How Do You Drop Your Kids Off At A Child-Killer's?
Via Kate Coe, this story out of the NYT about a woman whose husband's ex (with whom he reunited) who shot killed her own two little girls, and is now being allowed to have the woman's teen boys living under her roof.
Trisha Conlon doesn't want her boys staying over with her ex-husband, John Cushing, and his first wife, Kristine, who claimed she was under the influence of Prozac when she shot and killed her 4- and 8-year-old daughters in their sleep. From an AP story:
After a decade of psychiatric monitoring, Ms. Cushing received an unconditional release from the State of California in 2005, when the authorities determined that she posed no risk. But that has done little to soothe Ms. Conlon. After learning that Ms. Cushing had returned to Mr. Cushing's home, Ms. Conlon went to court to alter the parenting plan for the two sons she had with him."I just don't understand how a person could have marital relations with the person who killed their children," Ms. Conlon said. "It just doesn't make sense to me."
But the court ruled against Ms. Conlon.
Commissioner Leonid Ponomarchuk of King County Superior Court said that since the boys had been spending time with Ms. Cushing since 2008 with no problems -- even if it was unknown to Ms. Conlon -- there was not evidence of a change in situation that would warrant a change of the parenting plan.
"I have to look at this dispassionately," Commissioner Ponomarchuk said. "Would I ever want my children around her? I would say no. But that is an emotional reaction coming from a parent."
In court declarations, Mr. Cushing has emphasized that Ms. Cushing was considered temporarily insane, and thus "there was no crime committed."
"There was a horrible tragedy that resulted in the deaths of our two daughters," Mr. Cushing wrote. Ms. Conlon and her lawyer, he added, "seem to feel that anyone who suffers from temporary insanity is incapable of recovering from that condition. Kristine's doctors disagree."
"Kristine M. Cushing is doing well," he wrote. "She is busy, enjoys life and loves me and my sons."
Mr. Cushing noted that he stored his guns at a friend's home when he was not using them at a range.
That must be a huge relief for the boys' mother. Are the kitchen knives also stored elsewhere?
We know an increasing amount about the brain, but we really don't know enough to guarantee that this woman is fine now, and that the Prozac defense was anything more than a grasp for her freedom. When you've slaughtered your own children in your sleep, are we really going to let you be around children?
You've got to love that teens who sext each other and are declared sex offenders for it can't be around kids, but a mother who shoots her sleeping children...no problem!
since the boys had been spending time with Ms. Cushing since 2008 with no problems
i.e. they're not dead yet.
What do you want to bet that she got off years ago when Prozac was new and people believed that it could cause all sorts of dangerous behavior? None of that's panned out. You'd never be able to get away with murder now based on using Prozac.
steve p. at July 31, 2011 8:02 AM
Disgusting! I'm happy that the justice system looks out and protects the rights of people when they get out of jail. Of course she should be allowed around kids again. She should definitely get a second chance to see if she snaps when Little Johnny spills the milk. Losing a child is something a person never gets over. Forget two or the fact that you killed them. The fact that this man could go back and be with a woman who killed his kids shows how sick he is too. My heart breaks for this poor mom worried about her kids.
kristen at July 31, 2011 9:22 AM
Don't you people respect the Constitution? Women have the right to kill their kids if they want to.
dee nile at July 31, 2011 10:03 AM
What kind of sick man reunites with the woman who shot his daughters?
I too am struck by the hypocrisy here. Had Mr. Cushing molested his daughters under the influence of Prozac, he'd still be in jail (for just reason.) But shooting them? Meh.
Joe at July 31, 2011 10:04 AM
I'll admit that I just don't get it. No parent should have to bury their child, especially when that child's death is at the hand of the other parent. This is just ... disturbing at the very least. And the guy is back with the mother? Something's not right with him either.
Flynne at July 31, 2011 10:42 AM
Well, I simply would not take them. New IDs can be gotten reasonably easily in this country. My kids and I would disappear in the night and that would be that. And given that they are teens, I would certainly explain why, and that when they are 18 they are free to continue relations with their dad, but until then it's my job to keep them alive.
if I killed my kids, I wouldn't go to jail. DH would kill me (as I would want him to) and I'd do the same for him if the situations were reversed.
momof4 at July 31, 2011 10:44 AM
From the article: "I have to look at this dispassionately," Commissioner Ponomarchuk said. "Would I ever want my children around her? I would say no. But that is an emotional reaction coming from a parent."
Why are emotional reactions wrong? It's a very interesting thing he's saying. He's claiming that he wouldn't want his own children around her, but then says that's an emotional reaction, as if that invalidates it. (I wouldn't want children around either one of them; if he's still with her, he can't be much safer.)
Emotional reactions can be entirely appropriate and "it's an emotional reaction" is not a rebuttal. Emotional does not mean "inappropriate" or "incorrect." Emotional reactions can be wrong, but they are not automatically wrong.
Patrick at July 31, 2011 11:06 AM
If "she" were a "he" this wouldn't have been a question, "he" would be waiting for a needle in the arm.
If I were those children's parent, I'd make myself very plain to both husband and his wife:
There will be no trial if my children die, because I will come and kill you both.
But the real question here, is why the fuck is she following the court's orders.
If it were my kids...I'd run, run like the wind, straight off to Canada or Mexico and out of their reach.
Robert at July 31, 2011 11:38 AM
"There will be no trial if my children die, because I will come and kill you both."
