Mom obsesses about money, murders son. Will history repeat itself?

There's a story in the news today about a Mom who murdered her son and then killed herself as she struggled with debt. (i.e., money) Given an earlier post of mine about the late Melody Bodine's obsession with money, it seemed I should comment. Who knows... the current story might be an omen.

What would you do if you saw this murder coming? Hmmm? While you can't stop someone from killing themselves, would you try to stop them from killing others?

Same question with Andre Yates. Remember her? She was the one who drowned her five children in a bathtub. In her case there seemed to be clear warning signs. According to a media report

Andrea and Rusty had met when they were both 25. Rusty had seen her swimming in a pool of his apartment complex and had decided he was interested in her. She introduced herself to him and they dated for three years. In 1993, they were married and a year later had Noah. They planned on having as many children as came along, whatever God wanted for them, and told friends they expected six.

Yet soon after Noah was born, Andrea began to have violent visions: she saw someone being stabbed. She thought she heard Satan speak to her. However, she and her husband had idealistic, Bible-inspired notions about family and motherhood, so she kept her tormenting secrets to herself. She didn't realize how much mental illness there was in her own family, from depression to bipolar disorder—which can contribute to postpartum psychosis. In her initial stages, she remained undiagnosed and untreated. She kept her secrets from everyone.

This is ominously parallel to Mrs. Bodine's background. She and her husband also planned to have as many children as God would allow and ended up with seven. They had Bible-inspired notions about family and motherhood. (Is "idealistic" a pejorative? The fact is, it was idyllic under Mr. Bodine's headship.) While I never met Melody's mom, I have heard that she was an angry woman. I don't believe in "mental illness" per se, believing it's demonic possession instead. If that's the case, then God talks about generational curses and it seems the late Mrs. Bodine fell victim to that curse. Through no fault of her own, as soon as she would become pregnant, she would become bedridden. Only now do I wonder how mentally depressing that must have been. If it was, and/or if she heard voices, she kept her secrets from everyone.

Sometime coincident to when her mother died, I (and others) who had known Mrs. Bodine for a long time had noticed a white to black change in her. She had become very, very dark, angry and hateful. Her husband was forced to confront her in love, telling her she had "an evil, malignant heart, that she had sinister and ghoulish speculations, that her thoughts were like black India ink on a white table cloth." (Quoting Mrs. Bodine at trial.)

So what do you do when you see this pattern repeating? Do you warn others about what you see, so they can keep watch because trouble may be afoot? Or do you keep quiet until it's too late and be like everyone else who said "I knew something like this would happen"?

You can't go to the police, for no crime has yet occurred. If you warn others who might be victimized and an Andrea Yates or Mrs. Bodine hears about it, you're a pariah. (Although if your children were possible victims, you would have no problem warning your children to stay away. You might even warn your neighbor kids about your suspicions too.) Even if you're right, and a woman ends up killing some children one day, you'll never really be "right." People are funny that way and would rather be in denial.

But if you keep quiet and your suspicions are eventually fulfilled, then God says blood will be on your hands. (Figuratively speaking for those of you who insist on taking what I say literally.)

Given what God says, I think it best to warn potential victims when your observations are affirmed by others. Are you willing to get involved? Make that sacrifice? Demonstrate love?

Now, you don't have to tell everyone your suspicions. You can be subtle and tell only those in authority, who can do something about the problem. Which is what I did with the late Mrs. Bodine. I wrote to warn the so-called pastor of the First Baptist Church of Prescott, Arizona, Chris Inman. At the time, Mrs. Bodine was working for the church's school (if that is theologically possible) and I was worried she might go on a rage and murder the children there, just as Andrea Yates murdered her children.

In Mrs. Bodine's case, others who had known her for a long time had also written others in "authority" at First Baptist about the change in her. So again, I wasn't the only one who saw a problem here.

You may not believe in demonic possession, but surely a christian church like First Baptist would. So I warned Mr. Inman of my concern. To the best of my knowledge, he didn't do anything except share my letter with Mrs. Bodine to use at trail against me. (Thanks, Chris. Wolf, wolf?)

Fortunately, nothing dire happened to the children at the church's school. (That we know of.) Who knows? Maybe the fact that I said something prevented the act from ever occurring? (As when you stare down someone acting suspicious around a car. Maybe you prevented a car jacking? How would you know?) As far as I know, she no longer works at the school. So, except for her own children (and grandchild), that danger seems passed.

Unfortunately, in her new incarnation as [text and link deleted as a courtesy to cease and desist letter] and the alarm bells are going off again. I'll plan to post a warning about that soon.

So, what would you do if saw Andrea Yates parallels in a long time friend? Would you speak up or remain silent? The demons (and cheating judge hamm) hope you'll keep silent.

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."