UPDATE: Children stabbed, dad ODs in murder-suicide (Thousand Oaks, California)

Police are now confirming that dad JAMES MULVANEY stabbed his two children to death before killing himself with a drug overdose. We posted on this case earlier today. Dad apparently already had "shared custody," though the fact that he had to take a "positive parenting" class suggests that there were "issues". Just goes to show what bullsh-- these feel- good classes are, especially for abusers. "Stabbing your kids" was probably not covered in the curriculum, but that sure didn't hinder Dad, did it? Wonder what idiotic psychologists, custody evaluators, and Guardian ad litems testified that Dad would be just fine with unsupervised visitation? Wonder what judge rubberstamped their determinations? Do you think they'll ever be held accountable? Don't hold your breath--you'll pass out.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/sep/17/thousand-oaks-deaths-were-murder-suicide-police/

Police: Children stabbed, father ODs in Thousand Oaks murder-suicide
By Adam Foxman Thursday, September 17, 2009

The two children found dead with their father in a Thousand Oaks apartment last night were victims of a murder-suicide, a Sheriff’s spokesman said this afternoon.

Authorities this morning identified the children as Jason Mulvaney, 12, and Jennifer Mulvaney, 7, said Sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Ross Bonfiglio. The father was identified as James Mulvaney, 52.

The children were stabbed to death in their bedrooms at the apartment in the 2700 block of White Ridge Place, Bonfiglio said.

A preliminary investigation by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s office indicated James Mulvaney took his own life by overdosing on prescription pills, the captain said.

Jason and Jennifer had multiple stab wounds, Bonfiglio said.

The mother dropped the children off with their father Tuesday afternoon and found them all dead Wednesday evening, said Det. Eric Buschow of the Sheriff’s Thousand Oaks station.

The man, along with the children, was pronounced dead at the scene in The Knolls apartment complex on Avenida de los Arboles by paramedics at 5:54 p.m. Wednesday, Buschow said.

Chaplains were on scene Wednesday night, for both the mother and for first responders, Buschow said.

Mulvaney and his wife were involved in a divorce and custody case, Ventura County court records show.

Mulvaney’s wife, Julie Mulvaney, filed for divorce in February 2008, court records show. Jason and Jennifer were named as parties in the suit. The most recent item in the suit was filed on Sept. 11.

Court records show that James Mulvaney went through a “positive parenting” class in December 2008.

James Mulvaney used to be the branch manager at a Citibank in Camarillo, but Brian Tabachnick, a senior vice president with the company, declined to say how long he was employed or under what circumstances he left.

Jason attended Los Cerritos Middle School in Thousand Oaks. At the school this morning, Principal Elly Love told students Jason was killed by his father. Jason was not at school Wednesday, she said.

A school psychologist is following the slain student’s schedule through the day, talking to children in all his classes about grief.

“From the reaction of the children, they will feel this loss,” said Margaret Sala, director of special education.

Counselors and school psychologists will be at the campus throughout the day, and also tonight for parents attending back-to-school night.

Jennifer was a student at Lang Ranch School.

A police officer also was on campus this morning, and some parents came to pull their children out of school today.

The last homicide in Thousand Oaks was more than a year ago.

Linda Price, 67, was found strangled on July 26, 2008, in the Arroyo Via Apartments in 1800 block Via Petirrojo, where she lived and worked.

Price’s son Kenneth Price, 39, was arrested shortly afterward on suspicion of the killing. Kenneth, who police described as a transient, remained in Ventura County Jail this week on suspicion of murder.

In 2008, nearly one quarter of the homicide victims in the U.S. whose relationship to their killers were known were killed by family members, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report.

— Staff writers Jean Cowden Moore, Teresa Rochester and Zeke Barlow contributed to this report