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That's how I see him. It's even possible that Paul was in fact his preferred child, and Buster was not as much on his mind. Who knows? We do know that family annihilation is often the result of both a desire for vengeance (everything bad that happens is THEIR fault and the personality is rage-filled and vengeful) and for what the killer thinks is "compassionate" (life is going to be awful for them, now that we are going to be disgraced/poor/embarrassed/humiliated etc, so I'll just spare them the misery).
This second type of family annihilator often plans to kill themselves too. In fact, suicidality can be the thought that sets the cycle in motion, perhaps daily or many times a day. The wish to annihilate oneself, though, rapidly cycles through "and take them with me," which obviously has to be done first. Of course, there are the ones who drive the whole family off a cliff as a solution to that. I think Chris Watts considered it, but quickly realized he couldn't do it (just like Alex, if in fact he ever felt suicidal).
Here's an article on the homicide/suicide pattern:
And here's a more general article about familicide:
Family Annihilation: The Crimes and Psychology of Familicide | Crime Traveller
Examining familicide cases while exploring the psychological profiles and possible triggers of individuals who carry out these horrific acts.www.crimetraveller.org
Grim stuff, but makes up something like 75% of mass murderers (when 3 or more are killed).
Interesting reading. Depressing though. There’s been several cases that I’ve read about on the news that I haven’t looked for on WS. Like a couple of men who killed their wives and children and then themselves. Or the doctor out in CA who drove his wife and children off the cliff and they miraculously survived. The wife said he intended to kill them all. He said it was an accident. I believe it’s still under investigation. I don’t read them all because it’s such a waste of life. I wonder if it’s depression or just selfishness.That's how I see him. It's even possible that Paul was in fact his preferred child, and Buster was not as much on his mind. Who knows? We do know that family annihilation is often the result of both a desire for vengeance (everything bad that happens is THEIR fault and the personality is rage-filled and vengeful) and for what the killer thinks is "compassionate" (life is going to be awful for them, now that we are going to be disgraced/poor/embarrassed/humiliated etc, so I'll just spare them the misery).
This second type of family annihilator often plans to kill themselves too. In fact, suicidality can be the thought that sets the cycle in motion, perhaps daily or many times a day. The wish to annihilate oneself, though, rapidly cycles through "and take them with me," which obviously has to be done first. Of course, there are the ones who drive the whole family off a cliff as a solution to that. I think Chris Watts considered it, but quickly realized he couldn't do it (just like Alex, if in fact he ever felt suicidal).
Here's an article on the homicide/suicide pattern:
And here's a more general article about familicide:
Family Annihilation: The Crimes and Psychology of Familicide | Crime Traveller
Examining familicide cases while exploring the psychological profiles and possible triggers of individuals who carry out these horrific acts.
Grim stuff, but makes up something like 75% of mass murderers (when 3 or more are killed).
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