TX - Shanna, 36, & Diederik Vandewege, 3 mos, slain, Fort Worth, 15 Dec 2016 *GUILTY*

[meanmaryjean]

Who in the hell kills a 3 month old infant?

 

[Angie682]

^^^BBM
According to this, Costco in North Fort Worth opened May 9, 2014:
http://costcohq.com/texas/
Costco N Fort Worth
8900 Tehama Ridge Pkwy
Fort Worth, TX 76177
Phone: (817) 806-9833
Store #1173 Opened: May 9, 2014

You are correct. The WinCo next store just opened. Point being it's a new store.

 

[TGIRecovered]

The type of person who would slash the throat of a newborn baby is a very short list. I would say this is very rarely done by a stranger or even a casual acquaintance. I'm also thinking of what the situation would have to be for a mother to lay still in bed while a person approached. They have no other children, just moved to the area. In that situation, unless I was sound asleep, the only person who could approach my bed without me getting up would be my husband. When my babies were little, I would wake to every teeny tiny sound or movement in the room. I couldn't help it, it was instinctive, especially when I was home alone with the baby.

 

[glf]

Nothing new in the paper, just news we already know.

 

[Elainera]

The type of person who would slash the throat of a newborn baby is a very short list. I would say this is very rarely done by a stranger or even a casual acquaintance. I'm also thinking of what the situation would have to be for a mother to lay still in bed while a person approached. They have no other children, just moved to the area. In that situation, unless I was sound asleep, the only person who could approach my bed without me getting up would be my husband. When my babies were little, I would wake to every teeny tiny sound or movement in the room. I couldn't help it, it was instinctive, especially when I was home alone with the baby.

She might have had a visitor while husband was out. Might have been drugged and placed in the bed. We don't know nothing at this point. Hopefully LE will release more info soon.

I would like to hear the autopsy results, as well as details about the house. It was in disarray, it was said. Does it look like a burglary, or just made to look like one, I wonder? Were there indications of a fight?

 

[cuffem]

Who in the hell kills a 3 month old infant?

I first thought postpartum but since LE ruled it a homicide I am going with someone's ex until more info comes out.Could be a reason for the move to the area.

 

[silverkitty]

How awful. The house is a couple of miles from my own, with Costco between the two. It's mostly newer subdicisions around here, as the area is growing very quickly. Several hospitals within a few miles. Lots of shopping, starting to have a lot more property crime, mostly things stolen from cars and off of doorsteps. I'm shocked that this happened -- but given the world today, no crime surprises me anymore. Very sad for all the innocents involved. As for the not-so-innocent, I hope he/she/they get what's coming to them sooner rather than later.

 

[WichitaFalls]

FORT WORTH, Texas — Authorities say the deaths of a North Texas mother and her 3-month-old son have been ruled homicides after their necks were cut.


The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the deaths of 36-year-old Shanna Vandewege and her son, Diederick, remain under investigation.

More at link . . . http://www.cbsnews.com/news/shanna-vandewege-texas-mom-baby-son-found-dead-with-neck-wounds

Not much new . . . I think the silence is deafening. Hmmmmm

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

Who in the hell kills a 3 month old infant?

Even hardened criminals would consider allowing a 3-month old (who can't testify) to live. This is personal, IMO.

Need to read all the links, yet, but has it been mentioned at all if the mother had been suffering from postpartum depression?

Not assuming that at all, but it's the only other hypothetical scenario I see (besides personal and targeted) that could possibly 'fit.'

 

[yllek]

Not much new . . . I think the silence is deafening. Hmmmmm

I agree.

Days later............and no press conference or direct statements from LE after such a horrific crime.

LE highly suspects or already knows what happened and there's no danger to the community -- this wasn't a robbery gone wrong or random slaying, IMO.

 

[JanetElaine]

Even hardened criminals would consider allowing a 3-month old (who can't testify) to live. This is personal, IMO.

Need to read all the links, yet, but has it been mentioned at all if the mother had been suffering from postpartum depression?

Not assuming that at all, but it's the only other hypothetical scenario I see (besides personal and targeted) that could possibly 'fit.'

bbm

Haven't had time at all to be here today, but catching up now. This suddenly jumped out at me. Little Diederik was 3 months old - but Shanna was still on maternity leave (see link). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...son-Diederik-dead-inside-Fort-Worth-home.html

Assuming the article has that info correct, isn't that quite long for maternity leave in the US?

 

[Indy Anna]

I was thinking of the kidnapping and murder of 3-week-old Eliza De la Cruz, AKA Baby Eliza, in Long Beach. An intruder, a woman who followed the mother and baby home on the bus, shot Eliza's parents and uncle and then snatched Eliza from her mother's arms.

The 3 adults survived, but Eliza was found deceased in a dumpster. The female kidnapper enlisted some friends to help steal babies she could pass off as her own. It's not known why Eliza was killed. People initially suspected someone in the family, but 3 strangers to the family were later arrested in relation to the case.

