Survived by One: The Life and Mind of a Family Mass Murderer

Contents

v Contents Preface vii Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 The Odle Family Mass Murder: A Rare Case of Parricidal Familicide 1 Understanding the Crime: Parricide and Familicide 1 1. Mother and Son 4 First Memories and Early Childhood 5 Carolyn Odle and Physical Abuse 6 Capital Punishment 12 The Electric Chair 13 2. Discipline, Deprivation, and Resentment 15 Family Dynamics and Parenting Techniques 16 Elementary School and Social Isolation 17 Effects of Verbal Abuse 20 The U.S. Constitution and the Illinois Death Penalty 23 3. Beatings, Chains, and Fifth Grade 25 Chained to a Bed 30 Child Abuse in the United States 32 Richard Speck and Gary Gilmore 35 4. Cycle of Violence 37 Baseball, Paper Routes, and Junior High School 37 Adolescent Aggression and Predictors of Violence 43 John Wayne Gacy; the Ford Heights Four 45 5. “I Was Doing Really Well” 47 Sex, Drugs, and Early Criminal Behavior 48 Conduct Disorder 52 Sean Odle and DCFS 60 Lethal Injection 64 6. Dead Inside 66 Light in the Darkness 68 Downward Spiral of Depression, Desperation, and Dejection 75 Insanity and Executions 81 Contents vi 7. Murder: November 8, 1985 82 The Murders 84 Crime Scene and the Coroner’s Findings 93 8. Arrest, Confession, and County Jail 96 Confession 97 County Jail and the Media 102 Psychiatric and Psychological Examinations 106 Antisocial Personality Disorder versus Borderline Personality Disorder 108 9. On Trial for Life 110 Pretrial Hearings 110 Mental Status 115 The Trial 119 The Sentencing Hearing 126 Sentencing Arguments 131 10. Life on Death Row 134 The Death-Row Population 135 Legal Representation 139 Back in the News 141 Wrongful Convictions and the Road to the Moratorium 145 11. Moratorium and Commutation 151 Remorse, Guilt, and Shame 153 Commutation of Death Sentences 154 1985 Revisited 158 12. Atonement 165 Natural Life without Parole 166 Final Reflections 174 Epilogue 176 References 181 Index 185 Gallery of illustrations follows page 78 ...