Murder-Suicide.........if they would just reverse the order and do the Suicide first.

I'm sorry, but if you kill your kids, then you are NOT a "good mom". Seriously, we have to draw the line somewhere...

I'd bet it was either her, or somebody that the family knew. I'm thinking her?

Perhaps we can also stop with the recriminations? Calling people 'too weak' when we all know that facing life everyday without kids is tough, and facing it with multiple kids in tow is far tougher. (and maybe some of us don't know that, but should)

There seems an all-too-comon theme that everyone should just toughen up, and then it's all ok.

Can we admit it's NOT that simple?

Agree with previous posts that say "cherchez l'homme" - look for the man; husband most likely. If you think of recent stories of women killing their children they generally don't shoot them; drowning seems pretty popular. Shooting is ugly and I can't see a woman continuing to shoot her children after seeing the first die that way.

It is that simple. And if for some reason you don't have the mental fortitude, then there's no reason to take the lives of other people with you. Everybody has situations in their life that are trying and difficult, yet not everybody offs themselves. Suicide is darwinism at work. If you can't hack it then you're better off to just exit life. Just don't be selfish and take others with you.

It is deeply saddening when children are killed. For the mom, I think depression probably played a huge role. Likely she was afraid that others would mistreat her children so she could not leave them behind. However, life is a gift and no one has the right to take that away from anyone. Obviously there is much more to this story. It is entirely possible , too, that that it was staged by someone else to look like a murder suicide. I hope they investigate carefully.

Any bets on how long before the father gets blamed? I'm sure there will be at least one about "he should have known." Also, what is wrong with people that they continue to hurt and kill children? And, if it's true about her doing the shooting, stop calling her a good mother. She is not.

In Colorado Springs about 15 years ago, a woman drove her car into her garage with her three children in the car, hit the automatic door closer and left the car running. they were found several hours later. Its horrible when these things happen. But I guess they've been doing these kinds of horrible things for years. The one in C. Springs was the first of these I had ever heard of. since then, there are many a year.

I'll say it again:

Murdering psycho executioner parent = not good parent.

Simple. I don't care how many soccer games she drove to and how many brownies she baked, she was not a "good" mom.

Good moms don't kill their kids.

There are many of you posters who say that killing others, especially children, equals Not a Good Mom. You are of course correct. Bill O'Reilly said on his program after Whitney Houston died that she was a drug addict and knew she was on a path to death and chose to die rather than face reality and to H*** with those who loved her.(my interpretation). He was ostracized for his attitude, but it ain't no big difference folks. If Whitney's "friends" had been real friends they would have stayed with the program, and seen that she got more help. Someone somewhere in this Missouri woman's life had to know there was trouble.

It is that simple.

NO, it's NOT that simple. If it were that simple, we'd never have suicides, especially among parents, because all it would take would be to 'toughen up,' right? So how do we still have them, if it's SO SIMPLE?

Because it isn't. The human being is rather fragile, and the human mind is even more so. Our bodies get sick, and we go to the doctor. Your MIND gets sick, and you're told to TOUGHEN UP?

Sickeningly simple-minded is more like it.

You are RIGHT Fred! People that haven't known people suffering from mental illness, haven't got a clue!

The human being is rather fragile, and the human mind is even more so.

That was my first thought as well, Gundeck. Any mother that murders her own children is NOT a good mother. I don't care what they did before, the moment they decide to take the life of their child like this, they can't be labeled as such and certainly don't deserve to.

Fred, you have a point, if you can't toughen up, you really can't. What's that old saying "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going", I guess for some it doesn't apply. They just go for a gun, those are the ones that scares me.

Fred - I understand what you are saying, but I also know (more than my fair share) people with "depression" and "bipolar"...and i put those in quotes because im not convinced they belong in the same category as schizophrenia and other true mental illnesses.

Rather, in my personal experience (not professional) ive come to conclude that everyone deals with depression/sadness/anger/ect...the difference truly boils down to 2 things:

1) how were you raised to handle these emotions

2) your willingness to actually DEAL with your emotions, rather than letting them deal with you.

