police tapeIn the wake of Superstorm Sandy, it seems like the Krim children murder case has been pushed out of the news cycle. But for many parents, the case continues to haunt. Yoselyn Ortega, the nanny suspected of stabbing 6-year-old Lucia Krimand her 2-year-old brother Leo was to be arraigned at some point this week, but the courts in New York may or may not be functioning because of the storm. Nevertheless, the horrifying story does have some grim new details.

Mother Marina Krim had apparently been having some issues with the nanny and may have even told her she needed to do a better job or find new employment. According to the New York Post, the Krims had given nanny Yoselyn Ortega some extra work cleaning and picking up around the house because she was having financial problems. But this extra work only made her more “rageful” against the family.

Asking someone to do extra work or work that is outside their job description does occasionally lead to resentment. Someone hired to care for children might become angry when they are asked to do work they consider more “menial” or not what they were hired to do. On the other hand, it sounds like the Krims were doing Ortega a favor and giving her something she asked for. And even if she WAS resentful, why take it out on the innocent children?

I have found myself wondering this whole past week how Ortega could have done what she did. The case has haunted me in a way few cases do. Maybe it is because the children look like mine and are so close in age. Maybe it is because I have employed nannies and caregivers and trusted them to shuttle my kids from school to dance class to karate and back.

The thing that is so scary about this case is that the Krims are like me. They are like my friends. They are a family who did nothing wrong. They were not drug addicts or bad parents or anything of the sort. If anything, Marina Krim is the kind of mom we all aspire to be. Judging from her blog, which has now been pulled, she is loving and patient and kind. She is a stay at home mom who employed help just to make sure all three of children got extra love and attention.

Kevin Krim is a hard-working dad whose children have been well cared for because of his dedication and hard work. All of this makes it that much scarier. Even the best parents in the world are not immune to random, horrible things. If this can happen to them, it can happen to anyone.

In many ways, it does not matter WHY Ortega did what she is suspected of doing. Nothing will bring back those angelic babies. No “reason” could ever justify hurting two innocent children. If she was “raging” she needed counseling. Clearly. And she needed to be far, far from kids. That guilt should be on her. Only she knew what was going on inside her head.

All the Krim family did was try to be kind to someone who was struggling.

Does this story haunt you, too?

Image via Alan Cleaver/Flickr