Harrison Family Murders

[hisboyelroy]

This story wrapped up earlier this year, but I only just read about it, and searching for it on FJ, it doesn't look like it was posted.

This story has everything-- estranged families, custody battles, incompetent investigators, a pathologist blamed for wrongful convictions, and off-the-grid mommy bloggers! I don't think Melissa Merritt is necessarily a fundie or quiver-full-- her blog is in a godawful cursive font so I can't even read it. But their off-the-grid self-sufficient seven-kids lifestyle thing is what made me think FJ would enjoy this story!

Melissa and Caleb met in 2000, married and had kids. Caleb drank too much and was violent, ultimately causing the death of a cab driver while he was driving drunk, so Melissa left him. She met a new guy, Chris, and went on to have more children with him. I thought this was going to be your typical jealous ex/family annihilator story, but it was like, the EXACT OPPOSITE. 

Strap yourselves in because this is a bumpy ride.

A long read: https://torontolife.com/city/crime/house_of_horrors/

A longer read :http://projects.thestar.com/harrison-family-murders/

Melissa Merritt's blog: http://thegoodoldays-thegoodoldays.blogspot.com/

Chris Fattore's blog: http://adayinthelifeofchrisfattore.blogspot.com/

 

[Ozlsn]

Those poor kids. I hope that they are getting a lot of support because they will need it.

The background about the lack of forensic pathologists made the situation in Kathy Reich's novels (American forensic anthropologist employed in Montreal part time) a bit more understandable - I'm guessing that's a speciality in even shorter supply than a forensic pathologist. 

[HarleyQuinn]

What a clusterfuck. I feel terrible for those children. 

[Howl]

12 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

Those poor kids. I hope that they are getting a lot of support because they will need it.

In my extended family and my extended married-into family,  a dad murdered a mom, the dad went to prison, leaving the children orphaned. In both instances, other family members stepped up, adopted the kids and raised and loved them as their own.  In both instances, these were the families of the murdered mothers.  In both instances, this happened during divorce and neither woman was leaving the marriage for someone else. 

I truly can't bear to think about children in this situation who have no safety net, no caring extended family to take them in.