GUILTY NJ - Four dead in New Year's shooting, Long Branch, 31 Dec 2017 *Arrest*

[libraryg]

Wow! That was some debt they were carrying, not the car or mortgage, but the cc debt.

One of my friends has a son with severe autism, who has been hospitalized multiple times. Since he was very young, the family have been able to get disability benefits for him to help pay for the incredible medical bills. I wonder if this was an option for the Kologi family?

 

[Presley78]

One of my friends has a son with severe autism, who has been hospitalized multiple times. Since he was very young, the family have been able to get disability benefits for him to help pay for the incredible medical bills. I wonder if this was an option for the Kologi family?

I would think his job at the postal service would’ve had decent to excellent benefits. An article up the thread stated he was a postman for quite awhile and then sometime in 2017 he stopped working there. I can’t see that much in medical expenses adding up in under a year? Maybe I’m wrong...wouldn’t be the first time! Moo


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[Gardenista]

Long Branch shooting: Suspect held, judge issues gag order

http://www.app.com/story/news/local...-gag-order-new-years-eve-massacre/1000888001/

 

[Gardenista]

Long Branch shooting: Prosecutor details New Year's Eve massacre crime scene; APP denied access

http://www.app.com/story/news/local...-appearance-new-years-eve-massacre/996300001/

 

[shana]

I would think his job at the postal service would’ve had decent to excellent benefits. An article up the thread stated he was a postman for quite awhile and then sometime in 2017 he stopped working there. I can’t see that much in medical expenses adding up in under a year? Maybe I’m wrong...wouldn’t be the first time! Moo


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Hi Presley78! Indeed, USPS would provide many benefits to its full-time employees.

I may be wrong but I believe it was reported that Mr Kologi had left his job as a postal worker some years ago and had been working various odd jobs since.

~jmo~

 

[bears10]

Looks like Linda’s Twitter was cleaned up a bit. I just got off the phone with my sister and we talked a bit about the murders. Her coworker/friend’s husband is a LB police officer and was on the scene, but my sister (uncharacteristically) didn’t want to probe.

The tweets are really nagging at me. Not just because I feel terrible for what LK was going thru mentally and financially, but because something, idk what, just isn’t sitting right. I’m prob looking way too much into it. Hindsight is 20/20


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[bears10]

Hi Presley78! Indeed, USPS would provide many benefits to its full-time employees.

I may be wrong but I believe it was reported that Mr Kologi had left his job as a postal worker some years ago and had been working various odd jobs since.

~jmo~

The bankruptcy was in 2009, and it said their income was about $6k a year. So I don’t think he was employed full time at the time they had $70k credit card debt. The credit card debt was spread out between 12 cards, which makes me wonder if he lost his job and they started living on credit... making out one card, applying for new ones, making those out, etc.

ETA - disregard. Their income was $6k a month, not a year.

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[shana]

The bankruptcy was in 2009, and it said their income was about $6k a year. So I don’t think he was employed full time at the time they had $70k credit card debt. The credit card debt was spread out between 12 cards, which makes me wonder if he lost his job and they started living on credit... making out one card, applying for new ones, making those out, etc.

ETA - disregard. Their income was $6k a month, not a year.

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Thanks, bears10!

So...$72k a year at that time. It wouldn't appear as if they would be maxing-out one credit card using another.

ETA: I am still not looking at long-standing credit issues for the family as a trigger in this case, fwiw.

~jmo~

 

[Presley78]

Hi Presley78! Indeed, USPS would provide many benefits to its full-time employees.

I may be wrong but I believe it was reported that Mr Kologi had left his job as a postal worker some years ago and had been working various odd jobs since.

~jmo~

Hello
Oops! My bad, I was reading the article at work and in skimming it over I thought it was recently he lost his job. But now I see it after reading it again.

Aside from that, I’m not seeing how mentioning the family’s financial situation has to do with the crime. I guess I’m not seeing the connection for how the shooter is affected by it...the surviving brother stated regardless of the financial situation they as kids didn’t feel the brunt of it. So I’m not imagining he was stressing over bills- he’s probably not even aware of the debt. Anyways, it just seems kind of unnecessary for the media to publish that.


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[rsd1200]

Looks like Linda’s Twitter was cleaned up a bit. I just got off the phone with my sister and we talked a bit about the murders. Her coworker/friend’s husband is a LB police officer and was on the scene, but my sister (uncharacteristically) didn’t want to probe.