When people say "toughen up"...I think it's just a very generic and simplified way of saying "grow up and do what everyone else does, deal with your problems!"

when I hear you saying "its not that simple"...i see my brother in law and mother in law, who just dont want to grow up and deal with their problems, and I wonder...is that where you're coming from too?

No one said growing up and doing the work is EASY, no one said that.

there are days when i'd love nothing more than to go back to being a teen, spending the entire weekend in my bed, wallowing in my sadness listening to sad music and pretending like there's no hope...life will always suck, so why even bother.

But then, I grew up...and it's just IMPOSSIBLE to be that immature again.

Even now, when I go for a few days in a row feeling like things suck and I wish I were anywhere but here...it takes a little work to tell myself, things could be worse - so much worse - and there is always something to be grateful for, and if I dont want things to suck so much... I better start doing something to make things awesome, and little less sucky.

its weird, that mental magic actually works.

huh, who'd have thought?

I don't know this mother. I don't know the father. I don't know what was going through anyone's mind. I am usually the sort that does believe that, in general, people need to get a stronger back bone. In this case I can't say that for sure.

I have come to realize that the human mind is a wonderful and awesome thing. It has immense power. It takes electrical signals in from millions of sensors and draws a picture of the world around us. It can't sense the world directly so it has to interpret what it's sensors tell it into something that makes sense - to it.

Einstein tells us if we are standing in an elevator with a door closed, we can't tell if we are standing still on the surface of the earth or accelerating @ 1G in the 'UP' direction in space. For a person to determine if they are standing still in a box on the surface of the earth or moving up at 1G they need a context or framework to place those signals received from human sensors in. It's astounding that the human mind and make it work at all.

For some of us. The program used by our mind to manufacture our world/reality is faulty. What their minds perceive are not the same thing the rest of us perceive. Their world is just as real to them as ours is to us. How can they tell something is off? Their minds use it's awesome power to make it real - At least for them.

There have been times in my life were I was faced with a problem at work who's solution would stay just beyond my grasp. It would get to the point where I would start to dream about it. Sometimes during those dreams the solution would appear like magic - so simple and elegant. Then would I wake up realize it was magic because that simple and elegant solution broke every law of physics I knew. It worked so well in my dreams but didn't work at all in the real world at all. It's amazing what the mind can make real when you give it free reign.

As for this mother, and assuming she did the killings, who of us can really say what box her mind made for her that this was the only way she could find to get out? Not me. I can't guess if she was mentally ill at all or just angry or if her anger was a form of illness. I just know that there are good reasons (to them) that sometimes people do things that the rest of us are baffled about that have nothing to do with being good or evil, smart or dumb or weak or strong. Sometimes the programs of our mind are faulty and that can't be blamed on anyone.

I happen to have family with bipolar disorder, and it is ANYTHING but simply avoiding the issue. My mother in law made my wife's life a living he-double hockey sticks when she was growing up, because mom would demand one thing, then later in the day/week forget it entirely, and berate her for not doing the other. Medication that 'fixes' it makes her an empty shell, but it is better than having her screaming on your front lawn because you didn't do something she forgot to ask you to do, yet she doesn't remember NOT asking you.

Mental illness is anything BUT a game or a sham, WHEN IT IS REAL.

The problem is so many people think it IS a sham, because all they see are the fakers or the slackers, that the real people with real issues get laughed at or ignored.

When one is willing to KILL their CHILDREN, any thoughts of fakery or simple laziness should be the farthest things from our mind. But too many Americans are more than willing to believe the worst about other Americans anymore.

I don't really agree with Fred, but for one point: Bipolar disorder and chronic depression most certainly are "true mental illnesses", regardless of Jessica-1170252's experiences with her in-laws.

Our bodies get sick, and we go to the doctor. Your MIND gets sick, and you...go to the doctor.

If you can't take it, get help...it's certainly out there. I don't think there is any question that, IF this woman took her life and those of her children, she was mentally ill. The issue isn't whether or not that is true, but whether or not the public at large will accept mental illnesses (all of them) as being as real and potentially destructive as cancer.

