Killer Dads: Fathers who ended their children's lives in situations involving child custody, visitation, and/or child support
WASHINGTON
Grays Harbor County
Father: MICHAEL VANDERVEER
Victim(s): Ti-Ryn Emery (4 ½ months)
Date of Death: October 2010
Father arrested in death of infant son. Parents “not together” and baby had been in father’s “care.”
Pierce County
Father: KINGSA MCNIGHT
Victim(s): Unnamed son (3 years)
Date of Death: June 2014
Custodial father pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree murder in February 2016 in beating death of son. Mother lived separately, boy had been in critical condition for 8 days at father's home before being taken to emergency room.
*Father: JOSH POWELL
Victim(s) Charlie Powell (7 years), Braden Powell (5 years). Mother Susan Cox Powell “disappeared” in 2009. Father only “person of interest” in her disappearance.
Date of Death: February 2012
Father killed sons in murder-suicide during supervised visitation at his home. Boys suffered hatchet wounds before house consumed by arson. Father had lost bid to regain child custody from maternal grandparents just days before. Originally lost custody in fall 2011 when paternal grandfather (with whom father and sons were living) arrested for child porn. Father only “person of interest” in mother’s disappearance (presumed murder) in December 2009. In May 2014, investigators alleged that father also sexually abused the boys.
Father: SALVADOR SANCHEZ-OROZCO
Victim(s): Unnamed daughter (2 years)
Date of Death: February 2014
Despite a history of mental instability and suicidal ideation (father had once tried to strangle himself with a dog leash), father still had visitation rights with daughter. Strangled daughter to death in botched murder-suicide, allegedly to "punish" the mother for leaving him.
Father: UNNAMED DAD
Victim(s): Unidentified 6-year-old daughter
Date of Death: November 2014
Custodial dad killed daughter in murder-suicide, allegedly because he was depressed about pending eviction. Mother lived out of state.
Snohomish County
Father: STEPHEN BYRNE
Victim(s): Haley Byrne (9 years), Kelsey Byrne (11 years)
Date of Death: November 2004
Father who was “fixated” on his custody rights (and essentially had joint custody) killed daughters in murder-suicide. Father had history of domestic violence.