Your welcome.
This is hard to watch/listen to, IMO.
I don't understand what the father thought his 6 year old son was trying to do....
He's so paranoid about something. Is he schizophrenic?
This isn't information about the trial, so if some want to skip over it feel free.
Apparently he was diagnosed after he was charged yes, his mother has been institutionalized for years for it. After reading that I understand a little bit more about the family dynamics here. I've read the whole thread and familiarized myself with the case again and now I have a lot of thoughts, feel free to skip them.
Speaking from personal experience, terminology NOT intended to offend. Tim's Dad very likely has a ton of guilt for "ruining" Tim by saddling him with a "crazy mother."
So that is why he makes excuses for and defends his son no matter what. Because he blames himself for his son ending up the way that he did. He prefers to look at it as his son being a stupid teenager, or helpless due to his mental illness rather than his son being heartless or evil.
He will do anything to help his son because he blames himself. That's fine, I can understand that. He can't accept reality, I can't blame him for that. He could have prevented these 5 kids murders. That wouldn't be something I would want to accept either.
Another part of this is Tim himself.
His statement about the only cure for him is a bullet through the head. I can understand that and don't disagree with that.
But if he TRULY believed that, why didn't he do that BEFORE he killed his children? Why didn't he kill himself in jail awaiting trial? That doesn't sound authentic to me for that reason.
I actually found myself sympathizing with Tim while reading the thread, VERY briefly. I do understand having a mentally ill mother. I do understand the knowledge that the capacity for that illness might already be in your brain. I do understand that fear. I've lived my whole life taking every precaution that I can to avoid becoming my mother.
HOWEVER, I do not understand increasing the risk of triggering it.
I do NOT understand using drugs KNOWN to trigger or worsen mental illness. I do what I can to AVOID anxiety and paranoia! I don't use drugs that cause it. I do not understand putting yourself in high stress situations known to worsen mental illness.
I do not understand putting yourself in a position to be the sole caregiver of 5 children just to spite their mother. Knowing that if your mental illness emerges, you have a psychotic break or start hearing voices you are the ONLY adult present. None of that is consistent to me.
I think Tim may be schizophrenic. But I don't think he's legally insane. I don't think he was when he killed his kids and I don't think he is now. He lied to the babysitter, he lied to the cops, he fled the scene, he hid the bodies, he knew what he did was wrong.
Tim is showing emotion during the trial so I think life in prison might be more punishment than death for him. I think guilty but mentally ill is probably the best verdict, to ensure he never gets out.
I do think he may have been legally insane or had a psychotic break AFTER the murders. Because to keep the bodies in your car that long you almost HAVE to be. Decomposition is a smell you never forget and I don't know a single person who "gets used to it." I get sick even thinking about it!
Aside from that though I think he was aware of what he was doing. I'm not buying his stated motive... I think he was abusive and when he killed one kid he figured he had to kill all the kids. What he should have done is call his Dad to get the other kids and kill himself.
I also think that Tim's history should have come out in the divorce, to give Amber a more fair shot. The kids SHOULD have been removed August 28 at Walmart. It was clear Tim was laying the groundwork for his defense with that interaction. This could have been prevented.
