CA man kills his sister and her husband because of their "liberal" views

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

Seems very unlikely that "liberalism" had anything to do with this tragedy, which looks more like the typical crazy-relative-goes-off-his-rocker-and-blames-everything-but-himself story. But here's the synopsis:

This past Tuesday in El Cerrito, CA, a couple in their late 40s was stabbed to death by the wife's brother, because, he stated, he was upset with their liberal political views, as well as the way his sister was handling their father's estate and dealing with an aging great-aunt.

The murderer lived off odd jobs before working as a security guard and then a truck driver. He had no prior criminal record except for a misdemeanor. The wife, who served on the El Cerrito city planning commission, and the husband, an attorney who helped young entrepeneurs start businesses, were praised by locals as generous and community-minded. They had three children, one of whom witnessed the slaying.

From the article:

"Overall, I feel like I took down some bad people," said Wycoff, who added he only saw his sister once or twice each year over the past 15 years. "I made the world a better place."

-snip-

"I was just getting fed up with the life she was leading," he said. "I was appalled with what my sister and brother-in-law did."

Wycoff said he went to a Coldplay concert on Monday night at Arco Arena in Sacramento -- the first concert he had ever attended in his life. He said he didn't drink or use drugs, which he says he never does.

"I thought it could be a bit of an alibi," he said. "It seems like somebody who goes to a Coldplay concert wouldn't do this."

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/13791545.htm

Via Monkeyfilter and Cold Creek Running.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Isn't that a form of domestic terrorism? Hating your relatives for

their freedom to think and feel the way they do?? We've got enough problems right in our own back yard, and still, America's answer to her problems is to go foraging for a fight overseas.... I'm not sure I get the logic.

[Gatchaman]

2. Killed by talk radio, what a way to go

a person can only listen to so much festering hatred before going off the deep end.

[Jane Austin]

6. Bet they find out he listened to a steady diet of Savage, Hannity, et al.

n/t

[Cobalt Violet]

3. I wonder how much MSM he consumed? n/t

[KittyWampus]

21. I wonder how many violent video games he played? n/t

[Rocknrule]

35. Someone's been listening to Lieberman too much

There is a difference between VVGs and hate radio. Video games do not actively encourage people to commit acts of violence, they exist solely to entertain people. Coulter, Savage, and the others DO actively encourage violence against their political opponents.

[LifeDuringWartime]

37. i dont know for certain

but im guessing the parent comment was firmly tongue-in-cheek

[BrainRants]

4. Seems unlikely someone who only saw them once or twice a year

has any real insight into thier lives much less their politics.

The world will be a better place with you behind bars...open wide liberal hater.

[acmavm]

5. Sounds more to me like a loser in his bitter jealously took out two

successful and intelligent people.

[wtmusic]

9. beat me, you #*^&%$

move to the head of the class!

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

11. Exactly - it wasn't his motive but it's his defense.

What's interesting is why he thinks that defense acquits him of any guilt.

[wtmusic]

7. Brother was a loser, his sister and BIL were successful

let's look at the real motive here

[acmavm]

22. Yep, close but no cigar. n/t

[Wickerman]

8. Another keyboard warrior

still sitting in Mom's basement - never did much work, lived off the parents, and did some odd jobs until he started driving truck.

"I don't think of myself as a murderer. Yes, I killed some people. I was supposed to make the world a better place," he said. "If people out there think I'm a bad guy, I might just let them execute me."

I just might let them. How considerate.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

10. If you read the article it becomes apparent it's all about money

She was the older sib in charge of Dad's estate and the great-aunt's assets. He probably had a lot of resentment over what he got out of it.

Their alleged liberalism wasn't his motive for killing them. It's his defense for killing them.

[salin]

14. as stated above, it is frightening that he would think

that this line could be used as a defense (as in... he thinks people would judge him not guilty due to such a defense.)

[Gormy Cuss]

12. What it's really about is a property dispute.

The fact that he didn't agree with his sister's liberal views is secondary. They inherited an estate from an aunt and the brother was in a dispute with his sister over the house.

I love the way the local media have glommed onto the philosophical differences and ignored the monetary aspect.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

15. The local media didn't lead with that angle. I did.

Article headline: Murder suspect says victims 'appalled' him

His stated reasons for killing them are eleven paragraphs down, and include his complaint about money management. The local media gave it equal balance. I - and the blogs that picked up the story - skewed the emphasis.

[Gormy Cuss]

19. The local media is my local media.

The Contra Costa Times and SF Chronicle are delivered to my door.
They have not given the reasons equal weight. The disagreement over his sister's views has been far more prominent.

On edit: they do not describe his sister's views as 'liberal,' just that he disagreed with them.

[senseandsensibility]

28. Well, I, for one, don't see the emphasis on political views

as all bad. Nor do I think that it was not an important part of his motive, probably stoked by lots of rightwing hate radio. Do I think it was the entire motive? No. But people need to realize that some far rightwingers are dangerous, and hate people for their beliefs. If hatred of "liberalism" played any part in this murder, I want the public to know it. I'm from the Bay Area,too, and we have our share of rightwing wackos here as this story proves.

