Mothers Who Kill Their Children

Goody

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Mothers who Kill Their ChildrenHouston Mother Kills her five children due to depression

More than 600 mothers kill their children each year, which gives rise to a psychological condition described as "maternal filicide," according to a child psychologist who has reviewed the worldwide research on this topic.
"There are six major personality profiles of mothers who kill their children," said Los Angeles psychologist Robert R. Butterworth, Ph.D. He describes what the psychological research tells us about the different types of mothers who murder their children and their possible motivations:

These might apply to Darlie.

-- The Retaliating Mother: A woman who is jealous of her husband and envious of the child because of the attention that it receives from others, whereas the mother may have had little or no attention in her own childhood, which leads to a disturbed, immature, nongiving relationship with the child. The filicide could be motivated by revenge, especially with male children; the mother's anger toward the child's father may be displaced onto the male child, who reminds the mother of the child's father.
-- The Depressed Mother: Research shows that more than a third of the mothers killed their children under the influence of depression or what could be an extended form of suicide: "I kill the one I most love -- my child." Thus a child is particularly vulnerable when a depressive illness is present. The risk becomes high when depressive illness is combined with certain types of personality structures.

For the others, go to: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2001/6/prweb25959.htm
 
Goody said:
Mothers who Kill Their ChildrenHouston Mother Kills her five children due to depression

More than 600 mothers kill their children each year, which gives rise to a psychological condition described as "maternal filicide," according to a child psychologist who has reviewed the worldwide research on this topic.
"There are six major personality profiles of mothers who kill their children," said Los Angeles psychologist Robert R. Butterworth, Ph.D. He describes what the psychological research tells us about the different types of mothers who murder their children and their possible motivations:

These might apply to Darlie.

-- The Retaliating Mother: A woman who is jealous of her husband and envious of the child because of the attention that it receives from others, whereas the mother may have had little or no attention in her own childhood, which leads to a disturbed, immature, nongiving relationship with the child. The filicide could be motivated by revenge, especially with male children; the mother's anger toward the child's father may be displaced onto the male child, who reminds the mother of the child's father.
-- The Depressed Mother: Research shows that more than a third of the mothers killed their children under the influence of depression or what could be an extended form of suicide: "I kill the one I most love -- my child." Thus a child is particularly vulnerable when a depressive illness is present. The risk becomes high when depressive illness is combined with certain types of personality structures.

For the others, go to: [url="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2001/6/prweb25959.htm"]http://www.prweb.com/releases/2001/6/prweb25959.htm[/url]
i would be more inclined to be interested in things like this for Darlie- with the one huge exception-- SHE STILL DENIES SHE KILLED THEM.....I think, Goody, that is why I draw the line with her, and have no sympathy....even this many years later, she wont step up to the plate and admitt she killed those children. If there were documented childhood problems, or depression and she snapped- then broke down in an emotional admittion (sp), I could perhaps discuss her without the disgust i do now- I just cant let go of the fact she wont admitt it-- that is why it is so hard for me to believe there were "background, or emotional" problems to the degree that she would "snap"- does that make sense to you?
 
Goody said:
Mothers who Kill Their ChildrenHouston Mother Kills her five children due to depression. There are six major personality profiles of mothers who kill their children," said Los Angeles psychologist Robert R. Butterworth, Ph.D. He describes what the psychological research tells us about the different types of mothers who murder their children and their possible motivations:
QUOTE]

Miss Goody, I do have the recollection of reading about this at the time of trial.The expert she say that Darlie does not have the attributes of this person "mothr who kills her children". How you do the reconciliation with that and with what you say?
 
SnootyVixen said:
Goody said:
Mothers who Kill Their ChildrenHouston Mother Kills her five children due to depression. There are six major personality profiles of mothers who kill their children," said Los Angeles psychologist Robert R. Butterworth, Ph.D. He describes what the psychological research tells us about the different types of mothers who murder their children and their possible motivations:
QUOTE]

Miss Goody, I do have the recollection of reading about this at the time of trial.The expert she say that Darlie does not have the attributes of this person "mothr who kills her children". How you do the reconciliation with that and with what you say?


What are the other personality types besides Retaliating and Depressed? Diane Downs was considered histrionic, anti-social and narrcissistic. Any of these personality disorders seem to be possible in Darlie's case too, IMO.