One of the problems with mental illness, it is hard to diagnose. Most illnesses have blatant symptoms, that cause the patient to seek help, not so with mental illness. Usually the family or friends have suspicions, but unless the person is totally out of their mind, they are brushed off as, "having a bad day", "a little quirky", etc. Sometimes the sick person, really has no idea, that they have a problem.

It's not like there is a magic pill, out there that "cures" mental illness, this is also why substance abuse in the mentally ill is so prevalent, SELF MEDICATION. And too many people are overmedicated, turning people into "empty shells".

We, as a society, need to recognize mental illness and de-stygmatise it, so that seeking help is more acceptable.

Absolutely Jo-An!

Those of you who are saying that depression and bipolar dispordar aren't mental illnesses have never known or BEEN someone with either. They are. They count. They are very serious. And they can feel extremely hopeless. I have depression disorder and happily have finally found a great therapist and the right medication (and a low dose - yay!) that works for me. I work really, really hard at keeping myself "tough" and upbeat. And I've had some brutal knocks in life. I'm really, really lucky. But in group therapy situations, I've met people who are really, really not. And through my own experience, I've learned not to point fingers too much.

I can't say that I would call this woman a "good mom" in this headline either. I mean, it's kind of an oxymoron. And we don't have the whole story at all. So we don't know what her mental issues were. But she obviously had SOME! You don't kill three darling kids when you're perfectly healthy, right? This, and the story yesterday about the mom who tried to kill her kids, make me so sad. I'll hug mine a little tighter (until they yell, "Mooooom, leggooooo!!!"). And honestly, I'd like to know a little bit more about the MIA DAD!

Hi Daisy,

Clicking on the local news article, it seems the mom had been seeing a therapist, and had actually disappeared 2 earlier times, just recently, so there is probably a lot more to this story than we know at this time. She probably was a good person, and a good mom, obviously this was NOT good, but she probably thought they'd be better "going with her", rather than being left behind. Who knows, it's not for me to judge, but it's too bad she didn't get the help she needed.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and hurts everyone left behind!

I'm glad you are doing well with your depression, I have a son with a chemical imbalance, and I can assure you it is ALL too real! Just trying to diagnose and then treat it is very hard! He's good at the moment but life can change in an instant, and all we can really do is, the best we can!

Hug your babies tight!

She Killed her kids, get over it. more mothers kill there kids when they lose custody

The found a gun "nearby", not in her hand. It seems further investigation is needed as this sounds like a murder-murder to me.

Agree.....I think we need a little more facts before we say she shot her kids. Like skepical said the gun was found nearby, not in her hand.

Like skepical said the gun was found nearby, not in her hand.

People who shoot themselves don't really hold on to the gun in death as often as TV would have you think. You have a tendency to drop things when your muscles don't work anymore, you know?

I think they should be looking for the MAN who reported them missing a couple hours after she waved at the neighbor....

There must be reason for the cops to call it a murder-suicide right from the get-go. They aren't calling it a death investigation, so there must be evidence we don't know about...

Gun powder residue on the woman's hands would be easy to detect, and pretty damning. Especially if there was also DNA on her 'shooting hand'.

Not enough info given...

The murder-suicide sounds a little questionable to me - based on what little info is in the story. Not because she was a "good mom", but she did not have the gun in her hand, women don't tend to do this with guns, and she did it far away from home. Women usually do it at home.

I'm with you. I think that the murder-suicide doesn't sound right. I think that the husband/father should be questioned more. Women don't usually use guns, men do. I'm skeptical of this report.

msn reporting at its best, awsome headline, hardly any facts, so it will stir the masses. It's like pouring hot oil on an ant hill and seeing all the ants scrambling around in chaos.

You're right, and most people have condemned this woman with no proof. The only fact we have is that 3 innocent children are dead along with their mother, who may be innocent hersel.

Always look at the husband, right ? . . . . "Evidence at the scene suggests that it was a murder-suicide,"

The police have seen this before and if they think suicide is it, chances are they are right ! But always look at the husband first, right ?

