The Families of Those Who Kill
I remember in the early days and weeks after Caylee went missing, people were standing in the street in front of the Anthony home, outraged at the Anthonys. I remember being beside myself that people were lashing out at Casey’s parents.
People, to this day, are still expressing anger and scorn at Cindy, George and Lee Anthony. They have a tremendous dislike for them. I suspect it is partly due to the fact they ultimately blame Casey’s parents for her behavior, but I suspect it is more than that. I think they likely loathe Cindy, George and Lee because they aren’t standing up and saying they think Casey had something to do with Caylee’s murder. It’s as if the Anthonys are denying the obvious, to most people, and that makes people go crazy.
Read moreYet the Anthonys are not alone in their denial, which I believe is a survival mechanism. I suspect many other family members of people who have killed likely do the same thing. I’ve said that here several times.
This week, I came across a news article on the father of Diane Downs, Wesley Frederickson. He is offering a $50,000 reward to any information which leads to the release of his daughter. This just made news in February of this year–25 years after his grandchildren were shot and one was killed.
This case is even more compelling than the Anthony case because Diane Downs was convicted of murder and locked up, whereas Casey hasn’t even gone to trial. More than that, Christie Downs, Diane’s 9-year-old daughter at the time of trial, testified against her own mom, saying that she witnessed her mom shoot her and her siblings, and then turn the gun on her own arm.
Making it all the more unbelievable, Diane Down’s father, 26 years later, is still clinging to the belief his daughter just has to be innocent, and that his grandchildren must have been delusional or lying. He even maintains a website to this day here.
I think Diane’s dad gives a new perspective to how powerful denial can be, and how it is a coping mechanism for survival.
I do not judge nor will I ever judge Diane Down’s father or the Anthonys, because to be in their shoes must be pure and utter hell, if you accept the most plausible of truths that their daughters attempted to kill their grandchildren, that their own flesh and blood knew no normal boundaries of love and compassion and had the ability to kill in cold blood.