Case of Sins of the Father Haunting Families - What Happens to Kids of Killers?

According to Psychology Today article by Katherine Ramsland Ph.D.*, serial killers have complicated relationships with their children and largely fall into 4 categories:

1. They care about their kids - Dennis Rader (BTK), Kuklinski (the Iceman), and odder still - Albert Fish
2. They include their kids - Ridgeway (Green River Killer), Kallinger (the Shoemaker), Mohammed (DC Sniper), the McCrarys, maybe Donald Studey?
3. They kill their kids - The Wests, Kallinger
4. They maintain the deception - Betty Broderick, Popkov (Russian Werewolf)

*[https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/shadow-boxing/201903/serial-killers-and-their-kids-it-s-complicated]

• What percentage of children of serial killers also become criminals?
• How do killers hide their activity from their family? Can they?
• As most serial killers experience violent childhoods . . . what makes their own families largely escape the same fate?

Please join us to discuss these cases along with others.

RECOMMENDED VIEWING:

• Evil Lives Here: (2015-present) tv documentary series where people share their perspectives of loved ones who committed horrible crimes. [Available on Amazon Prime, Discovery+]
• Monster in my Family: (2015 - 2 Seasons) tv series that focused on family members of serial killers and their victims. [Lifetime Movies]
• Children of Serial Killers: A Nancy Grace Investigation: Nancy Grace investigates the lives of children of serial killers. Hear from sons and daughters of serial killers and an expert in the field. [YouTube]

RECOMMENDED PODCASTS:

• Families Who Kill: The Donut Shop Murders - facing heat in his hometown, Sherman McCrary gathers his family and takes to the highways in search of crimes to commit. (~45m/episode) [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/families-who-kill/id1598175239]
• Murder Mystery Girls Podcast - Episode 32: The Children of Serial Killers - July 20202 - they discuss the children of serial killers and the impact on their lives. (55m)
• Happy Face - daughter of ‘Happy Face’ serial killer, Melissa Moore, explores her father's double life as an average dad and a brutal murderer, and how she goes forward in this 12-part series. [https://podsearch.com/listing/happy-face-serial-killer.html]
• Life After Happy Face - Melissa Moore and Dr. Laura Pettler, a Forensic Criminologist, tell real-life stories of people who shared their lives with a killer or their victims in this weekly podcast. [https://toppodcast.com/podcast_feeds/life-after-happy-face/]

RECOMMENDED ONLINE:

• People article - [https://people.com/crime/serial-killers-children-who-spoke-out/]
• Crime Traveller: "Serial Killers And Childhood Abuse: Is There A Link?" [https://www.crimetraveller.org/2015/07/serial-killers-childhood-abuse/]
• TikTok
• YouTube

RECOMMENDED READING:

• “Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter” by Melissa G. Moore (256 pgs)
• "A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming" by Kerri Rawson (336 pgs)
• "Love as Always, Mum xxx" by Mae West (320 pgs)

As always, please feel free to add any comments or links about the subject.