Unfortunately Robert, whatever justice you would get would no longer matter if the kids were dead. And Momof4, I thought the same thing as you, but the scary part is if she were caught, she'd be brought up on some kind of domestic kidnapping and parental alienation charge. Its sad she even has to go through this.
kristen at July 31, 2011 12:07 PM
sort of echo Patrick:
Not wanting your kids around some one because they are known danger is not exactly what I would call emotional. The emotion is not wanting your kids hurt, seems quite reasonable to me. From that it is rational to not want them around someone is a likely danger. Her reaction appears to be that of a person thinking rationally and reasonably as well as having the kids interest (staying alive) in mind.
...the boys had been spending time with Ms. Cushing since 2008 with no problems...
How long did the children who were killed by her spend time with her without any apparent problem?
The Former Banker at July 31, 2011 12:40 PM
Granted Kristin, but a certain level of awareness of immediate retribution can be a very fine preventative measure when properly applied.
True, she might face some form of interference charge "if" she were caught. But that is an "if" worth risking.
It would take a little bit of prep work. Get foreign citizenship, apply for a job outside the country, use a p.o. box for the necessary correspondence. Keep one's mouth shut about the process, save some money etc.
And of course, buy the ticket and leave someone behind with a Power of Attorney to sell whatever is left behind.
But I would be gone as fast as I could be. Then I'd resign my U.S. citizenship just to ensure that fucked up court has no further jurisdiction over me.
Robert at July 31, 2011 3:33 PM
Robert, a woman who killed her kids and is now attempting a normal life can't possibly have remorse. If there wasn't something to stop her from that horrific act, what law or threat do you really think could ever work as a preventative measure? After all she got away with it once. What's to say she doesn't claim another psychotic break? People who would break a law or moral code for their own satisfaction or gain are not likely to follow laws or respond to threats.
I'd take my kids and run too. Its just sad though because the likelihood of her getting caught and punished is real and then her kids would end up in that home full-time.
kristen at July 31, 2011 3:59 PM
Kristin maybe she doesn't feel bad about what she did to her children.
That wouldn't surprise me, but it isn't really my point.
I'm reasonably sure she still has a sense of SELF preservation. Not caring about anyone else, doesn't mean she doesn't care about herself.
That is where a promise of swift violent revenge has its uses.
The law failed the first time, she might believe it would a second, but I doubt she's foolish enough to think a plea of insanity would stop a bullet from an enraged bereaved parent.
Its possible she would get caught trying to flee with her kids. But I don't think it likely unless she were to fuck up and say something before she did it. That is where people usually screw the pooch.
Robert at July 31, 2011 6:56 PM
So a woman who has killed her kids can have access to another womans children.
But the 12yr old boys of abuse viticms cant stay at the battered womens shelter because they might rape a 40yr old woman
lujlp at August 1, 2011 2:55 AM
Kristina Cushing also tried to kill herself. If you read the original stories, she was upset because of her impending divorce (from Cushing), and Prozac wasn't mentioned. The AP story doesn't mention this--don't they use google? I don't actually think the boys are in danger, but that the judge didn't even pause is curious.
John Hinckley got involved with Leslie DeVeau, in St. E's mental hospital, who had shotgunned her young daughter. She's out as well.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2712_133/ai_n6198786/
KateC at August 1, 2011 8:48 AM
Kristina Cushing also tried to kill herself. If you read the original stories, she was upset because of her impending divorce (from Cushing), and Prozac wasn't mentioned. The AP story doesn't mention this--don't they use google? I don't actually think the boys are in danger, but that the judge didn't even pause is curious.
John Hinckley got involved with Leslie DeVeau, in St. E's mental hospital, who had shotgunned her young daughter. She's out as well.
There's a link in my name to the Hinckley story.
KateC at August 1, 2011 8:51 AM
How does this guy have custody, period? Anyone would would knowingly get back together with the person who murdered their children undoubtably has serious issues of their own and probably not fit to parent.
And I wonder how the kids feel about this. They're forced to spend time with a woman who killed not some random people, but the girls that would have been their half-sisters! They're old enough to understand the situation and be disgusted and horrified by their step-mom's actions.
If I was the mom, I would sit down with my kids and explain the situation: "This monster cold-bloodedly murdered your innocent half-sisters. I don't want you around her because I am afraid for your lives." This is a case where turning the kids against their father is completely appropriate, and if they kick up enough of a fuss then it should make it easier to get the custody arrangements changed. Teenagers have discretion over their custodial arrangements anyway, right? It's a more feasible solution than running off to Mexico.
Shannon at August 1, 2011 5:13 PM
@Robert:
getting another citizenship is not sufficient, you have to get the right one!
There is an international treaty to fight against parental abduction, so that every country that signs it will return the abducted kid.
Only some country like Algeria and other places not so nice haven't signed it. Funny enough, Japan too, but getting their citizenship is almost impossible.
nico@hou at August 1, 2011 11:05 PM
I would say "this is insane!" but then people who take offense at that would...get offended.
I don't understand why the judge didn't take into account that the father (who obviously doesn't really care about his children, the living or the dead ones) hid the fact that Ms. Conlon was in and out of the house for years from his ex-wife, even instructing the teenagers to lie about her being there. Wouldn't that violate their custody agreement? Doesn't it show that he thinks that there may be a problem - otherwise why would he hide it? Would the situation be reversed if it was an ex-wife, daughters, and a boyfriend with a sex offender conviction? The whole situation is very bizarre, and it's obvious that the ex-husband doesn't particularly care about his children's well-being.
Choika at August 2, 2011 8:34 AM
Yeah, but if the kids WEREN'T allowed to go, people would be screaming about father's rights.
NicoleK at August 2, 2011 8:53 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/07/31/how_do_you_drop.html#comment-2392648">comment from NicoleKHe absolutely has a right to see his children, but forgive me if I don't think he has the right to do it in the presence of a woman who murdered two children in their sleep just because a few shrinks feel she won't do it again.
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