hall – who had custody)

Hall won custody of the children in 2004. Neal filed for joint custody last year, saying Hall’s neo-Nazi ties made her “scared of what
will happen to my kids.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/stepmom-pleads-not-guilty-to-endangerment-gun-charges-in-case-of-boy-shooting-supremacist-dad/2011/07/13/gIQAbrf7CI_story.html

 Finally, acknowledgement!

Father arrested after son’s stab death

“When children are this badly hurt, one of the parents is the perpetrator in 80-90 percent of the cases. The crime is committed in their apartment and the motive is rarely directed at the child. Instead, mental illness or custody cases can lie behind the violence,”
said Rying. “But the sort of case found in Umea is thankfully very uncommon. Weapons are rarely involved in cases with young children,” he added.

https://plusone.google.com/u/0/_/+1/button?hl=en-US&jsh=r%3Bgc%2F22326474-d7ea9837#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icenews.is%2Findex.php%2F2011%2F07%2F14%2Ffather-arrested-after-sons-stab-death%2F&size=standard&count=true&id=I1_1310693287490&parent=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icenews.is&rpctoken=206918803&_methods=onPlusOne%2C_ready%2C_close%2C_open%2C_resizeMe

Read more: http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2011/07/14/father-arrested-after-sons-stab-death/#ixzz1S8KJWBwu

  Killer’s mom almost got custody –

Fort Pierce girl orphaned in murder-suicide living in Georgia

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/jul/14/fort-pierce-girl-orphaned-in-murder-suicide-in/

 The evil feminists are to blame for everything (family court, laws, media….) – It’s probably better not to click on the link!

http://thelawarticles.com/media-ignores-fathers-family-court-suicide-to-coverup-governments-feminist-tyranny-against-fathers/

Media Ignores Father’s Family Court Suicide to
Coverup Government’s Feminist Tyranny against Fathers

Custody disputes tough on women (but media fails to tell story)

Women’s E-News has written about this topic in the past – it’s the mainstream media outlets that ignore it:

Custody disputes now tougher for battered moms

However, certain injustices (crimes, really) that I first began tracking in the late 1970s have now gotten much worse. For example, battered women are losing custody to their batterers in record numbers. Children are being successfully brainwashed by fathers, but many mothers are being falsely accused of brainwashing. Worse: Children with mandated reporters–physicians, nurses or teachers–who report to them that they have been sexually abused by their fathers are usually given to those very fathers. The mothers of these children are almost always viewed as having “coached” or “alienated” the children and, on this basis alone, are seen as “unfit” mothers.

It’s even tough in Taiwan:

Judges in custody cases urged to think of children’s needs 

…It found that serious problems can arise when women are fighting for custody of their children.

In court, judges prefer not to change the status quo in the family. If the father takes the child away from the mother before or after the parents separate, for example, the judge will usually grant custody to the father, for fear that the child will have difficulty adjusting to a new lifestyle, she said.

Should the mother ask for a retrial, the case is heard in the same court and very often the judges still award custody to the father, Chi said.

Last year, judges ruled 61 percent of child custody disputes in favor of the father, she said.

“The judges are supposed to make their decisions based on the best interests of the child, but what we are seeing is totally different,” Chi said.

This is what can happen to women in a custody dispute (even w/o previous violence in the relationship) – it’s not happening to men on the same scale – yet the media is picking up on men’s stories in divorce & custody. Some articles don’t mention who has custody or where the biological mother is when the child(ren) is in the care of the custodial Dad.

Friends mourn teens killed in Chula Vista suicide 

A family friend told 10News the former attorney and life coach was having financial problems and was at risk of losing his home and full custody of the boys. He and his wife, Maria, filed for divorce in 2007.

He had full custody of two boys ages 13 and 15 – and he killed them both and them committed suicide (the 3rd murder-suicide this month in this area).

Press release on domestic violence and child custody policies in Hawaii

Media Advisory – Hawaii House of Representatives

June 20, 2011 – For Immediate Release

Contact: Office of Rep. John Mizuno, Telephone: 808-586-6050, Cell: 808-741-0639

LAWMAKERS TO HOLD BRIEFING ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HEAR CONCERNS FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS AND DISCUSS THE NEED FOR POLICY CHANGE

Several domestic violence survivors will share their story of how they lost custody of their child(ren) to the abuser, even after a finding of domestic violence by the abuser

WHAT:            The House Human Services Chairman, Rep. John Mizuno, will hold a legislative briefing to address domestic violence in Hawaii.  Rep. Mizuno will identify certain concerns involving specific failures of the current “system” in adequately addressing domestic violence.  Rep. Mizuno will also be hearing from domestic violence victims, survivor advocates, and agencies working directly with domestic violence victims, issuing protective orders and temporary restraining orders.

 The briefing will:

              

                       • Identify and address concerns regarding domestic violence in Hawaii

                       • Explain the reason for the various bills which seek to provide greater protection for domestic violence victims

                       • Explain the difficulties in passing measures which seek to improve the state’s system in handling domestic violence cases

 

WHEN:            Tuesday, June 21, 2011 – 11:35 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time (Televised in Hawaii on Ch. 53, for Neighbor Island residents and nationwide go to the internet www.olelo.org – click NATV Ch. 53 for online live stream coverage)

WHERE:           Hawaii State Capitol, Room 329

WHY:              Rep. Mizuno was contacted by several survivors of domestic violence who will be sharing their stories with lawmakers during the briefing. According to Rep. Mizuno, “It is extremely concerning to hear that time after time the abusers who beat our victims, many times end up gaining custody of the children.  Based on our victims’ testimonies and information provided by organizations and advocates for domestic violence victims, I believe our current system has many major flaws in properly addressing domestic violence issues.  Therefore, I am looking for solid solutions to better address domestic violence statewide at the conclusion of this briefing.”

