Posted on 08/27/2002 5:47:49 AM PDT by 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.
Swansons other two children boys, ages 16 and 20 were in the house at the time of the killing, but were unharmed in the incident.
Swansons 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 Swansons 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 Swansons 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.
As the case unfolds I'm sure we'll learn more. Until then, the media has to beat up on the homeschool community at large. :o/
LOL!! True! That's why they need to have Tom Cruise portray them in movies.
In real life that shrimpy girly-man would be spanking frank in the barracks wondering why Kelly McGillis is banging the buffed out soldier from the neighboring Army base.
Just kidding (sort of), thanks for your service.
Well, you know me. I never miss an opportunity to be a smart-@$$.
The problem here is not homeschool vs. public school, but another deranged woman. My comment about shooting him was tongue in cheek (and some obviously missed that). But supposedly, her argument was with him, not the kids.
There's more to this story that we're not seeing.
Cruise played a Navy flyboy. Real fliers need lots of runway. Oh and square miles of missle silos.
I know what you meant. But with this thread, that was unfortunate phrasing...
The same could be said for teachers in public and private education. Homeschooling is a calling. If you're not 'called', you shouldn't be doing it.
It's very refreshing to hear that from someone called "homeschool mama."
Thank you.
BS. My wife just completed her masters and passed a certification exam for a diagnostician's position. If she switched to that position this year (which would entail almost a 20% raise), even with 13 years of experience, she would still not make 50 grand, in a school district that pays better than average in Texas.
plus benefits to work 180 days over a 9 moth period
The benefits are actually getting worse and worse each year. And while I will agree with you that starting teachers make a great deal for the amount of time, the actual time off during the year is more like 7 weeks during the summer, 2 weeks during Christmas, a week for spring break, and about another week of other holidays mixed in for a total of 11 weeks. If I had 13 years at my firm, I'd get 4 weeks of vacation plus another week and a half of holidays/personal days -- roughly half of the time. The fact is that first through third (or so) year teachers are fairly well paid (in Texas) but after that, the raises don't go very far.
Now, with all that said, I'm a big fan of home schooling and will probably do it with our kid(s). But let's keep our comments factually based, please.
The homeschool group I lead has over 70 children in it. Every single field trip we had in the last school year (numbering 16) resulted in praises from the businesses we visited. They said our children were the most well behaved group visiting their establishments.
Sounds like you have an anti homeschool attitude based on ignorance...and grouping a few bratty kiddos into the entire homeschool community. tsktsktsk
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