The tweets are really nagging at me. Not just because I feel terrible for what LK was going thru mentally and financially, but because something, idk what, just isn’t sitting right. I’m prob looking way too much into it. Hindsight is 20/20


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I noticed that they'd been cleaned up too. I had gone back, to her Twitter Account, and the comment about how the Foo Fighters', video, "Low", had basically helped her during a difficult time (It is funny, but nsfw, if you watch it.) That tweet, had been noted in the paper, along with two other Tweets, and two of three were gone, when I looked. I saved a screen-shot of the attached link, with the Tweets noted, but didn't get shots of the Twitter feed.

https://www.app.com/story/news/crim...quadruple-homicide-said-hands-teen/994599001/

 

[Gardenista]

I noticed that they'd been cleaned up too. I had gone back, to her Twitter Account, and the comment about how the Foo Fighters', video, "Low", had basically helped her during a difficult time (It is funny, but nsfw, if you watch it.) That tweet, had been noted in the paper, along with two other Tweets, and two of three were gone, when I looked. I saved a screen-shot of the attached link, with the Tweets noted, but didn't get shots of the Twitter feed.

https://www.app.com/story/news/crim...quadruple-homicide-said-hands-teen/994599001/

Screenshots here

http://nj1015.com/jersey-shore-family-massacre-good-people-private-struggles-inexplicable-end/

 

[shana]

I wonder how the accused is feeling about the murders he has allegedly committed. It's possible that he has not yet digested the full impact. He may regret his actions and be sorrowful. He may not have a reason for why he did this, even if he admits it at all. Lots to ponder.

~jmo~

 

[bears10]

Thanks, bears10!

So...$72k a year at that time. It wouldn't appear as if they would be maxing-out one credit card using another.

ETA: I am still not looking at long-standing credit issues for the family as a trigger in this case, fwiw.

~jmo~

They stated their expenses were almost equal to income, leaving them with something menial like $100/month.

If I hadn’t read moms twitter before it was scrubbed, I may not think anything of their financial issues. However when someone publicly makes a post wondering if her family would get the $500k LI policy if she killed herself, and other tweets regarding suicidal thoughts, it just seems ominous, for lack of better words.

ETA - long branch isn’t a high income town. However, Monmouth County is a very expensive place to live. So I can understand debt to a point. But if it wasn’t medical related debt, $72k divided among 12 cards is sad. They must have really been struggling.

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[shana]

Thank you, bears10 I appreciate your bringing these issues to the discussion.

The mother's tweets seem ominous, yes, or perhaps simply troubling and may go to her mental/emotional state at the very least. Whether her son was affected by her tweets or her words or her actions and then went on to kill 4 persons...I have a hard time connecting these dots.

There may be more we do not know about the mother-son relationship but from what I've read, she was devoted to helping the boy.

At this point, I do not see a connection between Mom's tweets re debts and a LI policy with the murders of both parents, a sister, and a family friend. It's possible, I suppose, but it just doesn't ring true to me. And it isn't as if this family was new to a precarious financial situation.

The son went 'ballistic' for some reason on that night and time, at the very end of 2017. So sorry he was able to locate a weapon to make his acting-out so deadly.

~jmo~

 

[bears10]

Thank you, bears10 I appreciate your bringing these issues to the discussion.

The mother's tweets seem ominous, yes, or perhaps simply troubling and may go to her mental/emotional state at the very least. Whether her son was affected by her tweets or her words or her actions and then went on to kill 4 persons...I have a hard time connecting these dots.

There may be more we do not know about the mother-son relationship but from what I've read, she was devoted to helping the boy.

At this point, I do not see a connection between Mom's tweets re debts and a LI policy with the murders of both parents, a sister, and a family friend. It's possible, I suppose, but it just doesn't ring true to me. And it isn't as if this family was new to a precarious financial situation.

The son went 'ballistic' for some reason on that night and time, at the very end of 2017. So sorry he was able to locate a weapon to make his acting-out so deadly.

~jmo~

I have a hard time connecting those dots too. Which is where my uneasiness lies. If you are also from NJ, you know there isn’t much of a gun culture in Monmouth County. So that adds to my questions. I read an article today that the gun belonged to a resident of the Home, so unless the grandfather lived in one of the separate apartments within the Home, i don’t understand why there was a gun in the house accessible to the alleged murderer. I have a feeling it’s going to take a long time to get any official answers in this case.