 -end-

Father absent headlines

Here’s another to add to the list:

Bonds reduced for two charged in toddler’s murder

A judge reduced bonds Wednesday for the two people charged in the first-degree murder of a toddler last year.

Amy Parmer, 27, of Hiawatha, and Zyriah Schlitter, 24, of Cedar Rapids, are both charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death. They are accused of killing 17-month-old Kamryn Schlitter, who died from head trauma. Zyriah Schlitter is Kamryn’s father and Parmer is his ex-girlfriend.

Of course he had custody:

Schlitter and Parmer had exclusive care and custody of Kamryn from March 1 through March 21, 2010 and while at a daycare center on March 8 and March 15, workers noticed bruising to her face, according to the complaint

Family Court: The good, the bad, and the ugly

The good & the bad:

Well, the good news is Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) has been rejected for the upcoming DSM-5. Ms. Magazine blog ran an update of an article on PAS:

http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/06/10/%E2%80%9Cparental-alienation-syndrome-another-alarming-dsm-5-proposal/

This does help in our argument that PAS is not legitimate. The bad news is this won’t
stop it from being used in the courtroom (despite the lack of scientific evidence). Psychologists/evaluators will still say Mom is exhibiting alienating behavior or some derivative of it in the face of an abuse allegation.

The ugly:
We had (at least) two fathers recently who had cases similar to Casey Anthony’s and we’re still asking ourselves when will the media shed a light on fathers killing their children and/or mothers of the children, esp during “custody battles.”

Father charged in slaying of teen
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/father-charged-in-slaying-of-teen/2011/05/21/AFzRYj8G_story.html?wprss=rss_local
This father stabbed and molested his daughter, and then threw the body into a trash can.

Tanya Skelton granted custody of missing sons; John Skelton says she won’t see them
http://www.lenconnect.com/breaking/x795259618/Tanya-Skelton-granted-custody-of-missing-sons-John-Skelton-says-she-wont-see-them
This mother has not seen her 3 young sons since Thanksgiving, when they visited their father. They assume the father has killed them – he says he handed them over to an organization and won’t give them back to her unless he gets joint custody.
He’s proved he’s abusive by taking the sons (possibly killing them). He probably wants to lower or avoid child support since he’s raised the topic of other debts. And, research has shown that lack of access/time is not the real reason Dads kill their children. It’s just an excuse they use.

I don’t understand how Casey Anthony gets so much attention and we can’t shed any light on these cases to spark a debate.

Another man killed about 6 people at a family court, including his ex-wife’s attorney. And still – women are vengeful and not to be believed. Sigh.

Sheriff’s office identifies victims in Yuma shooting spree

According to court records Theresa and Carey Dyess were married in Tombstone May 2002 and filed for divorce in 2006. Theresa alleged domestic abuse and received an order of protection. Carey later took out his own order of protection against Theresa.

Court records also show the 2006 divorce was Carey Dyess’ fifth. It was final in 2007. Theresa bought out Carey’s share of their home and stayed in the house in Wellton, the same home where she was found dead Thursday morning.Carey Dyess also had an order of protection against a man he identified as ‘my wife’s boyfriend,” who he alleged was harassing him by driving by his home every day.

It was a nasty divorce that ultimately cost the Theresa, her three friends and attorney all their life and left another friend in the hospital.

Hardly a headline

This headline barely touches upon what this father did to his daughter:

Ceres father charged in death

Alycia Mesiti was 14 years old in August 2006, enrolled to attend the  year-old Central Valley High School in Ceres. But before classes began, her  father and his girlfriend reported her as a runaway.

In March 2009, officers unearthed Alycia’s body in the back yard of the home  the family rented in the 3500 block of Alexis Court in west Ceres.

Her father, Mark Edward Mesiti, was booked at the Stanislaus County Jail on  Thursday afternoon on charges of murder with malice, one count of lewd and  lascivious acts on a child, and one count of rape or sodomy.

Imagine giving this guy custody?!

Alycia and her older brother were placed in her father’s custody in November  2005, about the time the family moved to Ceres. In the previous seven years,  Mesiti was convicted of bank fraud and drunken driving, and charged with  domestic violence. He was ordered to attend anger-management classes and landed  in prison after failing to attend court-ordered drug and alcohol treatment  programs.

Now for some victim blaming:

But the children’s mother, Roberta Allen, had her own problems. She battled  depression and a court investigator called her an unfit parent. There were  reports of a suicide attempt and fights with the two children. She told a  Mercury News reporter that she suffered years of persecution by Mesiti and had  fled to other states and even to Canada, where she and the children lived in  battered women’s shelters.

She said her husband could afford to hire an attorney in the custody battle,  while her own responses were handwritten.

Typical ‘battered mothers losing custody’ scenario: He has a long list of problems, abuse. She’s considered depressed and unfit (which occurs to human beings after enduring years of abuse – it’s a symptom of domestic violence). He can afford an attorney, she can’t. As Steve Bardo from the Center for Judicial Excellence said last week on the Dr. Phil show – this country gives people accused of heinous crimes legal representation, yet throws battered women into court to fend for themselves.

And, sadly, this is a typical response to a protective mother:

Allen, a restaurant worker in 2009, said she called the Ceres police to say  she didn’t believe her daughter had run away and instead should be classified as  a missing person.

“The police stopped taking my calls,” she said in 2009. “They said, ‘She’ll  come home.’ “

Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2011/06/02/1716153/father-charged-in-death.html#ixzz1ORnxyHwx