While there are obvious differences in the cases, of course, it's not impossible that these murders were committed by a stranger/strangers. If a stranger was brazen enough and heartless enough to break into an occupied home, shoot 3 adults and then snatch an infant from her wounded mother's arms, a crime committed by a stranger/strangers cannot be ruled out. We may never know why Diederick, especially, was killed other than speculate he may have started crying which caused the intruder to panic. JMO

http://www.presstelegram.com/genera...fore-being-put-in-dumpster-examiner-testifies

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-3-wks-Long-Beach-4-Jan-2015-*Arrests*/page39

 

[Indy Anna]

bbm

Haven't had time at all to be here today, but catching up now. This suddenly jumped out at me. Little Diederik was 3 months old - but Shanna was still on maternity leave (see link). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...son-Diederik-dead-inside-Fort-Worth-home.html

Assuming the article has that info correct, isn't that quite long for maternity leave in the US?

Maybe not if he was premature, and the length of leave may vary with company. I had a coworker whose baby was born 12 wks early. She was out for a few months, IIRC, but it seems her maternity leave did expire so she was on unpaid leave part of that time.

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

bbm

Haven't had time at all to be here today, but catching up now. This suddenly jumped out at me. Little Diederik was 3 months old - but Shanna was still on maternity leave (see link). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...son-Diederik-dead-inside-Fort-Worth-home.html

Assuming the article has that info correct, isn't that quite long for maternity leave in the US?

Not necessarily (for the US)...I was thinking the 3 months was probably nearing the end of her leave, and that she was likely taking it through Christmas, at least. Three months is fairly par for the course, I think (though depending on where you work, maybe).

 

[bwt42]

Why so, bwt42? Just curious.

I think the family & police know what happened & will respect the family's request to keep it private.

 

[yllek]

Thanks bwt4. I think you're right about LE already having a good idea about what went down.

If the ME determined that SV's wounds could have been self-inflicted and there's evidence that CV staged the scene to look like a double homicide in order to protect his wife, or something like that, the ME could change the manner of death to murder/suicide.

But, even if it turned out to be a murder/suicide, I'm not sure LE could keep it quiet in order to respect the family's wishes. Several locals have been interviewed and they're on edge about a potential homicidal home invader -- a baby killer, no less -- on the loose. I think maybe LE would need to make a public statement to alleviate those fears.

 

[SeesSeas]

https://mepublic.tarrantcounty.com/MEPublic

MEDICAL EXAMINER’S CASE RECORDS

Case # CO Last Name First Name DOB Age DOD Died/Found Race Sex

1618810 Tarrant Vandewege Shanna 6/4/1980 36 12/15/2016 D White F
Police Department: Fort Worth Police Department Police Svc #: 160118338
Deceased Address: 8517 Cactus Flower Drive , Fort Worth, Texas 76131 Time Of Death 9:50 PM
Occurred Location: 8517 Cactus Flower Drive , Fort Worth, Texas 76131
Place Of Death: bed Prosector: Nizam Peerwani, M.D.
Place Of Death Address: 8517 Cactus Flower Drive , Fort Worth, Texas Manner Of Death: HOMICIDE
Cause Of Death: INCISED WOUND OF ANTERIOR NECK
EDR #: 2017594

1618812 Tarrant Vandewege Diederik 9/5/2016 0 12/15/2016 D White M
Police Department: Fort Worth Police Department Police Svc #: 160118338
Deceased Address: 8517 Cactus Flower Drive , Fort Worth, Texas 76131 Time Of Death 9:50 PM
Occurred Location: 8517 Cactus Flower Drive , Fort Worth, Texas 76131
Place Of Death: bed Prosector: Susan Roe, M.D.
Place Of Death Address: 8517 Cactus Flower Drive , Fort Worth, Texas Manner Of Death: HOMICIDE
Cause Of Death: INCISED WOUND OF NECK
EDR #: 2017618

 

[Lmustang89]

Not necessarily (for the US)...I was thinking the 3 months was probably nearing the end of her leave, and that she was likely taking it through Christmas, at least. Three months is fairly par for the course, I think (though depending on where you work, maybe).

We also have the FMLA - Family Medical Leave Act that provides unpaid time off without losing your job

 

[JanetElaine]

We also have the FMLA - Family Medical Leave Act that provides unpaid time off without losing your job

But doesn't that only kick in after working a year for the same employer, for so many hours? They had just moved to Fort Worth from Colorado.

 

[cvaldez1975]

no. I was at home for 3 months. my job allowed me to use 40 hours of my PTO per pay period (I am paid monthly) plus the 40 hour waiting period for CASDI. I could have stayed home longer if I had more PTO.

bbm

Haven't had time at all to be here today, but catching up now. This suddenly jumped out at me. Little Diederik was 3 months old - but Shanna was still on maternity leave (see link). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...son-Diederik-dead-inside-Fort-Worth-home.html

Assuming the article has that info correct, isn't that quite long for maternity leave in the US?