S4E22: Murderous Mom: A Story of Betrayal

If you feel like you could have done a better job as a mom, and I’m pretty sure we all feel that way sometimes, I’ll guarantee you you did a better job than Diane Downs. If watching an episode of Hoarders makes you feel pretty good about how clean your house actually is - listening to this episode will make you feel like Mother of the Year.

This is Season 4, Episode 22. Our book this week is Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule. We’ll also take a look at a mom who is wanted for the murder of her 5 year old son. It’s hard to imagine that a mom could ever do something so evil, but according to a 2016 article by Phillip Resnick, a professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, the United States has the highest rate of child murder among developed nations, and the most common perpetrator of child homicide is a parent. In fact, about 2.5% of all homicide arrests in the United States are for parents who have killed their children.

I know that is very disturbing, but when we look into these cases, when we hear these stories, I believe we can learn something that could help us save potential victims. It’s been too long since we’ve done an Ann Rule book and I think this is one of the most disturbing cases she covered. It’s the story of a mother who seemed so emotionally disconnected from her children that when they got in the way of the life she wanted, she decided they were expendable.

None of us wants to think about a mother hurting their children, but it happens more often than we think. We believe certain people can always be trusted - moms, police officers, teachers, coaches, pastors. That’s one big reason that I’m getting ready to release my latest book “In God We Trust - Everyone Else Gets a Background Check”. It’s a very practical look at why we trust too easily, who we trust too easily, and how we can learn to trust properly. Now let’s take a look at another mom who police say murdered her own child, and they need your help to find her.

You may remember the story from the Old Testament where the people of Israel ask the prophet Samuel to find them a king. Things had not gone so well in the era of the judges, so they decided having a king like other nations would be a good idea. So, guided by God, Samuel gives the people a tall, handsome man named Saul to be their king. Unfortunately, even though Saul looks the part of a great leader, he has some major character flaws. He disobeys God’s commands, and so God says the people must have a new king, a humble and obedient king. God tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem to find a man named Jesse.

Samuel saw Jesse’s oldest son Eliab, he assumed that this was the man destined to be Israel’s new king. But let’s read God’s response:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by a man’s face or height, for this is not the one. I don’t make decisions the way you do! Men judge by outward appearance, but I look at a man’s thoughts and intentions.” 1 Samuel 16:7 TLB

Predators try so hard to take on the appearance of someone who is trustworthy and full of good works. They want to impress us. We have to remember that we don’t know what a person is really like from the way they look, the words they say, or how awesome they seem on social media. We need to learn to assess a person’s trustworthiness by looking, as God does, by what’s on the inside.

I know you’re probably thinking that we can’t know a person’s thoughts and intentions the way God does, and you’re right. But all of us let who we really are leak out in things we say and do. You can know what’s on my heart by watching closely what I say and what I do. Little inconsistencies aren’t to be seen as fluke things, but as my true nature leaking out! It drives me crazy when a high profile criminal is caught and the media starts interviewing neighbors. These people will say that the guy seemed so nice, there were no red flags, then they will say “but”, and describe things they explained away because they didn’t want to think the worst. Those red flags are the true nature of someone leaking out!

This is so important so I will say it again - Red flags in things people say or do are not exceptions to their character, they are expressions of their character. When someone shows you and tells you who they are, BELIEVE THEM. And if they are a caregiver for someone, please alert the authorities and have them do a welfare check. We have to look out for the vulnerable people God has placed in our community.

Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.

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