A woman came home to a horrifying scene this weekend. Police say her husband allegedly shot their two kids, killing their daughter and critically injuring their son before killing himself.
On Saturday night, Daryl Benway, recently separated from his wife Kellen, and his 7-year-old daughter Abigail were both found shot to death in the master bedroom of the family's Worcester, Massachusetts home. His son Owen, 9, was discovered in the kitchen with a bullet wound in the head, but still alive.
Daryl's brother, who lives on the first floor of the home, called the police after finding the bodies. Kelleen, completely unaware of what had happened, found police and reporters swarming her home. Police at first detained her, then escorted her to the hospital where her son was being treated.
So far, investigators have learned that the couple had separated three or four weeks ago but were still married. But a family friend told reporters Daryl was feeling financial pressures. “He was losing his house, and it was three times in a row he was losing it,” said David Farrar. A neighbor couldn't believe the news: "He’s the most happy-go-lucky guy I know. I just don’t see him doing that,” said Sue Brennan, who lives behind the Benway home.
What I can't wrap my head around is why this father felt the need to take his kids out along with him. Shooting yourself is one thing, but killing your little children is beyond sick and disturbing. Frighteningly, this is just one of several recent high-profile dad killers.
In February, Josh Powell tried to kill his two sons with a hatchet before igniting an explosion that ultimately killed them all. He was suspected but never charged in his wife's disappearance two years ago. Then there's divorced dad Aaron Schaffhausen. He's the North Dakota construction worker on trial for slitting the throats of his three young daughters. Police found them all tucked into bed with dried blood covering their faces in July. And what about the father accused of tossing his 2-year-old daughter in a creek while she was still strapped in her car seat? What in the world is happening? This is just madness.
Have you noticed an increase in crimes where parents kill their children? Why do you think this is happening?
Image via Drab Makyo/Flickr
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Comments 14
There are so few fathers who give Dads a good name. This is sickening and sad :(
Sick sick people. God give this woman and her family strength!!!!!!!!!
I don't think it's increasing per say, but the news is picking it up more. Unfortunatly bad news sells papers, good news is ignored, so we get to hear about the worst of the worst worldwide 24/7. When people say "you never used to hear about stuff like this" it's because it's true, in the 40's and 50's sexual assult was taboo, you DID NOT TALK ABOUT IT. Kids rarely resported and when they did, more often than not parents kept it quiet. It would not make the papers because people didn't want to hear about it, same with murder, only truely high profile things made the front page. We've shifted pretty far from that viewpoint, now we are bombared with news that makes you feel like everyone in the world is out to get you and your kids. It's sad there is no medium.
I think it's partially that 10 or even 20 years ago, there were more 'missing' children and less were so obviously killed by the parent(s). People felt bad for the parents and there was an outpouring of sympathy, I don't think as many parents or family members were suspected, they are the first suspects now but then they were more often coined as the innocent victim. More people are being discovered for the murderers they are and more are doing it on a 'public' level, where they kill the children in and around their home instead of the child simply disappearing. So sad,,, I can't imagine doing these things to children. What really gets me is that the parents or family members would rather the chance of being charged with the murder(s) of their children, than to 'abandon' them to the proper authorities if they can no longer care for them. And I also don't understand why someone would kill their own children so the (eg. separated) parent couldn't have them, cutting their children's lives short for their own selfish revenge. Sick, Sick, Sick people,,, :L
HeatherMazzone : Just because someone is physically able to bear children, doesn't make everyone 'genetically programmed' to love and care for them before or after birth. Some people just shouldn't have children in the first place.