MD - Anthony, 6, Austin, 4, & Athena Castillo, 2, drowned, Baltimore, 29 March 2008

[ckwood32]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/31/AR2008033100887.html
This article states he was bipolar - the Mother tried very hard to keep the kids away from him. This is so sad. Why didn't he just kill himself.

 

[Floh]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/31/AR2008033100887.html
This article states he was bipolar - the Mother tried very hard to keep the kids away from him. This is so sad. Why didn't he just kill himself.

Because he was bipolar?

hr should never have been left alone with the children.

 

[Floh]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/31/AR2008033100887.html
This article states he was bipolar - the Mother tried very hard to keep the kids away from him. This is so sad. Why didn't he just kill himself.

'On Christmas Day 2006, Amy Castillo sought a restraining order against her estranged husband, expressing concern for the children's safety. In a court petition, she wrote that he "has never actually hurt them but did tell me that the worst thing he could do to me would be to kill the children and not me so I could live without them."'

 

[believe09]

'On Christmas Day 2006, Amy Castillo sought a restraining order against her estranged husband, expressing concern for the children's safety. In a court petition, she wrote that he "has never actually hurt them but did tell me that the worst thing he could do to me would be to kill the children and not me so I could live without them."'

And so he did...I bet their case was winding down, so he followed through on his promise. Unless you have lived through it you have no idea how difficult it is to prevail in this kind of custody dispute-the courts do not take your gut feelings and his whispered threats as proof that the parent is unraveling. Imagine, imagine her pain knowing that. Imagine her laying awake at night now saying to herself she should have just taken them out of the country and disappeared-that she should have dug in and been charged with contempt of court rather than losing them this way. JMO..

 

[ckwood32]

'On Christmas Day 2006, Amy Castillo sought a restraining order against her estranged husband, expressing concern for the children's safety. In a court petition, she wrote that he "has never actually hurt them but did tell me that the worst thing he could do to me would be to kill the children and not me so I could live without them."'

The fact he said such a terrible thing plus being bipolar should have been enough to only have supervised visitation!! I remember when I left my X I was scared he may harm my children to get to me. Luckily he moved on and found another woman to abuse.

 

[Floh]

And so he did...I bet their case was winding down, so he followed through on his promise. Unless you have lived through it you have no idea how difficult it is to prevail in this kind of custody dispute-the courts do not take your gut feelings and his whispered threats as proof that the parent is unraveling. Imagine, imagine her pain knowing that. Imagine her laying awake at night now saying to herself she should have just taken them out of the country and disappeared-that she should have dug in and been charged with contempt of court rather than losing them this way. JMO..

She will have guilt (undeserved) for the rest of her life. it breaks my heart: what it must be doing and will do to hers is beyond my feelings. the enormity of losing ones three young children in this way can't be understood, IMO, unless one has experienced it oneself. poor, poor woman and grandparents.

 

[Nocgirl]

Not sure what to think here. In a divorce, alot of mudslinging and false accusations fly back and forth. She may have totally tried to make the dad as miserable as possible, and just pushed him to the limit. People file RO's all the time and many are totally without merit. It is very often used as a custody ploy. What this guy did was horrible but is it possible instigated some of this?

 

[justche]

And so he did...I bet their case was winding down, so he followed through on his promise. Unless you have lived through it you have no idea how difficult it is to prevail in this kind of custody dispute-the courts do not take your gut feelings and his whispered threats as proof that the parent is unraveling. Imagine, imagine her pain knowing that. Imagine her laying awake at night now saying to herself she should have just taken them out of the country and disappeared-that she should have dug in and been charged with contempt of court rather than losing them this way. JMO..

I have a friend going through this right now...she antagonizes him - for the right reason, the effect is antagonistic though. i worry often that the child will bear the brunt of it at some point.

I wish counties/family courts could be held accountable for their decisions.

