ME - Woman Charged With Murder After Teenage Boy Found Dead, Megan McDonald 39

[BrownRice]

??? I find the sympathy for this mother who apparently murdered her son astounding. She stabbed and strangled him to death--that's not love in my universe! Poor boy--betrayed and murdered by his own mother. She is right where she belongs--in jail, where she can not hurt anyone else. JMO

I wonder why the news stories are not releasing the name of her murdered son?

I assume she had a mental break. I can have empathy for her situation (not the murder). Obviously have the most sympathy for the deceased child.

 

[musicaljoke]

Kind and peaceful persons usually don't murder their children, if this was in fact a murder. Could this possibly be a self-defense situation? Dollars to doughnuts illegal drugs were involved, IMO.

More likely that legally prescribed drugs were involved. Some of the side effects of drugs used to treat anxiety and depression can cause serious mental problems.

Neuropsychiatric consequences of cardiovascular medications - PMC

The use of cardiovascular medications can have a variety of neuropsychiatric consequences. Many cardiovascular agents cause higher rates of fatigue and sedation than placebo, and case reports of medication-induced mood syndromes, psychosis, and ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[annemc2]

I sort of think that the trauma from experiencing the unlikely SCAD, subsequent repair, then acute recurrence of the rupture (omg terrifying!) would be enough to contribute strongly to the onset of a psychiatric disorder. That along with being a frontline worker during the pandemic, having general life stressors (financial, etc) subsequent to her illness and recovery, and possible stressful family dynamics would be enough to push a susceptible person over the line from functional to seriously mentally ill. I cannot imagine cognitively clearing up after such an event and being able to process it. I hope her daughter has some really good support.

 

[TTF14]

This will likely turn out to be a psychotic event. Speaking for myself, I don’t feel it’s wrong to have a degree of compassion for someone who committed such a horrific crime. Obviously I mourn the loss of the victim and demand justice for them in the courtroom. But I’ll wait for more details on how Megan went from a successful nurse and seemingly loving parent to murdering her son. We know she had a serious health event last year, won’t be surprised to learn it played a role.

Well said. It's very sad to me when a mentally ill parent takes the life of their child. Sad for all involved.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Lindsey Clancy from MA. I think her children’s murders were about 3 yrs ago. There’s a thread here on it. Horribly sad.

The main difference here is that Lindsey was diagnosed with severe post partum, and heavily heavily medicated. It is clear that there is sympathy for her, given the circumstances. But prosecution lawyers are quite vocal on the few points that show premeditation for her executing the three children.
Megan's child is a teen.

I feel, as one who does have a sense of compassion for her, that there is something else. She was suffering somehow.
The compassion pendulum can swing either way at this point though.

The Lindsey Clancy case has been updated well since it happened. January 2023... so two years ago. She is still in a psychiatric hospital outside of Boston, in a wheelchair, and has a trial date set for December of 2025.
All things considered, this case is moving rather swiftly.

I think the Megan McDonald case will move swiftly too. moo

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I sort of think that the trauma from experiencing the unlikely SCAD, subsequent repair, then acute recurrence of the rupture (omg terrifying!) would be enough to contribute strongly to the onset of a psychiatric disorder. That along with being a frontline worker during the pandemic, having general life stressors (financial, etc) subsequent to her illness and recovery, and possible stressful family dynamics would be enough to push a susceptible person over the line from functional to seriously mentally ill. I cannot imagine cognitively clearing up after such an event and being able to process it. I hope her daughter has some really good support.

@annemc2 can you provide more about this SCAD... I have missed something here. And how is it liekly to contribute to a psychiatric disorder? Is this something research has shown. Or it it more the trauma / horror with such an experience???

tia

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Well said. It's very sad to me when a mentally ill parent takes the life of their child. Sad for all involved.

To me, it almost doesn't matter where she ends up. Jail or Psych ward. She will suffer for the rest of her life.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

More likely that legally prescribed drugs were involved. Some of the side effects of drugs used to treat anxiety and depression can cause serious mental problems.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl... more common side,but it is generally mild.[/

http://dbm

dbm

 

[Trebor5591]

Lindsey Clancy from MA. I think her children’s murders were about 3 yrs ago. There’s a thread here on it. Horribly sad.

I just read a few articles about that case. Just horrible. I'm almost afraid to read more. Apparently she was on three different psychiatric medications when she murdered her children! Its so discouraging that people think psychiatric drugs are safe, but they are not, IMO.

 

[Trebor5591]

More likely that legally prescribed drugs were involved. Some of the side effects of drugs used to treat anxiety and depression can cause serious mental problems.

Neuropsychiatric consequences of cardiovascular medications - PMC

The use of cardiovascular medications can have a variety of neuropsychiatric consequences. Many cardiovascular agents cause higher rates of fatigue and sedation than placebo, and case reports of medication-induced mood syndromes, psychosis, and ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Yes I speculated about illegal drugs when I first heard of this case, but now I agree that "legally prescribed drugs" could well be at play here. It's discouraging, IMO.

