Dad murders wife, 9-year-old son (Pataskala, Ohio)

Dad JOHN ECKARD viciously gunned down and murdered his wife and 9-year-old before taking himself out. And yet this article does nothing but praise this guy and make excuses for his actions. This is all too typical of these articles, and it's getting very old fast.

All the stock journalistic devices are here. As if on clue, we quote the idiotic "acquaintance" claiming the murderer was a "loving husband and father." Why this delusional defense of a cold-blooded killer? Would the "acquaintance" still think Dad was very "loving" if he had a pointed a shotgun at HIS head? Or if the "acquaintance" was forced into begging for HIS life? I'm sorry--this is just crap.

Then there are the ignorant neighbors who claim the couple "appeared to be happy." How the hell would they know one way or another? Because they saw him mowing the grass or something? These people's impressions are obviously incomplete, off-base, and wrong. Why is the reader's time wasted in quoting them?

All of this gives a false impression: that these crimes come "out of the blue." They don't. In fact, if you read this article carefully, you'll see that Daddy Dearest had been planning this affair "for at least a month." So this was no "snapping," no sudden emotional outburst from an otherwise "nice guy." This guy CALCULATED and PLANNED to murder his innocent wife and child. Maybe we need to deal with that, instead of a fantasy build-up of what he was "really" like.

All kinds of stuff is said here to humanize and excuse the killer--we hear about his financial troubles, his Parkinson's disease. We hear an indirect slam at his wife: "people need to pay attention to the mental health of their loved ones and seek help when they are in trouble." As if to say that it's HER fault that all this happened.

Meanwhile, note that nothing is said here to "humanize" the victims. There's nary a word about what they were doing at school or work, what their hopes or dreams were. What they were like as people. It's like they're just the collateral damage in Daddy's Big Show of Personal Pain, which is the sole focus of attention here. Disgusting.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/06/patmurder.ART_ART_11-06-09_B1_0CFJD3B.html?sid=101

Man kills wife, son, himself, police say
Father reportedly beset by medical, financial problems
Friday, November 6, 2009 3:21 AM
By Josh Jarman

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/06/patmurder.ART_ART_11-06-09_B1_0CFJD3B.html?sid=101

PATASKALA, Ohio -- Police said a man killed his wife and 9-year-old son before taking his own life yesterday morning. He was a loving husband and father who had medical and financial troubles, an acquaintance said.

Pataskala police found the bodies of John Eckard II, 46, his wife and son dead in their home at 13160 Havens Corners Rd. at about 8:30 a.m. yesterday. They were called there by William D. Beer, who bought Mr. Eckard's land-surveying company about a year and a half ago.

Beer said he found four letters in his office yesterday morning, one addressed to him and the other's addressed to Eckard's ex-wife and two daughters from his previous marriage.

The letter thanked him for taking over the business. At the bottom it included the line, "by the time you read this, Robin, I and Nick will no longer be in this world."

Beer said he dropped the letter and called police immediately before rushing to the couple's home where police made their grisly discovery only minutes later.

Chief Chris Forshey said police broke in after they couldn't get anyone to come to the door.

Forshey said the bodies of Robin Eckard, 45, and the couple's son, Nicholas, were in their bedrooms. Each appeared to have been shot once in the head with a shotgun, he said. John Eckard's body was in the living room in the same condition.

Forshey said police found a fifth letter, which was addressed to "everyone," at the house. Eckard also sent text messages about 3:15 a.m. yesterday to relatives and friends hinting that there was going to be violence at his home. But no one apparently saw them until it was too late.

Investigating multiple deaths is always difficult, but even more so when a child is among those killed, Forshey said. "It's tragic for the family members. Our thoughts go out to them right now."
Neighbors said the couple, who bought the house in 2007, appeared to be happy. Forshey said police had never been called to the home because of any domestic trouble. The bodies were taken to the Licking County coroner's office for autopsy.

According to state records, the Eckards owned a used-car dealership in nearby Etna Township that they bought in August 2008.

Their two-story, four-bedroom house on 5 acres is on a private lane off Havens Corners. A number of families there own horses, including the Eckards, who had two. Neighbors described the lane as a close-knit community and said Nicholas often had friends over to play.

Beer said Mr. Eckard suffered from Parkinson's disease, and although his used-car business appeared to be doing well, the family was living beyond its means. He said the Eckards were a very close couple, who always expressed their love for one another.

He said he could not fathom why Mr. Eckard, whom he called one of the hardest-working men he had ever known, would hurt his family or himself. In retrospect, Beer said he thinks Mr. Eckard had been planning the crime for at least a month.

He said people need to pay attention to the mental health of their loved ones and seek help when they are in trouble.

"People need to know that a solution like that is a very empty solution," Beer said. "It leaves nothing but a tragedy."