Yeah...and that's a TV show. So how about everyone just plays it cool and lets the police do the jobs for which they have been trained. I don't think we need to invoke any half-baked TV shows to do the detective work for them.

Uh, you do know that Sherlockis fictional, right? As a left-handed individual, I can attest to the fact that most left-handed people are somewhat ambidextrous as a result of being forced into right-handed ways by a predominantly right-handed world. The vast majority of left-handed people have the ability to shoot themselves with their right hands if they wanted to do so for some reason.

My mother is left handed when she writes and uses scissors, but she does everything else right handed.

I'm right handed and I'm pretty sure I could hit a target at point blank range even if shooting left handed.

Pulling the trigger of a gun doesn't exactly require a lot of fine muscle control.

If a dog can shoot a shotgun with its paws, I'm pretty sure any person with all their limbs would be able to shoot themselves with either hand. I can even type with both hands amazing isnt it. But yes, we are a society of experts now, because either I've watched CSI or stayed at a holiday inn. Maybe both double the smarts.

Really, the news is full of mothers that have killed their children lately. Where have you been?

Men killing and maiming family members is so common that it does not make news. Check statistics instead of basing opinions on the latest sensationalized headlines

, MSNBC wrote a story Monday that had the headline “Moms killing kids not nearly as rare as we think.” Its subhead, which really caught my attention, read, “Experts say more mothers than fathers kill their children under 5 years of age

Somehow, women—who commit less than 13 percent of all violent crimes in the United States—commit about 50 percent of all parental murders.

I guess your right Devil's Son........sorry paramed you should take your own advice.

2009 report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, that year 27.3 percent of child deaths resulting from abuse were perpetrated by the mother, compared to only 14.8 percent of fathers. Mothers and fathers acting together accounted for 22.5 percent of child deaths. According to these same statistics only 2.3 percent of fatalities were committed by a parent’s male partner.

If you would read a little further into these statistics you would find that the numbers for women are elevated because they are the only care givers. Even out the playing field by accounting for time spent with children and a different picture emerges.

paramed great spin. I can find a crack in anything if I look hard enough too. womenontheguard, its more like women on pms. why do you assume its the husband? with so little facts. You must be detective of the year, I guess. Also, if men killing and maiming family members is so common, how come I don't see it every day, either at work, out shoping, at the parks, etc..... So if its common, it should be at least above 50%. But I guess numbers is not your thing.

i think you are right on the money with that. i think good ole dad had a hand.

Yes...it's called denial. Mothers kill their children far more often than men. Get over it.

Mothers kill their children far more often than men. Get over it.

Cite your sources for that statement, LB.

Women do not typically use a gun. Not sure what happened, none of us are, just sayin.........

Cite your sources for that statement, LB

FBI crime statistics.

Hey ABCxyz: two people cited statistics (one from the Govt), the other from MSNBC (Not Fox news) that answer your question. Though rare for a woman to use a gun, it is not unheard of. Personally I hate political correctness where so many force themselves to ignore facts (A fault not isolated to the left, unfortunately). We can't fix problems we don't acknowledge.

All of that said, this case still sounds suspicious (and perhaps staged). I hate the fact so many are blaming the father at this stage, though if he is really guilty he deserves the chair.

"I just have that weird feeling that the Dad had a hand in this some how! "

Yeah, that weird feeling you have, its called gossip. Faster than lightning, spreads further than a wild fire, once in motion, nothing can stop it like a tsunami.

And you really don't think that the impact of her body hitting the floor would not be great enough to knock the gun out of her hand and "just a short distance away"?

2009 report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, that year 27.3 percent of child deaths resulting from abuse were perpetrated by the mother, compared to only 14.8 percent of fathers. Mothers and fathers acting together accounted for 22.5 percent of child deaths. According to these same statistics only 2.3 percent of fatalities were committed by a parent’s male partner.

You've been watching way too much CSI and/or have stayed at a holiday inn.

What a weird thing to say. I believe the USA is the mental illness capital of the world.