 

[Trebor5591]

DBM (rumor)

 

[Trebor5591]

In her FB account, there are photos of her and 3 different dogs. Comments to the WGME and WMTW stories by self-identified locals who say they know the family claim she killed the three dogs as well as her son. This case has really shocked me. JMO

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14-year-old victim of Maine murder was suspect's son, neighbors say

The suspect, Megan McDonald, was set to appear in court virtually Monday, but she will now appear in person on Friday.

www.wmtw.com

Court orders psychological evaluation for woman accused of killing Maine teenager

A woman accused of killing a 14-year-old boy in Sidney made her first court appearance on Friday.

wgme.com

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Sidney Mother Accused of Murder Appears in Court

39-year-old Megan McDonald was officially charged with murder.

www.wmtw.com

 

[annemc2]

@annemc2 can you provide more about this SCAD... I have missed something here. And how is it liekly to contribute to a psychiatric disorder? Is this something research has shown. Or it it more the trauma / horror with such an experience???

tia

It's a sudden coronary artery dissection - when one of the arteries that supplies the heart suddenly tears. McDonald's had hers repaired then it appears that it ripped open again. Coronary Artery Dissection: Not Just a Heart Attack

The aftereffects of a major cardiac event and ICU hospitalization can result in psychiatric disorders Why a cardiac crisis also can be a mental health issue

What we are looking at here would be different than ICU delirium, which is a temporary condition that is multifactorial in origin. There is stress on the body, lack of sleep from clinical monitoring and procedures, multiple medications, lack of environmental time awareness (night/day), etc. This condition usually happens during the hospital stay and resolves relatively quickly.

OTOH, a thought disorder (psychosis) has a different sort of origin as we understand it. The physical and psychological trauma from the cardiac insult and ICU stay can certainly contribute, but there will be other psychosocial issues and likely a genetic susceptibility to mental illness. These illnesses are usually chronic and require more long-term management. The onset can be more insidious. It will be interesting to see what was going on with her during the last few months leading up to this event. Like if she just sort of "snapped" one day or if she had been acting odd for awhile.

So basically she could have developed a thought disorder anyway, but having the major medical issues contributed to her risk profile. Hopefully one day we will be able to understand it all better!

 

[ChatteringBirds]

@annemc2
Very interesting.

Do you think it's possible someone who goes through SCAD could suffer damage to the brain due to lack of proper blood flow during the emergency- and the damage is unnoticed and leads to psychosis later?
Or would any brain damage capable of that probably have been picked up by exams before leaving the hospital?

 

[Sjöberg]

a sudden coronary artery dissection

How are the correlations between having a coronary artery dissection and having neck/brain artery dissections (or just clots ending up in brain circulation)? The latter can cause strokes. Including several small strokes, that can be missed until something major enough happens. (example)

Life-threatening medical events can also cause PTSD (especially repeated episodes like she had). Some cases of PTSD can turn pretty psychotic.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

It's a sudden coronary artery dissection - when one of the arteries that supplies the heart suddenly tears. McDonald's had hers repaired then it appears that it ripped open again. Coronary Artery Dissection: Not Just a Heart Attack

The aftereffects of a major cardiac event and ICU hospitalization can result in psychiatric disorders Why a cardiac crisis also can be a mental health issue

What we are looking at here would be different than ICU delirium, which is a temporary condition that is multifactorial in origin. There is stress on the body, lack of sleep from clinical monitoring and procedures, multiple medications, lack of environmental time awareness (night/day), etc. This condition usually happens during the hospital stay and resolves relatively quickly.

OTOH, a thought disorder (psychosis) has a different sort of origin as we understand it. The physical and psychological trauma from the cardiac insult and ICU stay can certainly contribute, but there will be other psychosocial issues and likely a genetic susceptibility to mental illness. These illnesses are usually chronic and require more long-term management. The onset can be more insidious. It will be interesting to see what was going on with her during the last few months leading up to this event. Like if she just sort of "snapped" one day or if she had been acting odd for awhile.

So basically she could have developed a thought disorder anyway, but having the major medical issues contributed to her risk profile. Hopefully one day we will be able to understand it all better!

And when did this occur with Megan McDonald? I gather she was hospitalized for a long period of time.

 

[Knox]

And when did this occur with Megan McDonald? I gather she was hospitalized for a long period of time.

Read back in the thread, dates are listed.

 

[LoisLane47]

Sidney homicide raises question: Why won’t authorities release victim’s name?

The attorney general’s office says it is not releasing the name of a 14-year-old boy found dead due to privacy concerns, but some lawyers and experts say they don’t buy that argument.

www.sunjournal.com

 

[LoisLane47]

"To know Quincy was to love Quincy. As so many have said, he is a light. He has impacted all of our lives and we are brighter having known him. It’s hard to imagine how the world can keep going, how each day can keep passing, without Quincy McDonald in it. He will continue to live in all of our hearts. Please keep saying Quincy’s name and telling your stories about this amazing, beautiful child."

https://www.🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬.com/f/quincys-legacy-assist-his-sister