Eve
 
The filicide could be motivated by revenge, especially with male children; the mother's anger toward the child's father may be displaced onto the male child, who reminds the mother of the child's father
The above reason makes a lot of sense to me, especially when you consider how much Devon looked like Darin... so if Darlie's anger was actually towards Darin, her anger could easily transfer to the boys, and more particularly towards Devon.
 
Here's a quote I took from another Darlie forum that certainly shows some insight into how calmly Darlie seemed to handle the death of her two boys. Neither quote is attributed to its original source but I'm guessing they came from a book written about the murders. Perhaps some of you will recognize them and can let us know the original source.

Needing some articles of clothing, she telephoned her friend Mercedes Adams a few days after the funeral to ask if she would mind driving her there. Mercedes complied, but expected Darlie to buckle under upon walking into the place that took the lives of her two sons. The girlfriend was in for an awakening.


Death lingered in the foyer, but
Darlie, Mercedes noted, charged onto the scene seemingly unaware and like a bull elephant, arms akimbo, shouted, "Look at this mess! It'll cost us a fortune to fix this shiit!"

"Right there where her boys were killed, and that's the first thing she said to me. I put my hands on
Darlie's shoulders and said, 'Darlie, look me in the eye and tell me you didn't kill the boys.'

She looked me in the eye and said, 'I'm gonna get new carpet, new drapes, and fix this room all up.' I couldn't believe it."
And here's another quote from the same url:

At the funeral service a lady that sometimes cleaned their house told Darlie how sorry she was for the tragedy, adding, "...and now this expensive funeral to add to your problems."

Darlie replied, "I'm not worried. I'll get five-thousand dollars each for both of the boys.”
http://board1.courttv.com/showthread.php?postid=4810091
 
Those quotes may be from the Court TV Crime Library story of her case. I remember reading somethings like that on there. In fact the Crime Library article is what got me interested in the first place.
 
j2mirish said:
i would be more inclined to be interested in things like this for Darlie- with the one huge exception-- SHE STILL DENIES SHE KILLED THEM.....I think, Goody, that is why I draw the line with her, and have no sympathy....even this many years later, she wont step up to the plate and admitt she killed those children. If there were documented childhood problems, or depression and she snapped- then broke down in an emotional admittion (sp), I could perhaps discuss her without the disgust i do now- I just cant let go of the fact she wont admitt it-- that is why it is so hard for me to believe there were "background, or emotional" problems to the degree that she would "snap"- does that make sense to you?
I understand completely. The fact that she won't confess is hindering when considering empathy for her, but these reasons why killers do the things they do have nothing to do with whether you should have empathy for them. Richard Speck will never get any empathy from me, even if I were to discover that he was abused as a child and literally turned into a violent, perverted . It might be interesting to follow the evolvement from normal little boy to , but it will never change my disgust for what he became as an adult. So I totally get how you feel. I am just fascinated by what makes people like Darlie tick.

I do think she had both emotional problems and a history that led her to where she ended up. I am not sure if she snapped, but she could have. I don't believe she was insane by any stretch of the imagination though. Probably self absorbed, materialistic, terrified of giving up her lifestyle, unable to say "no" to others, only as it applied to what she perceived her image to be, and where she saw herself on the social ladder, so to speak. And all of that is subject to change as new information comes in.
 
SnootyVixen said:
Goody said:
Mothers who Kill Their ChildrenHouston Mother Kills her five children due to depression. There are six major personality profiles of mothers who kill their children," said Los Angeles psychologist Robert R. Butterworth, Ph.D. He describes what the psychological research tells us about the different types of mothers who murder their children and their possible motivations:
QUOTE]

Miss Goody, I do have the recollection of reading about this at the time of trial.The expert she say that Darlie does not have the attributes of this person "mothr who kills her children". How you do the reconciliation with that and with what you say?

I don't. I am just quoting this fella's opinion on the subject.

As for what the defense expert said about Darlie, I don't put a lot of faith in her opinion. She did not give Darlie a full evaluation and I think she should have. I also think she was careful to slant her opinion in the direction Mulder wanted her to or he would not have called her to testify. I think they did not do the evaluation purposely because they did not want to risk her having to tell the jury things that would not be flattering to Darlie. I also think Darlie charmed her. Women like Darlie can be very manipulative. In business it would be a plus, but in things like this it is definitely considered to be a flaw.

This same doctor said she could tell Darlie was not lying, yet we all know Darlie did lie about some things that happened that night. So how could this doctor say she didn't. She lost a lot of credibility with me on that one.
 
eve said:
What are the other personality types besides Retaliating and Depressed? Diane Downs was considered histrionic, anti-social and narrcissistic. Any of these personality disorders seem to be possible in Darlie's case too, IMO.

