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.
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.
They didn't have to beat you. The prospect of facing a verbal tounge lashing was impetus enough for all but the most hardened to toe the line . ;^)
According to the NEA http://www.nea.org/edstats/images/02rankings.pdf
the AVERAGE U.S. Teacher salary, is 44,600 Roughly 50K.....
By Law, there are 180 School Days (give or take) per year.
Most Schools do not return to School until After Labor day, and are out of session all of July and August, that is Nine weeks, throw in about 10 days in June, and you are pushing 3 months....
Regardless of what you Texans LIKE to think, it's not the Universe in its entirety....lol There all Facts ; )
LOL. Buddy, you are on a roll this morning!
There are many different factors to consider. For example, are they all the same gender? I'm not one who labels the children of any specific type of mother (stay-at-home or working) to be one way or the other (though I might lash out in self-defense).
For you old timers, this phrase is redundant. For you youngsters, it was an attempt to avert replies about perverse methods of oral torture. ;^)
I was stating fact, CJ. She was a former homeschooler and a current public schooler when she murdered her children. To call her a homeschool murderer wouldn't be fact.
Of the 2 million + homeschoolers in the United States, I'd say the wacko/stupid people are rare. Many homeschoolers do indeed have accountability. Perhaps you could read up on that and not make randome judgement.
To ingore the fact that a profound disagreement with her husband over homeschooling is central to the murders would be irresponsible.
CS***It's very refreshing to hear that from someone called "homeschool mama."
I *have* known a few families who homeschooled because they thought they 'should'. Their decision was based on a sort of expectation..their children learned, but the schooling wasn't from the heart of the parents. Then again, I do know a few families whose children are public schooled who could definitely benefit from the one on one of homeschooling...and are seriously considering it. The commitment and calling *has* to be paramount! :o)
OK, I was getting a little worried there..! Thanks for the clarification.
ROFL!!
(more so in private ed. than public, i realize) but as a parent, who is overseeing the wackos and stupid people who are homeschooling their kids?
Oh, right, let's set-up a gov't agency to keep track of those homeschoolers because you think they might be "wackos" and "stupid people". But, hey, why stop there? What about the children who spend time with their parents after school? How do we know what's happening in their homes? Are the parents helping them with their homework? Are they feeding them properly? Maybe we should just set-up cameras in everyone's homes. /sarcasm
The way this thread has gone with you and a few others here... I can understand now why anyone ever "attacked" you for being a working mom. I know I didn't attack you on this thread, and I saw very few posts that did. But, here you are, getting a thrill out of bashing us. Obviously, whoever insulted you previously was doing so in self-defense.
What we know is that with my wife's personality and my son's personality, homeschooling was not an option.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.