I don't know if this was posted yet.. I couldn't find it anywhere.. and it's a very sensitive subject, I know. I just wanted to see what everyone had to say about it? It happened back in the middle of last year, but seems to be re-surfacing in the news recently US Mother Drowns All Children in Bath (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1399000/1399715.stm)
This is one of the saddest stories I have ever read. To think what those children went through while all of this was happening. :( It's so shocking that this could have happened. I don't really understand how a mother could do this :confused:. I don't have children, but it is extremely hard for me to grasp this post-natal depression. Can it really be that bad, that you would kill all of your children... or is this just her lame excuse for the terrible thing she did?? Sorry if this upsets anyone. I am trying not to be biased. I am just struggling to understand.

Ok, I get to speak my mind on this one since it happened right here in Houston on the other side of town. We have been dealing with it since day one. If you don't like what you are about to read, sorry.

She has claimed that she is innocent by reason of temporary insanity. Ok, we know the lady has her problems, but... She is aware of what she is doing, becomes unaware long enough to drown her five kids in a systematic flucking shitty ass way to die (burning or drowning are the worst I can think of) then she becomes aware again and calls to tell her husband that their is a "problem" at home. Now she wants to get on with her life? Please.

Bottom line: I pray the bitch gets put to death not too long from now up in Huntsville and her equally screwed up husband gets shot for being a nut himself so this genetic line can come to an end.

Ok, done.

Originally posted by Gman
so this genetic line can come to an end.



I absolutely agree.

I am not aware of this situation because I haven't had time to look at the paper or watch the news in the past week or so, but I firmly believe that postnatal depression is a real problem for some women. I'm not excusing this woman by any means, because what she did is totally unforgivable. I believe that postnatal depression is treatable and the symptoms are such that anyone with a brain can identify them. Many people could have intervened!!!

My $ .02

Post-partum depression is real. I have watched someone very close to me go through it, and it is more than just the "baby blues". It is a serious, if temporary, psychological condition.
Now, having said that, there is simply no excuse for drowning one's kids. Ever. Had she commited/attempted suicide, PPD could have been blamed. But infanticide is inexcusable, whatever the ailment. I will not mourn her if she gets the death penalty.
Hopefully, some good will come of this awful tragedy. Expectant mothers, & their husbands should be educated about PPD and the warning signs to look for, so that they can realize what is going on & get some help. PPD is treatable. This sort of thing doesn't have to happen.

Though I've not gone through the actual birthing process to have a child to take home yet, I am fortunate enough with friends who have, and have yet to witness PPD upfront. I do believe that it exists, and I have read enough to know the signs. That being said, here's my opinion.

I think that the woman should die. It is totally inexcusable to systematically murder your babies that you brought into this world. I agree with Gman that drowning is the worst way to die. Those children did not ask to be born, nor did any of us. For her to take away that gift, I think that she should die the same way her children did....have the "death scene" that her children faced. She should be chased around by a crazed lunatic, knocked down, dragged to a tub of water, and then drowned. It's a bit eye-for-an-eye, but those babies didn't deserve to die.

This is coming from a woman who is desperately trying to have a child. I am not unsympathetic to the condition at all. But, there is way too much information out there NOT to be able to pick it up somewhere. If, God forbid, I should go through PPD, I KNOW that Aron knows the warning signs and that he would immediately get me the medical attention that I would need.

Just my own $.02.

I have three kids, and I have never,, ever,, repeat ever felt depression. I love them and i would never do anything to hurt them. I can't understand how any mother could do that. Drowing? I just hate the mental picture I am getting right now. Those kids sruggled they put up one hell of a fight. You would think that would have snapped her out of it. But it didn't and that is wrong.
I am sure there are other things we don't know. She might have had a history of mental disability.
If she was that depressed why didn't she take something for it? There are pills out there for everything.

My sister had the blues when she had Bethany Shay. At first I thought she was just stressed out when she would call me crying. She told me she couldn't handle it anymore.. and she would do anything to make Bethany shut up. "ANYTHING" That word slapped me in the face. I quickly drove over there and took care of Bethany for her. I told her to leave for awhile to get her thoughts straight.
I also told her that she needed help. It is better to be safe then sorry.

I feel for those innocent children.
They are now in the Lords hands (my opinion)

There is NO excuse for what this woman did. None. I have two children, and my "depression" came when I had to go back to work, and I would just break down and cry (yes, at work) because I thought for sure something bad would happen to them while I was gone. O.K., so there are different types of depression, but for her to kill these little ones that were sooo innocent, and yes, probably fighting and struggling with everything they had, is absolutely unforgivable, and she should be given the same sentence she gave her children. It is just so very sad.
:(
That is just my opinion
Shelia

I had mild bouts of depression after each of my kids, but I think it was a combination of hormones and fatigue at having an irregular schedule due to the new baby. But harming my sons never even crossed my mind.

I'm all for the eye-for-an-eye in this kind of case. I'm sure she had mental problems (I think that's obvious) but that's no excuse for drowning innocent children...five times!?!? :( Sick sick sick....

This story was on dateline last night, and they said she had been treated, even hospitalized, for the PND. They released her from the hospital even though they knew she was not ready, because her insurance would not pay for it. I cant remember the exact wording, but it was something like the doctors knew if she was released early, the result might be something terrible like what did happen. As Milani said, the mental picture of it (especially the son that walked in and saw what was happening, and tried to escape) makes me want to throw up, and I'm not sticking up for the woman, BUT if the insurance companies werent so money hungry, and hadnt cut back WAY so much on psychiatric treatments, maybe she could have been treated properly, and this whole tragedy could have been avoided.

You make a very valid point, D2girl. Had the insurance company not been so thirsty for an extra buck, this woman would have had more time with the professional help she needed.

However, to kill all 5 of her kids and then claim that she 'came back to reality'? Well, how convenient for her!! Just in time to keep from harming herself! :rolleyes: How lucky the world is that she's still in it. If she had tried harming the infant, but not the other kids, I may have bought it. I don't care what they do to her, but I hope it's 5 times as painful as Texas's regular death sentence.

Is this the case where the husband wanted her to keep having babies and she wanted to stop? I am just trying to get my stories straight.
If this is the case I think he needs to take a lot of the blame as well. I will not be sad if she gets the death penalty. I do however think her husband needs to hold some blame. If this is the story I heard a few months ago it was sickening how he treated her and kept pushing her to get pregnant over and over again. He even knew about her PND and still continued with this. What a sad, sad story!

There is some assistance that could have helped her with insurance.. It goes by your income. And if they had 5 kids she would have been elligible :rolleyes: she could have also went to a doctor and asked if she could make payments on the visit. She should have done something.. there is always something out there to help you if you are persistant and determined to get help.