"Charleston Killer" raised by violent custodial dad; what happened to this boy's mother? (Charleston, North Carolina)

I am not underplaying other factors that played into this killer's actions, like the ready availability of guns in an extremely racist culture. That said, I get tired of all the fathers day MRA propaganda blaming single mothers for crime and all the other social problems in the world when FBI research clearly shows a very high correlation between violent fathers and murderous offspring.

Notice that it has become so common for abusive and controlling fathers like FRANKLIN ROOF to assume full custody that nobody even asks how he got custody, who gave it to him or what happened to the mother.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3131858/Charleston-killer-Dylann-Roof-grew-fractured-home-violent-father-beat-stepmother-hired-private-detective-follow-split-claims-court-papers.html

Monday, Jun 22nd 2015

11PM 68°F 2AM 

EXCLUSIVE: Charleston killer Dylann Roof grew up in a fractured home where his 'violent' father beat his stepmother and hired a private detective to follow her when they split, she claims in court papers
•WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
•It was Dylann Roof's father Franklin Roof who bought him the gun that he used to massacre nine churchgoers in Charleston
•Franklin married Paige Mann in 1998 when Dylann was four - and she was the 'closest thing he had to a mother' until 2009 divorce
•At age 15 Dylann's life began to go off the rails
•In court papers Paige claims Franklin subjected her to a ‘pattern of control and mental manipulation’ that ended with a vicious assault •Exclusive photographs show the multiple bruises to her body when she claims he battered her in 2008
•The heavily tattooed builder reportedly told her: 'You’re not a very good maid but I’ll keep you around’

By Daniel Bates In Columbia, South Carolina For Dailymail.com
Published: 15:36 EST, 19 June 2015 | Updated: 10:25 EST, 20 June 2015

The white loner accused of shooting dead nine people at a black church was raised by a violent father who beat up his stepmother and hired a private detective to follow her when they split.

These shocking charges were made in court papers by Paige Mann - the ex-wife of Dylann Roof's father Franklin - that were obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.

Franklin Bennett Roof, 52, who is known as Benn, bought his son the gun he allegedly used for the massacre.

He is also said to have subjected his wife Paige to a ‘pattern of control and mental manipulation’ that ended with a vicious assault.

Exclusive photographs obtained by DailyMail.com show multiple bruises to her body allegedly caused by him.

She claims he battered her on the back of the head in 2008 and made her ‘world fall apart’.

Franklin is said to have shredded Paige’s self esteem during their ten-year marriage.

He also kept her in a 'virtual prison' by calling her several times a day and demanding to know what she was doing.

The heavily tattooed builder repeatedly told Paige she was lazy and spent too much money.

 He allegedly once said: ‘You’re not a very good maid but I’ll keep you around’.

When they split, Franklin is said to have taken his revenge by accusing her of having a lesbian affair and hiring a private detective - who took graphic notes about her spending the night with her boyfriend.

When the divorce was finalized in 2009, Dylann’s last chance of a stable family life disappeared.

His main anchor in life was a father who was away travelling for four days each week with his construction company.

Dylann, who was then 15, began to skip classes, did not finish high school and became unemployed - living ‘on and off’ with his father while he spent his days taking drugs and playing video games.

According to police, his journey into the wilderness ended on Wednesday night when he went on the rampage at a Bible study group at the Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina.

He is accused of calmly sitting with them for 45 minutes before opening fire and telling the group of black worshippers he was doing it because they had ‘raped our women and are taking over our country’.

He has now been charged with nine counts of murder and has reportedly confessed to the shootings.

The roots of his extreme hatred have yet to be fully explained but documents filed at the Richland Family Court give the clearest indication yet of how he was brought up.

The files show that Paige was the closest thing Dylann ever had to a mother - until Franklin’s alleged abusive behavior removed her from his life.

The former couple married in November 1998 in Florida, when they were living together in Columbia, South Carolina.

Dylann was just four and his half-sister Amber was 11. In 2000 Paige and Franklin had a daughter together, Morgan.

Paige writes that she ‘raised (Franklin’s) kids from a very young age, took them to all of their activities, and Benn’s kids have spent almost every weekend with me. “

After we moved to Florida our marriage really began to deteriorate when Benn became so controlling.”

‘Benn travels a great deal, usually four days a week, so I would always care for and raise his kids’.

Paige tried working at Sears but Franklin said he wanted her to be a stay-at-home mom, so she quit.

Despite her ‘great reluctance, Franklin moved the family to the Florida Keys, away from her family, friends and support network'.

It was a terrible move.

Paige wrote in her affidavit to the court that their ‘fighting and arguing became worse’ and Franklin ‘constantly belittled me about how lazy I was’.

She wrote: ‘After we moved to Florida our marriage really began to deteriorate when Benn became so controlling.

‘He controlled my whereabouts, the checkbook and everything about my life.

‘On September 20, 2008, my whole world fell apart when Benn and I got into an argument.

Benn violently pushed me to the ground and hit me in the back of my head.’

That night Franklin took the credit card from Paige that she had been using to pay the grocery bills.

