Homeschooled Pastor's Son Slaughters Family

[NotALoserLikeYou]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/n ... -1.1243888

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department says Griego used multiple weapons, including a military-type assault rifle, when he allegedly gunned down his family Saturday night in rural South Valley, just outside Albuquerque.

Cops say he shot his pastor dad, Greg Griego, 51; his father's wife Sara Griego, 40; and three of their children: a 9-year-old boy, Zephania Griego, and daughters Jael Griego, 5, and Angelina Griego, 2.

Nehemiah Griego was homeschooled and wasn’t registered in the local school district, according to KRQE.

A social media profile on the site MeetOne, a website that's similar to Facebook, shows Griego wearing dark military fatigues.

Greg Griego was a pastor with Calvary church in Albuquerque, where he oversaw the Straight Street program for jail inmates, and served as the chaplain for the Albuquerque Fire Department.

He’s also the brother of former state Sen. Eric Griego.

[Jana814]

Wow!! I wonder what made that kid snap.

[apple1]

What a tragedy.

The link says he has been charged with 2 counts of murder and 3 counts of "child abuse resulting in death". Huh? Guess I don't understand something about that state's laws.

It will be interesting to see what facts become exposed as investigation proceeds. Very very sad.

[SouthCarolinaGirl79]

I agree, apple1. It is so sad.

[polabear]

That is really sad.

[rollmeover]

That poor family. Those little children must have been so scared.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1850677

They had 10 children, only the youngest 3 and the shooter were home at the time.

He loaded up the car with guns and planned to kill as many as he could at a local Walmart and then die in a police shoot out.

[lilwriter85]

I live an hour way from Albuquerque and I kind of remember a relative of mine saying she had visited Cavalry Chapel with a family friend of hers. This will get a lot of attention in New Mexico press and I can see some ugly gun control debates happening with politicians here.

[lilwriter85]

Another thing to add is that I've heard of fundie lite type families living in the South Valley part of ABQ.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Wow. This made the Japanese news (from the "more US gun violence!" angle) but this is the first I'm reading about the fundy angle. I dimly remember some news story from years ago where a homeschooled kid somewhere in the Northeast killed his parents and ran off with a girlfriend? So yeah it happens... have to wonder about the backstory, how someone can get to this point. :(

[lilwriter85]

Wow. This made the Japanese news (from the "more US gun violence!" angle) but this is the first I'm reading about the fundy angle. I dimly remember some news story from years ago where a homeschooled kid somewhere in the Northeast killed his parents and ran off with a girlfriend? So yeah it happens... have to wonder about the backstory, how someone can get to this point. :(

I also kind of remember the story you mentioned. Another similar case I remembered about earlier was a case in here in the U.S. in which a pastor and his wife adopted a boy from Russia and years late as a teen the boy murdered his sister.

[clarinetpower]

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... clnk&gl=us

From the cached version of his bio: (it includes a photo, so I've pasted the link above. Sorry it's huge.)

Greg Griego's Biography

Greg began serving in the ministry at Calvary Chapel Montebello in California. After Six years at Montebello, the Lord impressed upon his heart to move to New Mexico to attend the School of Ministry and Shepherd School here at Calvary of Albuquerque. Greg then joined the Light and Liberty Jail Ministry. Along with overseeing the Jail Ministry here at Calvary, he also oversees the Spanish Ministry, Food Pantry, and Veterans for Christ. Greg is a part of International Fellowship of Chaplains, Inc. As Senior Chaplain, he holds the rank of Captain in the Albuquerque Regional Community Chaplain Corps, and is a volunteer Chaplain for Albuquerque Fire Dept. He serves on the advisory board for Micah Fellowship, a ministry to the justice system. Greg and his wife, Sarah, have ten children, Gregory, Erica, Annette, Pricella, Carol, Vanessa, Nehemiah, Zephaniah, Jael, and Angelina.

[Abi]

What a tragedy.

The link says he has been charged with 2 counts of murder and 3 counts of "child abuse resulting in death". Huh? Guess I don't understand something about that state's laws.

I'm not sure I understand this either.

How very sad :cry:

[BravaAmica]

Wow. This made the Japanese news (from the "more US gun violence!" angle) but this is the first I'm reading about the fundy angle. I dimly remember some news story from years ago where a homeschooled kid somewhere in the Northeast killed his parents and ran off with a girlfriend? So yeah it happens... have to wonder about the backstory, how someone can get to this point. :(

My personal opinion (as an outsider on a snark board, obviously) is that there is probably some abuse in that family. Like it's a very strict family, with super high, unrealistic standards for everyone, kids are spanked and told how worthless they are because they disobey, couple that with being brought up to worship an angry, judgemental god that is never pleased with you (no matter how hard you try) I can totally see that as a recipe for disaster. And an angry kid planning expresses his anger in the only way he can think of: with fire, with vengeance, with a hail of bullets.

(I don't know how the family stored their weapons, but obviously this kid got ahold of them. Maybe they weren't secured properly, and the ammo was kept near the weapons or whatever.)

It'll be interesting to see how this shakes down in the homeschooling community as well- because this kid essentially just walked into his school and blew everyone away. And the two homeschooling families I know brag about how they never have to worry about a kid walking into their home and doing that. (Both families own guns, BTW.)

[apple1]

...My personal opinion (as an outsider on a snark board, obviously) is that there is probably some abuse in that family. Like it's a very strict family, with super high, unrealistic standards for everyone, kids are spanked and told how worthless they are because they disobey, couple that with being brought up to worship an angry, judgemental god that is never pleased with you (no matter how hard you try)...

It's possible that this will turn out to be the case, but...

Yathink we could wait for a few facts first?