Eve
Hi, Eve.....

For the others, go to: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2001/6/prweb25959.htm

Diane Downs had a personality disorder that (as I recall) could not be "cured." I don't think Darlie's (whatever it is) rises to that level, but she is probably narcissistic and histrionic. I think most of Darlie's problems were in the depression (I think she might have grown up with) and the aggravating factors and stressers going on with her at the time. Add to that her general love of money and probably a need to have the nice things she surrounded herself with and you have a recipe for disaster.
 
HeartofTexas said:
The above reason makes a lot of sense to me, especially when you consider how much Devon looked like Darin... so if Darlie's anger was actually towards Darin, her anger could easily transfer to the boys, and more particularly towards Devon.
Exactly. This could have played a big role in what happened that night and it goes along with the theory that Devon was the actual target that night. That whatever erupted caused her to attack him and before she knew it, he was dead and then she had to decide what to do next. It could just as easily play into the theory that she methodically carried out a preconceived plan (if only put together haphazardly) wherein Devon was the target. So that still leaves us with many possibilities.
 
HeartofTexas said:
Here's a quote I took from another Darlie forum that certainly shows some insight into how calmly Darlie seemed to handle the death of her two boys. Neither quote is attributed to its original source but I'm guessing they came from a book written about the murders. Perhaps some of you will recognize them and can let us know the original source.


And here's another quote from the same url:

[url="http://board1.courttv.com/showthread.php?postid=4810091"]http://board1.courttv.com/showthread.php?postid=4810091[/url]
I think it came from Barbara Davis' book. Mary might correct me if I am wrong.
 
Goody said:
Hi, Eve.....

For the others, go to: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2001/6/prweb25959.htm

Diane Downs had a personality disorder that (as I recall) could not be "cured." I don't think Darlie's (whatever it is) rises to that level, but she is probably narcissistic and histrionic. I think most of Darlie's problems were in the depression (I think she might have grown up with) and the aggravating factors and stressers going on with her at the time. Add to that her general love of money and probably a need to have the nice things she surrounded herself with and you have a recipe for disaster.

Personalities disorders cannot be cured some psychiatrists believe although according to the Surgeon General mental disorders are treatable and curable. Insanity can be cured. There are 10 personality disorders identified in the DSM-IV (the mental disorder bible).

Diane was diagnosed with three personality disorders. If Darlie has personality disorders, i.e. NPD and HPD, she too cannot be cured unless she recognizes she has a disorder and is willing to commit to changing her life and healing herself and that means gaining insight and facing her inner experience and behaviour. Darlie would have to come face to face, in therapy, with herself and be willing to change her thinking about herself, and her relationships with others and her behaviour most of all.

Remember Diane's "I thought I was the nicest person I knew". She cannot see herself as others do so she lacks insight into her own personality and her behaviours. Same as Jeff MacDonald, why does he sit in prison today still swearing his innocence in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Those with NPD and HPD have many things in common.

1. Self-centeredness that manifests itself through a me-first, self-preoccupied attitude

2. Lack of individual accountability that results in a victim mentality and blaming others, society and the universe for their problems

3. Lack of perspective-taking and empathy

4. Manipulative and exploitative behavior

5. Unhappiness, suffering from depression and other mood and anxiety disorders

6. Distorted or superficial understanding of self and others' perceptions, being unable to see his or her objectionable, unacceptable, disagreeable, or self-destructive behaviors or the issues that may have contributed to the personality disorder.

No. 5--I think fits Darlie.
No. 6--Darlie just couldn't see how inappropriate that silly string party was.
 
eve said:
What are the other personality types besides Retaliating and Depressed? Diane Downs was considered histrionic, anti-social and narrcissistic. Any of these personality disorders seem to be possible in Darlie's case too, IMO.

Eve

Currently, there are 10 distinct personality disorders identified in the DSM-IV:

Antisocial Personality Disorder: Lack of regard for the moral or legal standards in the local culture, marked inability to get along with others or abide by societal rules. Sometimes called psychopaths or sociopaths.

Avoidant Personality Disorder: Marked social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and extremely sensitive to criticism.

Borderline Personality Disorder: Lack of one's own identity, with rapid changes in mood, intense unstable interpersonal relationships, marked impulsively, instability in affect and in self image.

