Posted on 03/26/2002 1:02:59 PM PST by FresnoDA
Man kills four kids and himself in Merced murder-suicide
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Man shot daughter, stepchildren out of revenge for failed marriage
MERCED, Calif. -- Rambling letters written by a man who killed his daughter, three stepchildren and himself depict a desperate man bent on revenge over a failed marriage, authorities said Wednesday.
The writings were found in the apartment of the former sheriff's deputy and at the house of his ex-wife, where the five victims were found dead of gunshot wounds Tuesday.
John Hogan wrote that he had nothing to live for and that he wanted to be buried with his 5-year-old daughter, who was found lying in her father's arms, said Merced Sheriff's Sgt. Ken Thurman.
"I want to be with her forever," Hogan wrote, according to Thurman. "She was a blessing from God."
Hogan also allegedly wrote that he blamed the stepchildren for the divorce from Christine McFadden. Melanie, 17; Stanley, 15; and Stuart, 14, were McFadden's children from a previous marriage.
Hogan had recently lost his job in law enforcement because of a disability, his marriage collapsed and he was about to be evicted from his town house.
"He was upset and disgruntled," said sheriff's commander Mark Pazin. "He was hoping there was going to be a reconciliation in their relationship. Evidently he realized that it was not going to happen."
The two were married in 1995. Hogan knew his ex-wife's routine, and is believed to have entered the house through a garage door that was unlocked while she was out walking with a neighbor, Thurman said.
Inside the house, Hogan called a friend and former colleague who still works as a deputy at the Santa Clara sheriff's office, and left a message saying he was financially and emotionally bankrupt and that "it was over."
Thurman said he thinks the call was made after Hogan killed the children.
"The tone and emotion in his voice sounded very desperate," Thurman said. "He was already talking in the past tense."
John Hogan wrote that he had nothing to live for and that he wanted to be buried with his 5-year-old daughter, who was found lying in her father's arms, said Merced Sheriff's Sgt. Ken Thurman."I want to be with her forever," ...
Well, I guess we can rule that out.
Hello,
I was married to John Hogan in 1972. All I know is that he was not a bad person then. He had his problems but he would never had hurt a child. He wanted a child so badly. We had a child but through circumstances that I can not disclose, he only saw the child a couple of times. The child never did meet him.
Everyone always thinks of Christine, God Bless her, but no one thinks of John's family and how this has hurt them too. From what I hear , only one side of the story has been told. Since she has money and influence in the community, that is the way it will stay unless someone says something.
From what I heard, she had a restraining order against John yet she would allow him to move back in and then kick him out again. She threatened to not let him see his daughter anymore. Michelle was his only reason for living. Her older children told their father that they were afraid of John yet she still let him move back in. Things like this were not told.
John took his daughter with him because of her threat to not let him see her anymore. In his state of mind this was the only way that he could have her with him and Christine could not keep him away from her.
My child, my grandchild and I also lost someone that day. My child lost a father and sister. My grandchild lost a grandpa and an aunt. I lost someone that I loved.
I feel very sorry for Christine and I have prayed for her and the children many times. However,this crushed Johns family also.There is no excuse or reason that would make right what he did and I don't pretend so. I just want all of the story revealed.
It's not just men.
Women use the court system to torture men all the time.
The men also have to pay for this.
Sometimes they are driven to atrocities.
My child lost a father and sister. My grandchild lost a grandpa and an aunt.
I feel badly for your loss, however my heart goes out to Christine (I don't care how much money or influence she has, it won't bring back her children).
As for your statements above, it doesn't appear as your child and grandchild suffered much of a loss..they didn't even know the guy.
They may not have known him but my child had to hear what happened. That is a heavy burden to carry the rest of yur life. To know that your father snapped and did that. My child was looking for him and wanted to meet him. Now he will never have the chance. It was made worse finding out that there was a sister too. It is all just so sad.
Desperation, Revenge In Hogan Letters
Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 01:10 AM
Rambling letters depict the former sheriff's deputy who killed four children and took his own life as a desperate man, despondent over his divorce and bent on revenge. In writings found by police yesterday in his Merced apartment and at his ex-wife's house, John Hogan said he had nothing to live for. He said he lost his police job because of a disability, his marriage collapsed and he was about to be evicted from his town house. Hogan shot and killed his five-year-old daughter and three stepchildren earlier this week before turning the gun on himself.
littlesister777,
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Four Merced children are dead after what police believe was a murder suicide. Just after 7 a.m. Tuesday, a man went to the home of his ex-wife at Lecco and Piedmont Streets in Northeast Merced, where he allegedly shot his own child, three other children in the home and himself. Merced County Sheriff's Deputies say the man's ex-wife, Christine McFadden, came back from a morning walk to find her ex-husband and her five-year-old daughter lying dead on the floor. McFadden went to a neighbor's house to call police, then returned home to find her three other children dead in other bedrooms. Authorities say the dead include the five-year-old girl, a 17-year-old girl, and 14- and 15-year-old boys. Those three teenagers were not children of the man who apparently committed the murders. Police say the man had been living in Kern County. How, why and when he arrived in Merced are unanswered questions at this time.