[NerdyHil]

My personal opinion (as an outsider on a snark board, obviously) is that there is probably some abuse in that family. Like it's a very strict family, with super high, unrealistic standards for everyone, kids are spanked and told how worthless they are because they disobey, couple that with being brought up to worship an angry, judgemental god that is never pleased with you (no matter how hard you try) I can totally see that as a recipe for disaster. And an angry kid planning expresses his anger in the only way he can think of: with fire, with vengeance, with a hail of bullets.

(I don't know how the family stored their weapons, but obviously this kid got ahold of them. Maybe they weren't secured properly, and the ammo was kept near the weapons or whatever.)

It'll be interesting to see how this shakes down in the homeschooling community as well- because this kid essentially just walked into his school and blew everyone away. And the two homeschooling families I know brag about how they never have to worry about a kid walking into their home and doing that. (Both families own guns, BTW.)

I think this a pretty fair guess as to what happened. No, we don't know all the details yet, but from what is discussed on this board it's not a huge logic leap. The idea that this was a school shooting is an angle I hadn't though of at all. Very perceptive. All I can think of is the people that said all those vile statements after Newtown about god not being in the school and that's why blah, blah, hooey......In this case god should have had his own costco shelf bed in this home, and that didn't stop this tragedy.

[BravaAmica]

It's possible that this will turn out to be the case, but...

Yathink we could wait for a few facts first?

Well, no, I don't. This is a snark board. People post their opinions. Perhaps my opinion will change, but given that what I've described above is the rule in all of the fundies we snark on, I don't see my opinion changing. This particular family would have to be the exception. Ultra-conservative, homeschooling family, moved to ABQ so the dad could attend seminary at a fnudamentalist church... I don't think they'll be the exception, though.

[Sobeknofret]

http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/alb ... index.html

More news. And Calvary Chapel is pretty mainstream/moderately conservative, as far as I know there's not much fundie about it. The pastor has had some problems with accusations of wanting Calvary to be his personal fiefdom, but I'm not sure that's relevant to the Griego case.

http://www.calvaryabq.org/churchinfo_whatwebelieve.asp

[lilwriter85]

The homeschooling communities in New Mexico vary quite a bit. I have known some liberal secular types, mainstream Christian types, and then the fundie/fundie lite types. Some of the mainstream Christian types and the some of the fundie types do associate in the same circles. I know one of the megachurches in Albuquerque holds a prom type event that is open to all homeschoolers state wide. From the articles I have read, so far only neighbors and Greg's connections to law enforcement are talking to the media I'll try to remember to watch the evening news and I think at some point someone from a homeschooling community will talk about the Griegos.

[lilwriter85]

Since this story is getting national attention, I suspect the fundie bloggers we discuss here will keep quiet about this.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/Teen-charged-with-slaying-5-family-members/-/9153728/18214254/-/c31nml/-/index.html

More news. And Calvary Chapel is pretty mainstream/moderately conservative, as far as I know there's not much fundie about it. The pastor has had some problems with accusations of wanting Calvary to be his personal fiefdom, but I'm not sure that's relevant to the Griego case.

http://www.calvaryabq.org/churchinfo_whatwebelieve.asp

My fb fundie friend goes there, or did until recently. I would say they are fundie like Mark Driscolls church. My sister in law did two voluntary stints in their rehab program and it was the strictest thing I have ever seen. Like a notch below ATI. Constant work and punishments and if she did ANYTHING they would take away her visits to see her kids. It was run by the same kind of guy as the Pastor killed. Former criminals turned hardcore christian.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Also I want to say they are Pastors like fundie Pastors. Pastors without degrees.

Now I realize one of my good real life friends goes to a CC, here in So Cal, and she is fundie lite. Wears pants but doesnt celebrate Halloween, heavily censors what her kids read, homeschools etc.

[Sobeknofret]

The homeschooling communities in New Mexico vary quite a bit. I have known some liberal secular types, mainstream Christian types, and then the fundie/fundie lite types. Some of the mainstream Christian types and the some of the fundie types do associate in the same circles. I know one of the megachurches in Albuquerque holds a prom type event that is open to all homeschoolers state wide. From the articles I have read, so far only neighbors and Greg's connections to law enforcement are talking to the media I'll try to remember to watch the evening news and I think at some point someone from a homeschooling community will talk about the Griegos.

Liberal secular homeschooler in NM type here! :D

[lilwriter85]

There is another church in New Mexico that also has or had their own rehab program that had a terrible reputation. That church was outside of Albuquerque. I have sent an email to my cousin to see if Cavalry was the church she visited. I'm watching a 4:30 news cast and so far the Griego murders haven't been mentioned.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

The dads facebook doesnt have much, just says he is a christian Republican.

https://www.facebook.com/gregory.griego

His surviving daughter, Vanessa. Very christian, went to college, doesnt dress fundie at all:

https://www.facebook.com/vanessa.lightbourne

oldest son, not his facebook friend, in the military. nothing fundie

https://www.facebook.com/greg.griego.1

Daughter Pricella, Army wife, says Gods grace is sufficient for her

https://www.facebook.com/pricella.garcia

Daughter Annette, christian, no info

https://www.facebook.com/annette.griego.5

Daughter Carolina, has a daughter, wears a bikini

https://www.facebook.com/carolina.l.robles.9

None dress conservatively. Pretty girls. All seem to be friends with each other online. No info on the shooter or the shootings on any of the FBs.

The mom who died does not appear to be the bio mom to all the kids

https://www.facebook.com/fela.moreno.1 (no info except she "loves her grandkids" :( )

is the mom to at least one of them. The articles list the deceased mom as only being 40 years old. I think the dad had kids with at least 3 women from what I saw on FB.