Augusta kids killed (Another Homeschool Killing)

Helena Independent Record ^ | 8/27/2002 | CAROLYNN BRIGHT

[CholeraJoe]

Augusta kids killed
By CAROLYNN BRIGHT, IR Staff Writer - 08/27/02

Swanson faces 2 counts of murder.
A 46-year-old Augusta mother allegedly shot and killed two of her four children as they slept in their beds at the family ranch about 15 miles southwest of Augusta early Monday.
Jeanette Swanson faces two counts of deliberate homicide in connection with the shootings and is being held in the Lewis and Clark County Jail without bond.
Swanson was placed on suicide watch at the jail Monday afternoon while the bodies of her children — a 10-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy — were brought to the State Crime Lab in Missoula, where an autopsy will be conducted, said Undersheriff Cheryl Liedle.
According to Liedle, emergency responders flocked to the Swanson Ranch just before 6 a.m. after Swanson called 911, reporting that she had shot her two children.
Swanson’s other two children — boys, ages 16 and 20 — were in the house at the time of the killing, but were unharmed in the incident.
Swanson’s husband, Gene, was sleeping in a camp trailer outside the residence when the shootings occurred, Liedle said.
According to reports, Swanson was waiting at the door of the residence when emergency crews arrived.
Her children were located in their beds inside — both were dead at the scene, Liedle said.
Liedle said a firearm believed to have been used in the shootings was recovered at the family home, but officials will await the results of the autopsies to determine whether it was, in fact, the murder weapon.
Court documents indicate that Swanson’s 20-year-old son reported to authorities that his mother had a .38 Smith and Wesson gun in her possession when she placed the 911 call, but Liedle would not confirm whether that was the same make of gun seized at the scene.
Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Sam McCormack said Monday morning that a motive for the killings was sketchy.
However, he said that Swanson and her husband had argued last week about Swanson’s decision to enroll the two children in school in Augusta — Gene Swanson wanted his wife to continue to home school the kids on the ranch while she wanted them to attend public school.
The children attended their first classes at school in Augusta last week.

[OldFriend]

When I see some of the posts on FR regarding what one would or would NEVER do as a parent I am reminded of a little poem I was told long ago when I first became a Mom..........

With the patter of little feet, come a thousand words I'll have to eat!

Some folks ought to keep that in mind.

[asformeandformyhouse]

They were in public school at the time they were shot so what the hell are you talking about? Apparently she got her break from homeschooling.

Look at it this way, maybe homeschooling was the only thing keeping these kids alive.

[Temple Drake]

I homeschool four children. It is a point of contention between my spouse & me at times -- it is exhausting and there is just about no instant gratification involved. But I would think that the solution would be suicide, not murder -- even on my very worst days, it would never occur to me to kill the kids! This woman is sending her husband a big fat message of some kind, and the school thing has nothing to do with it.

[xsmommy]

while only one raised feminaziism on this thread, i have encountered other homeschoolers who have insinuated the same. i can truly blow myself wide open here and admit that i am a lawyer and that will clinch the deal for sure. In any event, i agree 100% that the NEA is nightmare organization and that NOW and feminazis would much prefer kids NOT be homeschooled and do their level best to trash homeschoolers. i know exactly where you are coming from, and all i ask is that people not automatically pigeonhole people who DON"T homeschool as inadequate parents.

as to questioning whether i am cut out to homeschool, as i think i have explained, i work with my 7 year old, who has a learning disability, and i see firsthand what my lack of patience wreaks on her poor little psyche. i much prefer to read to her and play dolls and teach her to cook, than to do MATH with her, where one or both of us ends up bawling!

[Sangamon Kid]

Hey, are Catholic grade schools as good today as they were when I attended in the '60's? As an adult I continue to be so thankful that my parents worked their fingers to the bone to send us 7 kids to parochial school, and though I'm no longer a Catholic, that schooling was one of the best things that ever happened to me. (By the way...my wife and I have homeschooled our kids for 16 years now.)