A psychopath does not have a mental illness. they know exactly what they are doing, they just don't care. I married a man who was never diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, but both of his daughters were diagnosed. He was worse than both of them. they were into drowning, chicks, kittens, etc. so I wouldn't know about the fact that women don't usually use a gun, I know my stepdaughters, if I ever see them in the news will have drowned someone. And they'll make it look like an accident too. Terribly sad. IT destroys families.

Jumping to conclusions are we?

In denial...are we?

S. Ulmer,

I think the story of the average family dying in this manner resonates because your average person wonders what kind of stress level or event could cause them to ever commit such an atrocity. Do we all have our breaking point?

And, I think if every story of someone killed by a gun were to be headlined each day it would only further rally those opposed to guns. I think it's sad that gang bangers and illegals die (via guns or other means) and I'm sad that their lives are the way the are. But, the story that most closely resembles my own life is the quiet, middle-income family. That's why the story is of interest to me.

So why isn't the story more in line with mental health care as opposed to guns?

Hello S.Ulmer; How is it you knew about all those murders in far-flung places unless you read/heard about them on 'national news' outlets? You either got your information that way or you were present at all those locations. Sounds suspicious.

Why make a political deal out of this tradgedy? No matter who did what to who here, it's just another sad story. Who done it? We don't know. Why'd they do it? We don't know. All these stories are sad... none are worse than others. What makes them noteworthy, besides just the sheer tradgedy of it all? Who cares...lives were taken...pitifully...for whatever reason. Very sad...and by the way...guns don't kill people...people kill people. And no, I don't own a gun, but I reserve the right to should I at some point change my mind.

S.Ulmer - a little paranoid, are you? No one has mentioned a word about dismantling the Second Amendment or breaking up the Bill of Rights. There has been no mention of banning guns. Get a grip!

RTSOB, makes a very good point!!!

Nice, RTSOB. Very nice

before you all stroke rtsob to orgasm,

the common thread in these posts is the left spouting off on gun control. as for the numbers, they are averages taken from local news not national, yet murders happen all over this country and only the ones that seem to fit the anti-gun agenda make the national news.

and yes, gun ownership IS part of the bill of rights, just like free speach and due process. change one and the rest are easily altered.

And you know this how?

Where does it say he reported them missing without looking at home?

I do not think the mom did this. How did the gun get so far away from her body after she pulled the trigger? Need more info to even begin to reach any kind of opinion here.

"so far away from her body", huh? I must have missed the part of the article in which it said the gun was a far distance from her body. You really have no idea how the bodies were found, the proximity or placement of the gun when found or any other essential details which are necessary for proper conclusions to be drawn. So why not quit with the "armchair detective" role and wait to see what the professionals find.

actually what it says is that they initially said it was a murder-suicide, but did not respond to questions today. maybe you should read it again.

We could start with a crash course on how to read headlines. She was "a very good mom" was not the opinion of MSNBC; the headline writer was quoting the neighbors (see paragraph one). Those who are quick to condemn MSNBC (your FAUXNEWS check is in the mail) need to know what those quotation marks mean.

TampaBayRays1 - how is your statement any different from the statement made by Kat23? They have not established whether it is a murder-suicide regardless of the fact that they first stated it was.

Cite your sources for that statement, Avi Sokol. Merely listing the names of a few women who killed their children does not necessarily prove that more women than men kill their children. If you want a list of men who have killed their kids, start with the wacko who burned himself and his two boys to death a few weeks ago.

@ABCzyx...have you never heard of abortion !!!!!

Avi Sokol...you are an idiot. Way more men kill their kids than women do...so you named like 4 women who killed their kids...I can think of hundreds of stories of men who have murdered their entire family. And I wouldnt be so quick to dismiss that the father might have done it in this case as well

The FBI agrees with Avi Sokol, maybe you guys shouldn't be so quick to dismiss him just because you don't like it. Women are far more likely to murder their own children then men are, and we're not talking about abortions. There is no shortage of news articles on this subject; so get over it and stop hurling baseless accusations at the father.