ETA - the bankruptcy was in 2009. The family is no stranger to financial struggles IMO. Financial issues aren’t a new thing for them JMO


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[rsd1200]

Screenshots here

http://nj1015.com/jersey-shore-family-massacre-good-people-private-struggles-inexplicable-end/

They'd already started cleaning when I looked the first time then. That's more than I saw. That's just heartbreaking. Sent out into cyberspace.

"But will I be forgiven if my life ins pays for their home???" Bless her heart.

 

[Betty P]

They stated their expenses were almost equal to income, leaving them with something menial like $100/month.

If I hadn’t read moms twitter before it was scrubbed, I may not think anything of their financial issues. However when someone publicly makes a post wondering if her family would get the $500k LI policy if she killed herself, and other tweets regarding suicidal thoughts, it just seems ominous, for lack of better words.

ETA - long branch isn’t a high income town. However, Monmouth County is a very expensive place to live. So I can understand debt to a point. But if it wasn’t medical related debt, $72k divided among 12 cards is sad. They must have really been struggling.

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Yes, sad to say a lot of working class people are struggling these days. Incomes aren't coming close to keeping up with health care, housing, insurance, auto & repair and other costs. Been that way for at least 10 - 15 yrs now. Add in trying to raise a disabled teen and other young adults, it gets very expensive. I know those were the toughest years for my husband and I - when the kids were in their teens and entering college, etc. Trying to squeeze in extra used cars, insurance, cell phones, helping with college expenses. Hubs went several years with no pay raise, then experienced a big pay cut. It's a very expensive time. Kids work, but their income is usually limited due to school demands and very low wages.

JMO, it's time people start talking about the financial pressures families are facing and the negative impacts we see here at WS every day.

 

[beandawgs]

Thank you, bears10 I appreciate your bringing these issues to the discussion.

The mother's tweets seem ominous, yes, or perhaps simply troubling and may go to her mental/emotional state at the very least. Whether her son was affected by her tweets or her words or her actions and then went on to kill 4 persons...I have a hard time connecting these dots.

There may be more we do not know about the mother-son relationship but from what I've read, she was devoted to helping the boy.

At this point, I do not see a connection between Mom's tweets re debts and a LI policy with the murders of both parents, a sister, and a family friend. It's possible, I suppose, but it just doesn't ring true to me. And it isn't as if this family was new to a precarious financial situation.

The son went 'ballistic' for some reason on that night and time, at the very end of 2017. So sorry he was able to locate a weapon to make his acting-out so deadly.

~jmo~

I don't know this kid - but speaking as the mother of an autistic son - it could have been anything to make him act out so badly. The commotion of New Years Eve, sounds, fighting, you name it. I wouldn't doubt it if this was an impulsive act - I know with my son he has fits of rage and then can be the nicest kid you've ever met. He may very well feel remorse , I know with my son I think he feels depressed that he has these fits and does feel ashamed later on.

 

[bears10]

Yes, sad to say a lot of working class people are struggling these days. Incomes aren't coming close to keeping up with health care, housing, insurance, auto & repair and other costs. Been that way for at least 10 - 15 yrs now. Add in trying to raise a disabled teen and other young adults, it gets very expensive. I know those were the toughest years for my husband and I - when the kids were in their teens and entering college, etc. Trying to squeeze in extra used cars, insurance, cell phones, helping with college expenses. Hubs went several years with no pay raise, then experienced a big pay cut. It's a very expensive time. Kids work, but their income is usually limited due to school demands and very low wages.

JMO, it's time people start talking about the financial pressures families are facing and the negative impacts we see here at WS every day.

I agree. My sister is on the verge of divorce because of major marital problems stemming from finances. But where we’re from, you aren’t “supposed” to be open about those things. Keeping up with the Jones’s. And fwiw where she lives isn’t a working class area. It’s upper middle class, and there are many other families that are going thru what my sister is experiencing. They just don’t talk about it.

Add in a special needs child, a child in college, etc... that can cause any parent to feel like they are drowning. The amount of (likely low limit and maxed out) credit cards comes off to me as the parents grasping for straws, trying anything to keep above water. Sad.


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[white rabbit]

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/01/what_life_was_like_for_family_before_njs_deadliest.html

good article painting a few more kind-hearted specifics on the family...nothing about the shooter...