Dad murders mom, teen son; 3 children left motherless (Clayton, North Carolina)

As usual, the media airbrushes away any personal responsibility in this double murder. The issue wasn't a "deteriorating" marriage, as if we were talking about rotting produce. No, what we have here is a dad who was obviously abusive and controlling--even if the mother refrained from telling police he was "violent." Note that she had called the police 4 times. That should tell you something. How many times did she NOT call? Mom finally tries to leave this guy (the "couple had been trying to separate"), and we see the results. Why doesn't this article point out that leaving an abusive man is THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME for mothers and children, rather than dance around the issues with talk of "deteriorating" marriages or relationships? That's just crap.

Here's the story with no frou frou: dad WILLIAM FULTON HOUSE brutally murdered his wife and teenage son, and left 3 traumatized young children behind without a mother to care for them. Like all abusers, he was severely threatened when his victims tried to break free of his control, so he killed them. Don't tell me about a "deteriorating marriage."

Hat tip to Annie.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/13/579283/3-dead-in-double-murder-suicide.html

3 dead in double murder-suicide outside Clayton

TAKAAKI IWABU - tiwabu@newsobserver.com
By Thomasi McDonald and Sarah Nagem - Staff Writers

CLAYTON -- Sheriff's investigators say the marriage was deteriorating at the Clayton home where a father, mother and their 15-year-old son were all found dead this morning, victims of an apparent murder-suicide.

Investigators say they think that the father, William Fulton House, 50, shot his wife, Devinee Maier House, 42, and their son, Dakota Johnson, before turning the gun on himself.

The couple had been trying to separate, said Johnston County sheriff's spokeswoman Tammy Amaon.

Three young children in the house, ages 2, 7 and 8, were unharmed, Amaon said. They are in the custody of their grandmother, she said.

William House worked for the city of Raleigh in the inspections department, where he made sure heating and air conditioning units installed throughout the city met local and state codes. He was known as "Billy" by colleagues, said Larry Strickland, the city's inspections director, who called House a "good employee."

"He would normally be at work today," Strickland said this afternoon. "I believe he was on vacation. He had taken three days vacation."

The call came in at 7:54 a.m. to 640 Castleberry Road, just outside Clayton.

Amaon said deputies had been to the home in response to domestic disturbances four times since April. The latest call came on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., when Devinee House called 911.

"The wife called and said she was trying to leave with her kids and he wouldn't let her leave," Amaon said.

When sheriff's deputies arrived at the home, they found that the woman had already left with the kids.

William House told the deputies that everything was fine, Amaon said.

On June 17 at 4:30 p.m., Devinee House called 911 and told a dispatcher that her husband had changed the locks on the doors of the home.

On April 29, she called 911 to report that her husband was "harassing" her, Amaon said. Sheriff's deputies arrived, and Devinee House left with the kids for the night.

0n April 20, just after 5 p.m., Devinee House called 911 and reported that her husband was "causing problems," Amaon said.

When the sheriff's deputies arrived, William and Devinee House each agreed to find another place to stay for the evening, Amaon said.

There was no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved any of the times Devinee House called the police, Amaon said, and none of the calls indicated violence was involved.

William House purchased the home in 1996, according to Johnston County property tax records.

Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/13/579283/3-dead-in-double-murder-suicide.html#ixzz0tgNez21F