[Gormy Cuss]

30. I agree it's worth inclusion but it's simplistic to ignore the proximate

causes concerning the family estate and care of an elder relative in favor of the headline grabber. He has not agreed with his sister's views for years. Nowhere has there been any mention of how he came to hold his views against his sister's "liberalism." I'd be very happy if the suspect had said that Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage taught him to hate liberals but I have not seen any statements from family friends or neighbors to that effect. The press is so enamored of the tabloid elements these days.

Marin resident Michael Savage is our leading right wing wacko in the Bay Area, I believe.

[EFerrari]

38. El Cerrito isn't very big. I was afraid to see the actual names

as I lived on the Albany - ED border for some years. Those poor kids.

[DELUSIONAL]

13. In Texas - "they deserved to be killed" defense MIGHT work

but not in California (I hope).

[Paladin]

17. Give O.J. Simpson My Best Regards, OK?

No one from California has any standing to spew insults about bizarre defenses.....

[DELUSIONAL]

41. touchy touchy touchy -- I don't consider Texas part of the US

and I'm not from California.

BUZZZZZZ wrong.

[1932]

16. Fox News watcher? O'Reilly, Hannity and Rush on the radio?

I'm not blaming the media, and I don't think free speech should be limited because of the chance that a crazy person doesn't have a good bullshit detector, but this guy is echoing shit you hear every day on right wing radio and TV.

I hope O'Reilly, Hannity and Rush read about this and ask themselves if it's really worth saying such stupid, hate-mongering bullshit on their programs day-in and day-out.

Whatever they gain personally from lying and spewing hate and anger, I hope they ask themselves if it's really worth it.

[OzarkDem]

18. I hope his neices and nephews sue FAUX and right wing radio

The money issue may have been the predisposing factor for the murders, but he used their liberalism to justify it - just as bad.

[1932]

20. I don't. I still think speech should be free. I just wish these people had

senses of decency (or I wish that whatever private sector mechanism that allows crass, ignorant people to have such immense cultural power could be repaired).

I should also add that on a second reading of the article, I'm not sure that I haven't jumped to conclusions. I'm not sure I understand the guy's point about going to a Coldplay concert. I think I misread that. He makes one vague allusion to liberalism. And his primary concern seems to have to do with the father's estate and the treatment of the aunt.

I guess we'll have to wait until the trial before we draw conclusions about his motivations. However, one thing I feel comfortable saying is that if politics was a motivation, this prosecutor will have no problem finding a jury of Democrats in the East Bay.

[KittyWampus]

24. Violent video game player? Violent tv watcher?

interesting how some are mentioning listenting to radio personalities but would throw a hissy fit when someone mentions the influence of playing violent video games and watching violence on tv.

[demgurl]

23. With the interactions I have had with conservatives....

I have no doubt most of them want to do this to us. I have been run off the road and threatened by complete strangers. I have been told to leave the country right in front of my kids. (again by a stranger in a store parking lot!) It is amazing there is not more of this going on with the way they have been brain washed. It is a sad, sad state of affairs.

[im10ashus]

25. That is so tragic.

That the poor little girl had to witness such a heinous crime is in itself a tragedy. Premeditated murder - of your own family - shows how monstrous he is. And another sister died of an apparent epileptic seizure that nobody witnessed?? I would open that case right the hell back open.

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. Let's hope there are no copycat crimes in the next few weeks

:scared:

[GreenPartyVoter]

27. Indeed. I wonder if the folks on the conservative boards are cheering over

this?

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. Oh you know they are

They are such morans. Remember that parent who beat up the teacher a few weeks ago? And it turned out the kid had lied and the teacher hadn't molested her? The freepers I argue with jumped all over that and now they won't admit they were wrong. One of them said the dad should have just killed the teacher. I asked what makes you say that and he said well everyone knows teachers are all liberals and that would have made one less liberal to deal with. :eyes: :scared:

How ya doin Green? :hi:

[GreenPartyVoter]

31. I'm doin. :^) The family went down like a line of dominoes to a really

nasty stomach virus this week. We're just now starting to get back on our feet.

I'm not surprised about the killing the liberals comment. My father says he once heard my BIL say something similar. Stupid thing is that people like that don't stop to think, "Hey, some of the people I love and care about fall into that group." *shaking head*

I'd like to think that the morans on the other message boards who are thrilled about the outcome of that event are few. At least I hope so.

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. We have had pink eye here

Hope you are all better soon.

[GreenPartyVoter]

42. Oh, pink eye is the pits. Hope you have lots of cheap tea bags handy. Get

well soon! :hi:

[mitchum]

32. Limbaugh, Savage, Coulter, Robertson, etc...have MORE blood on their hands

[donheld]

36. My thoughts exactly

There will be more of these killings if the hate radio/tv gasbags continue to spew there hatred for liberals. The civil war has begun.

[Rocknrule]

33. We must remember

The RWers in this country see us liberals as SUB-HUMAN. They see us as a disease that must be exterminated. And their violent intentions are GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED. It's only a matter of time before another Krystalnatcht.

[Neil Lisst]

39. If you play Coldplay backwards ... it still sucks. n/t

[McCamy Taylor]

40. Third Reich Wing attack this week. Church bombings, Gay Bar, now this.

I am more afraid of the looney right than of muslim terrorists.