Mental illness doesn't excuse a killing mother.... I agree. Dfs was involved in ALL 16 of my brothers and sisters cases. NO ONE stepped in to help the ones that could have been saved! My mother didn't stop until 11 were in the ground. 

The fact that she was mentally ill makes it more understandable if you are outside looking in... but not the other way around. 

Thank You so much for your post. I have spent many hours over the years in libraries learning how to navigate microfiche. I was on a first name basis with the librarians. My problem is that these children were in Colorado, and there was a court case about their deaths. I know that court document said there was no survivors. I will not give up trying to get their names. They deserve that much.

I am an avid fan of Dr.Phil and have never missed an episode nor have I ever disagreed with any of his shows. But this show left me breathless and I actually had to turn it off.  I could not believe they revealed all of this horrible information to this poor woman on television, her expression completely broke my heart.  I feel like they could have told her in private before the show and then let her decide if she still wanted the world to know about her.  I am still left shaking my head.

The story is tragic.  I wish the best for the sisters; they have a heavy load.
Unintentionally, however, it perpetuates the stereotype that mentally ill people are violent and dangerous.  The truth is that rates of violence are comparable to the rest of the population at large.  This needs to be said in conjunction with such a horrific case.  It is not fair to represent severe mental illness in this light to the exclusion of the everyday truth.  Bored, lobotomized, disheartened and suffering souls who often are not only not aggressive but actually socially withdrawn.  They just don't deserve to be demonized.

C'est le douze décembre.

There were many elements that made this show as compelling as it was. The one comment that really caught my attention was Marlinda's response on Dr. Phil's stage when she learned from Troy Dunn of the multiple homicide committed by her mother. Marlinda instantly quipped by saying that, "Her mother should have given up custody of her children when she knew that she was mentally ill because it was too dangerous for her to have looked after them otherwise."

-When Lori & Marlinda's mother went on a rampage in her own household, it was in February of 1962. Mental illness was not nearly as understood nor accepted back then than it is today. However, Marlinda hit the nail on the head by emphasizing not only her natural mother's callousness, but her selfishness too. I just finished worshipping at an Anglican church that conducts midweek services every Wednesday. After we all said Alleluia, the group of us had socialized in the church's kitchen. Our minister was explaining to us how reluctant some elderly people can get by not accepting when it's time to move out of their own household to check themselves in to a residential residence. For example, when our minister's wife was involved with homecare, she noticed as she entered a household that its property owner had been dead for as many as eight days. In other words, it is very difficult for a lot of people to recognize that the criteria involving their own lives keeps changing. Even as far back as 1962, it was Lori & Marlinda's natural mother who had the responsibility to recognize that she was not as fit as required to look after four young children (don't forget, Marlinda was not involved because she was born in the mental institution that her mother was sentenced to).

-The other point I'd like to make in addition to being able to recognize certain life circumstances has to do with the core of mental illness. On Nov. 11, 2009, I got arrested for assaulting a young girl who happened to be walking by at the time. Mental illness or no mental illness, that poor girl had no business being assaulted that day. I made all of the choices that led up to that crime completely on my own. I decided to aimlessly walk out of my own apartment having gone off my pills while having completely given up on life. What made that crime as awful as it was has been the fact that I decided to assault her in that moment in time. I could care less if I wasn't thinking clearly that day. I made the decision to assault her when I could have reached out for help instead. Not only had I horrified her in that moment in time, but that poor girl must of had some awful reflections of what happened well after the fact. She was adversely affected whether I was mentally ill or not. A person who makes the choice I did needs to be completely condemned for that. I get infuriated when some of the world's biggest news stories on C.T.V. News Channel explain that the accused is seeking mental illness for their defence. That Anders Brevik jerk had the gaul to claim that he was mentally ill when he killed as many as 77 people in Norway in the summer of 2011. What he did was not only sickening, it involved very careful planning. The fact that he is a right-wing radical extremist might have something to do with it, don't you think? That's like believing that Jerry Sandusky could have possessed mental illness that led to his pedophile behavior around Penn State University. Although mental illness still needs to be taken more seriously as society progresses, the pendelum has now been swung in the other direction where it's becoming more & more of a convenient excuse just to get off in terms of the consequences that a perpetrator can get. 

-As far back as February, 1962, that lady could have spared the three sisters of Lori & Marlinda. Instead, it was acceptable for her to want to have them dead. 

-That is how I regard that Killer Mom. Now that she's gone, I hope that the existing greater family unit that  Marlinda & Lori are a part of can thrive & put the brutal actions of that sidistic woman behind them. Not only do I want this family to do well on their own, generally speaking, I would like to see mental illness used a lot less often as an excuse to justify harmful actions towards others. It's time for people to accept responsibility by realizing they are capable amongst themselves to make better choices to avoid making innocent people pay for their own personal misery.

Fred

Le Club de Hockey Canadien depuis 1909!

Why was this woman let out of jail after murdering two people and poisioning one? she should have died in jail. I am disturbed that Lori nor her husband pursued the arrest of said mother for attempted murder on the young boy. That is irresponsible, that they know a monster is out there, there is no telling what she'll do.

Does anyone know the name of the mother or Lori's name?  I would like to do mote research on this story.

Thanks,

Floradora

I was also disappointed that no fathers were mentioned.  Where were they throughout all of this?  Are they even living?

Also, I would like to read much more about this case, but the show didn't provide the mother's name.  I kept trying to catch it when they showed the newspaper articles about her, but I guess I didn't obtain the correct name.  Was the mother/murderer's last name MORROW?

Wow. Felt so bad for both women. Mental illness is such a horrible thing for these women to handle. Seeing some mental illness in my own family and how this generation of men handled the disease is understandable. This is the greatest generation who were taught to be survivors. Totally got why both fathers didn't want their daughters to experience the hurt that they did. After watching this show, all I can say is wow. Hopefully both women will get help so they can get through the next chapters in their lives. Malinda suffers from Biopolar but I see a fighter in her. Wish them both and their families all the best. Marsha

for those of you wondering if Marlinda was going to be given help by Dr Phil for her bi-polar.....if she knows she is bi-polar and she is still alive at this age.....she already has sought treatment. She is already on medication and she is already successfully living with BP.