[CWRWinger]

However, he said that Swanson and her husband had argued last week about Swanson’s decision to enroll the two children in school in Augusta — Gene Swanson wanted his wife to continue to home school the kids on the ranch while she wanted them to attend public school.

Please read the article again. She wanted her children in the government indoctrination centers.

[Tired of Taxes]

no, you misunderstand, i am a feminazi that WORKS while having someone ELSE school my kids

Well, there's nothing wrong with working. But, in case you haven't noticed, stay-at-home moms get criticized more heavily than working moms. You're supposed to be "super moms", according to Sesame Street and everyone in the media. I myself worked up to a year-and-a-half ago, but I worked nights and weekends. Even if we wanted to put our children in daycare, we couldn't have afforded it. Now, with three kids, we can't afford to continue raising them on just three hours' sleep a night, so I'm at home full-time now. Yet, if you believe the media, I am either "lazy", "wealthy", or simply "oppressed". I can't count the number of times people have commented why I am not working DURING THE DAY with my children in daycare "because they need that socialization..." It was like: OK, then YOU pay for it for me.

[xzins]

Corin, it's so refreshing to see your humor at play.

Careful....they might shoot you. I just told "intimidator" to take a hike. (what an idiot.)

X

[myrabach]

Perhaps he was the one who chose to sleep outside? Two bad parents here and the kids suffer... 2 dead and 2 others scarred for life.

[glory]

So what Joe--the point is she got what she wanted--they returned to public school so your attempt to pin this on some idea she was forced to homeschool is just bogus. It does not matter if they were homeschooled for 15 years, she got what she wanted in the end and that was to no longer homeschool them. You'd have a lot more credibility with your argument if she was still homeschooling them, but she isn't. As someone else asked, why exactly are you against homeschooling? It seems obvious you dug this story up only for it's mention of homeschooling.

[Sangamon Kid]

I homeschool four children.

So did we. We are down to the last two.

[glory]

LOl--I live in Ohio too and those are the schools we are not going to use--one of the best districts as well. Oh well..guess we all disagree as to what pc is.

[xsmommy]

you know, kid, i think that varies by region. we have relatives in upstate NY and OH where catholic schools are being closed and dying off, whereas the Arlington diocese expands and is building new schools etc. THIS, in view of the fact that Arlington and Fairfax Counties are some of the highest rated PUBLIC school districts in the nation, educationally speaking.

in addition, our schools have TONS of non-catholics that attend. so yes, i would say that depending on the area, catholic schools are better. Also, we have public school teachers that take pay cuts coming from Fairfax Co. to teach in our schools because there is discipline and right and wrong are taught.

[xsmommy]

read the thread.

[glory]

LOL--I thought of that for a moment, just a moment. No doubt it will be defended in that manner.

[myrabach]

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I am so thankful my Mother never homeschooled us. Our sanity was preserved by attending school and as many extracurricular activities as possible. Staying out of my home was safety! And my Dad was the perfect enabler. Sorry folks there are some very wacko parents out there... and the one thing they shouldn't do is keep the kids at home.

[ppaul]

Gene Swanson wanted his wife to continue to home school the kids.....

That's the father's job.
The wife is supposed to help, but it's ultimately the father's responsibility.
Sounds like this guy was lax regarding his.

[xsmommy]

well it depends on who you talk to as to who is more criticized, i have been asked on FR by posters, WHY DID YOU HAVE THEM IF SOMEONE ELSE IS RAISING THEM. i have been lucky, i took 2 year maternity leaves with each of the 3 kids, and now work a flexible schedule so as to avoid daycare altogether, xshub takes them to school and i work early so as to be able to leave and get them directly from school. i realize not everyone can do that, and i laud stay at home moms for what they do, i just don't want to be called a feminazi because i happen to have a job. : )

[CWRWinger]

I don't have time.

[Chemist_Geek]

I can't count the number of times people have commented why I am not working DURING THE DAY with my children in daycare "because they need that socialization..." It was like: OK, then YOU pay for it for me.

Oh, don't worry, the Village will provide daycare... Just let us raise your taxes some more... (barf)