 

[Truly]

Not sure what to think here. In a divorce, alot of mudslinging and false accusations fly back and forth. She may have totally tried to make the dad as miserable as possible, and just pushed him to the limit. People file RO's all the time and many are totally without merit. It is very often used as a custody ploy. What this guy did was horrible but is it possible instigated some of this?

But Nocgirl, pushed to the limit is one thing. This guy went miles beyond any imaginable limit. Besides, it is unfortunately all too clear at this point that her concerns and reasons for filing the restraining orders were completely valid. All of the blame for this man's actions lie with him alone. He killed three little kids, and his main reason was probably to hurt the mother. Plus, he probably stayed alive just so he could watch her suffer. Why don't people like this just off themselves, and leave their kids alone?

 

[WhitneyLea]

Geez ... I'm just so furious with the judge who DENIED her request for a permanent restraining order. If things were really as ugly as it sounds like they were ... how could he/she not see this coming???

 

[Floh]

Not sure what to think here. In a divorce, alot of mudslinging and false accusations fly back and forth. She may have totally tried to make the dad as miserable as possible, and just pushed him to the limit. People file RO's all the time and many are totally without merit. It is very often used as a custody ploy. What this guy did was horrible but is it possible instigated some of this?

He murdered the children, not she.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

Oh this poor mother. I have 3 kids and they are my whole life. I don't think I could go on if something like this happened to them. I pray for her...This is so horrible & sad.

 

[ckwood32]

Not sure what to think here. In a divorce, alot of mudslinging and false accusations fly back and forth. She may have totally tried to make the dad as miserable as possible, and just pushed him to the limit. People file RO's all the time and many are totally without merit. It is very often used as a custody ploy. What this guy did was horrible but is it possible instigated some of this?

NO WAY - I don't care what she did - he's a freaking nut case. Cops were at their house quite a bit - he's a lunatic. I hope he fries in HE.. !! Drowned his children ONE BY ONE - imagine.

 

[believe09]

Geez ... I'm just so furious with the judge who DENIED her request for a permanent restraining order. If things were really as ugly as it sounds like they were ... how could he/she not see this coming???

I will hazard a guess that he presented a "calm before the storm" type of demeanor-that there were no concrete acts of violence, just the threat of violence. I personally feel that there is no way for the justice system to be able to tell when they are dealing with a contentious divorce and when they are dealing with a powder keg. but I bet the mother knew-I can assure you that the belief he would harm the children does not equal proof-and that the judge viewed these two white collar people and believed that the kids were perhaps being used as pawns just like in so many other cases he/she had seen. But they were wrong-and I am sure that both parents knew that...or maybe he stopped being so dark and threatening for a period of time so that she would relax a little.

I know chapter and verse a very similar story-where the wife was followed, her car GPS'd, her phone tapped, accounts hacked, home broken into, an STBE who would suddenly appear unannounced in a different city out of state, standing directly behind her....and in the middle of it all a child. I will save the story, but it at least so far does not have the same ending as the one in Baltimore, and hopefully never will.

 

[Trino]

From CNN:
"She wrote in court documents that her husband had threatened to make her suffer by killing the children. She sought a protective order Dec. 25, 2006 and asked that the court order Castillo to receive counseling."

Obviously, no one was listening to her.

 

[absinthe]

He hated the mother more than he loved his own children. What a terrible human being.

 

[SuziQ]

Arrest Warrant:

http://media.myfoxdc.com/Documents/MarkAnthonyCastillo_RedactedChargingDocs.pdf

 

[believe09]

Arrest Warrant:

http://media.myfoxdc.com/Documents/MarkAnthonyCastillo_RedactedChargingDocs.pdf

Great link-thank you.

 

[KR2tonenow]

'On Christmas Day 2006, Amy Castillo sought a restraining order against her estranged husband, expressing concern for the children's safety. In a court petition, she wrote that he "has never actually hurt them but did tell me that the worst thing he could do to me would be to kill the children and not me so I could live without them."'

And why didn't the courts listen????

 

[colomom]

Lots of personal details and a very recent picture: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-castillo0331,0,6724148.story