Dependent Personality Disorder: Extreme need of other people, to a point where the person is unable to make any decisions or take an independent stand on his or her own. Fear of separation and submissive behavior. Marked lack of decisiveness and self-confidence.

Histrionic Personality Disorder: Exaggerated and often inappropriate displays of emotional reactions, approaching theatricality, in everyday behavior. Sudden and rapidly shifting emotion expressions.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Behavior or a fantasy of grandiosity, a lack of empathy, a need to be admired by others, an inability to see the viewpoints of others, and hypersensitive to the opinions of others.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder: Characterized by perfectionism and inflexibility; preoccupation with uncontrollable patterns of thought and action.

Paranoid Personality Disorder: Marked distrust of others, including the belief, without reason, that others are exploiting, harming, or trying to deceive him or her; lack of trust; belief of others' betrayal; belief in hidden meanings; unforgiving and grudge holding.

Schizoid Personality Disorder: Primarily characterized by a very limited range of emotion, both in expression of and experiencing; indifferent to social relationships.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Peculiarities of thinking, odd beliefs, and eccentricities of appearance, behavior, interpersonal style, and thought (e.g., belief in psychic phenomena and having magical powers).
 
1. Self-centeredness that manifests itself through a me-first, self-preoccupied attitude

2. Lack of individual accountability that results in a victim mentality and blaming others, society and the universe for their problems

3. Lack of perspective-taking and empathy

4. Manipulative and exploitative behavior
Cami, I think Darlie also fits rather nicely in the first 4 categories, too. No. 2 above would apply to almost everything she's said and done since the boys were murdered. Well, actually, 1-4 would also apply to almost everything she's said and done since June of 1996.
 
HeartofTexas said:
Cami, I think Darlie also fits rather nicely in the first 4 categories, too. No. 2 above would apply to almost everything she's said and done since the boys were murdered. Well, actually, 1-4 would also apply to almost everything she's said and done since June of 1996.

Yes, I agree, how I missed saying it, especially no. 2.
 
Goody, be sure to go to the Perry March forum when you see this post... Perry was planning the murder of Janet's parents from behind bars... and his father is also involved. They're going to try to have the father extradited from Mexico. What a of a family. At least we know now that Perry will go down for something, even if it isn't Janet's murder. I doubt he'll see the light of day for a long, long time.
 
cami said:
5. Unhappiness, suffering from depression and other mood and anxiety disorders

6. Distorted or superficial understanding of self and others' perceptions, being unable to see his or her objectionable, unacceptable, disagreeable, or self-destructive behaviors or the issues that may have contributed to the personality disorder.

No. 5--I think fits Darlie.
No. 6--Darlie just couldn't see how inappropriate that silly string party was.
Interesting. I just read an interview with Darlie in the Christian magazine (forget the exact title but we were discussing it the other day). I was very impressed with what she had to say about her Christian faith, but amazed that she interjected mention of her innocence. I thought to myself, Wow, she has guts to claim innocence and speak for the Lord in the same sentence/paragraph. Either she has successfully blocked out what she did that night (which the hypnosis session clearly disputes) or she is very, very good at using just about anything to manipulate the truth, even God's name and His teachings. That made me shudder.

Every group or family has one. That liar who won't admit he lied no matter how much evidence you have? They keep on trying to tell you that they didn't do the thing you are accusing them of, no matter how many others dispute them, no matter how black and white the proof? They just keep piling on more lies? Most of them won't swear on a bible though, but maybe she would. Made me take a step back in my thinking though.
 
HeartofTexas said:
Goody, be sure to go to the Perry March forum when you see this post... Perry was planning the murder of Janet's parents from behind bars... and his father is also involved. They're going to try to have the father extradited from Mexico. What a of a family. At least we know now that Perry will go down for something, even if it isn't Janet's murder. I doubt he'll see the light of day for a long, long time.
Already done. I heard it on the news before I got online tonight. All I can say is that soon it will be easier for the Marches to have their family get togethers. Perry's brother and sister in Chicago can come to Nashville to visit Daddy and brother Perry all at one time. The gull of those people. The poor Levines!!!
 
Glas you saw it! I should have known you would have heard it locally... but the March forum has been so slow lately that I wanted to be sure you did see it. Keep us posted on anything you hear locally. I'm soooo glad they've got Perry on something now, even if it isn't Janet's murder. As long as he's behind bars for a long, long time, I really don't care what it's for. Just get him off the streets!
 

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