She said it was her only source of income.

He also said he was ‘cutting off the electricity and taking my car’.

Paige claimed he told her he would ‘relinquish his rights to our daughter if I would waive child support’.


Paige claims in court documents that 'my whole world fell apart when Benn and I got into an argument.

DailyMail.com: 'That was us just slinging mud at each other. That's just stuff. We get along fine now'

Paige claims the heavily tattooed builder repeatedly told her she was lazy, spent too much money and once said: ‘You’re not a very good maid but I’ll keep you around’

The pictures of her injuries, allegedly from domestic abuse, were included in a court fuke Paige wrote that she was ‘so scared of him that I knew I had to get out of this violent situation’.

She moved back to Columbia with Morgan - leaving Dylann with his father.

The court file contains numerous other documents filed in support of Paige’s claims.

Her mother Patricia Hastings said in a letter to the court that her daughter’s nature was ‘one of caring, cheerfulness and devotion to her family’.

“ Paige was there for Amber and Dylann on the occasions where their own (mother) chose not to be, including church, driving Dyalnn to and from school and extracurricular activities.”

She wrote that her daughter ‘loved Bennett Roof’s other children Amber and Dylann unconditionally as her own’.

And she added: ‘I was afraid that love for these children clouded her judgement in getting involved with Bennett Roof.’

Dylann stayed with Paige and Franklin far more often than with his own mother, who was supposed to have him every other weekend, Patricia noted. ‘Paige was there for Amber and Dylann on the occasions where their own (mother) chose not to be, including church, driving Dylann to and from school and extracurricular activities.’

Her daughter’s marriage had been a ‘source of great concern’ on numerous occasions, she added.

‘Prior to the marriage, a pattern of control and mental manipulation was evident to me and many of (Paige's) friends.

‘Having worked 30 years as a registered nurse and most of those years were in women’s health services, I am well acquainted with the signs of an abusive relationship.

This is even more frightening when you see it unfolding in your own child’s life’.

She described how over the years she saw Franklin ‘isolating (Paige) from her friends and family’.

Judge makes opening remarks at Dylann Roof court appearance

After their divorce was finalized in 2009, Franklin hired a private investigator to investigate Paige, even though after a decade of abuse she had understandably moved on

In his affidavit Franklin wrote: ‘I now know she has a boyfriend. I hired a detective and found out my suspicions were confirmed'

After their divorce was finalized in 2009, Franklin hired a private investigator to investigate Paige.

His notes on her movements with her new boyfriend are pictured here She wrote: ‘The chipping away of her self-esteem by constant verbal attacks on everything from personal appearance to house-cleaning skills was a frequent occurrence’.

Hastings said that Franklin was ‘manipulative’ and that once in January 2009 he came round and was ‘pounding on the front door and yelling in the extreme’.

Paige’s friends wrote in court documents that they saw similar incidents.

The most blunt was Sally Moore, a special education teacher, who had known Paige for 20 years.

She wrote in a letter: ‘Benn was tough on Paige. He called her several times a day to check up on her and find to what she was doing, and what was for dinner.

‘If he should make it home, I heard him making comments about her cleaning: "How long is that laundry going to stay in that f***ing chair?

'"What in the hell have you been doing all day?" and "You’re not a very good maid but I’ll keep you around".

‘Benn began to work out of town more and more, staying out of town for a week or more at a time.

‘Paige had the responsibility of their child Morgan and her two stepchildren.

‘The toughest time for Paige was 2004-7.

‘Paige and Benn built a house and their living expenses became more exuberant. Benn questioned every penny Paige spent, even at the grocery store. I heard him question: "What did you buy for $200 at Food Lion?" and "Morgan’s shoes cost how much?"

Friend of Dylann Roof comments on his state of mind Paige, seen in a Facebook photo, said that she would always care for and raise' Dylann and his half-sister Paige, seen in a Facebook photo, said that she would always care for and raise' Dylann and his half-sister ‘It got to the point that Paige had to ask me for hand-me-downs from my daughter so she would not have to hear him fuss about spending too much money on shoes or clothes.

‘We had many play dates where Paige just cried because she felt so inferior, not trusted and just plain unhappy.

‘Benn did not even trust our relationship. He at one time accused us of being lesbians... it seemed odd to me since I know how truly selfless Paige is and what a kind heart she has.’

Another letter was written by Paige’s friend Leslie McArver who had known her for four years.

She wrote: ‘(Paige) always made sure Dylann was able to visit his father, even taking him to and from his house every weekend. She has been very active in all of the children’s lives for the past 10 years and caring for them as her own.'

Yet another of Paige’s friends, Whitney Malson, whose daughter went to the same school as Morgan, wrote that she was ‘afraid’ of Franklin.

She wrote: ‘My husband witnessed him banging on Paige’s door at night and yelling at her. He kept banging on the door, yelling out her name, and I called out to him and said she was not at home.

‘Last week he showed up at school and was borderline physical with Paige. He was trying to pull Morgan’s backpack off Paige’s shoulders and was violent about it. He was harassing her all the way to the car in his own daughter’s school zone,’ she claimed.

