Unthinkable Tragedy: Mother & Four Children Found Hanging In Closet
Posted May 29, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Something terrible happened in a small Texas town Tuesday and there’s only one tiny witness to what happened. But she’s too young to ever tell police what really took place. Authorities in Hudson Oaks, about 40 kilometres from Fort Worth, discovered a gruesome scene at a trailer park. The bodies of four people – a 23-year-old mother and three little girls, ages 5, 3 and 2 – were discovered hanged using articles of clothing inside a bedroom closet of one of the mobile homes.
A fourth youngster, an eight-month-old girl, also had a strip around her neck but was found in time, and authorities report she’s in relatively good condition. The terrible tragedy was discovered by the woman’s sister, who lives across the street. She came to check on the family when the woman didn’t show up for work at a local fast food restaurant. Police are considering the crime a murder-suicide, but the investigation into the incident continues. The woman’s estranged husband doesn’t live with the family but cops say he’s not considered a suspect. There’s no word on what may have sparked the tragedy.
If their theory of the crimes proves true, it won’t be the first time investigators have been faced with such a terrible scenario. Many other parents – including several recent cases in Ontario – have either taken or are accused of taking such drastic measures.
Last October, a Barrie mother was charged with first degree murder after allegedly drowning her two daughters in the bathtub. Experts believe Frances Campione may have been suffering from postpartum depression.
Then in December, a new horror – police raced to an overpass at the 401 and Morningside for reports of a woman climbing over the side and jumping, all the while clutching a young child. Andrea Johnson and her two-year-old son Sulla were both killed.
And it’s not just women. In March 2005, distraught dad Alnoor Amarsi also jumped onto Highway 401 near Don Mills and forced his young daughter over the edge with him. He died – she survived.