Paige and Franklin split in December 2008 and the divorce was finalized in February 2009.

But in January of that year Franklin hired a private investigator to investigate Paige.

In his affidavit Franklin wrote: ‘I now know she has a boyfriend. I hired a detective and found out my suspicions were confirmed. She has omitted this affair to me’.

The word ‘omitted’ appears to be a typo and he seems to have meant ‘admitted’.

According to the surveillance report by McKay Investigations, a Columbia-based detective agency, agents tailed Paige over two weekends and observed her being affectionate with her new boyfriend, Scott McWhite.

Franklin entered it into the divorce files to demonstrate what he saw was a wrong against him.

The report reads: ‘As Scott leaned against the Cherokee, Paige put her chest to his and leaned on him. ‘They kissed. Paige rubbed Scott’s chest and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. He in return wrapped his arms around her waist.

‘Paige became extremely loving. It was as if she simply could not keep her hands, lips and body off of Scott.'

The agents write that the pair were ‘very free with their actions and in no way tried to be discreet’.

Over one weekend the agents carried out almost 24-hour surveillance on the couple, watching them in a club until after midnight and then back at McWhite’s apartment where they sat watching them relaxing by candlelight until they closed the curtains.

The agents returned the following morning at 5.24am, checked that Paige’s car was still there and watched as the naked couple put on their clothes and got ready for the day.

The report says: ‘She picked her pants up from the floor and put them on. Paige and Scott stood in front of the bathroom mirror.

‘Paige picked up her bra from the floor and put her arms through the straps. Scott stepped out of the bathroom and fastened her bra.’

In his filings Franklin denied some of the allegations against him.

He said that he did not object to Paige having custody of Morgan but he could not pay much child support as his business had been ‘living off borrowed money for over the last year’.

He claimed it had been ‘difficult to stay afloat’ after the 2008 economic crash, even though tax filings show he earned $48,000 that year.

Paige’s lawyer accused him of lying about his income and said that in his 2008 tax return he claimed to earn $5,100 a month - but it was actually $7,1500.

Matt Shearer, 27, an English teacher who lives next door to Franklin, told DailyMail.com that Franklin was a 'nice guy'. He added: 'Benn likes a beer, he likes going to Key West. He's got lots of tattoos, sailor tattoos. I've never had any trouble from them the time I've been here'

Matt Shearer, 27, an English teacher who lives next door to Franklin, told DailyMail.com that Franklin was a 'nice guy'.

He added: 'Benn likes a beer, he likes going to Key West.

In her affidavit Paige also alleged that Franklin had done ‘extremely well’ in construction, and in 2008 alone put $168,000 in their bank account.

The final terms of the divorce were that Paige got custody of Morgan and that Franklin would pay $570 per month in child support.

There was no mention of what happened to Dylann.

Franklin did not return calls for comment but neighbours at his house in Columbia said he was an 'easygoing guy' who likes to take holidays in Florida.

Matt Shearer, 27, an English teacher who lives next door, told DailyMail.com that Franklin goes by his middle name Benn and is a 'nice guy'.

He said: 'Benn likes a beer, he likes going to Key West. He's got lots of tattoos, sailor tattoos. I've never had any trouble from them the time I've been here. 'Benn owns the house on his property and rents it to a black guy. Benn has never struck me as racist or a white supremacist.'

Franklin's home is a two-storey property in a working-class area of Columbia.

On the porch at the front is a sign that reads: 'Harley Davidson Parking Only.'

A sign on the front door reads: 'Beware of the Dog'.

A Stars and Stripes flag hangs off a pole from the front of the house.

When DailyMail.com went to the house, Roof's sister Amber shouted: 'We've called the police. You've got to go.'

Three squad cars arrived and Franklin came out the house but refused to comment.

He pointed at the officers and said: 'I'll let them deal with you'.

DailyMail.com also visited the house of Roof's grandparents Joseph, 77, a prominent local lawyer, and Lucy, 76. Joseph answered the door and said: 'I've got three phones ringing and I'm trying to deal with this.'

His wife said: 'No comment, no comment,' and closed the door.

Roof's last known address is a ranch-style home on a main road in Eastover, a 30-minute drive north-east of Columbia, owned by Danny Beard.

A sign outside one of the properties reads: 'Peaceful Acres'. A Stars and Stripes flag hangs over the front porch.

Beard appears to be a patriot as there is a large shed on the grounds with more than a dozen vintage-style plates and signs, including the logo for gun maker Smith and Wesson.

Another reads: 'Don't Tread On Me' whilst others are for Route 66, Indian Motorcycles, Boar's Nest - a barbecue restaurant in Columbia - Winchester Rifles and the Ford Motor Company.

One bears the words 'Land of the Free'. Another has an American Eagle with the message: 'Everyone Remembers. No one forgets. POW MIA.'

A man who spoke from behind the locked front door said: 'This is private property, leave.'

Numerous other relatives of the Roof family told DailyMail.com to 'get off the property' when approached. .