Killer In The Family

Send us a text On 8 December 2011, just days after being sacked from Leicestershire Police, former police inspector Toby Day killed his wife Samantha and six-year-old daughter Genevieve before taking his own life. Their two older children Adam and Kimberley managed to survive his attack.  This is the story of The Day Family.  Information and support   ·       Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans...

Send us a text In June 2021, just three years ago, Maggie Murdaugh and her son Paul were shot and killed at the Murdaugh family property in South Carolina. Husband and father Alex Murdaugh is currently serving two life sentences for their murder. Their deaths were the last in a long line of murders associated with the Murdaugh family. At the time of his death Paul was facing investigation for the...

Send us a text In June 2021, just three years ago, Maggie Murdaugh and her son Paul were shot and killed at the Murdaugh family property in South Carolina. Husband and father Alex Murdaugh is currently serving two life sentences for their murder. Their deaths were the last in a long line of murders associated with the Murdaugh family. At the time of his death Paul was facing investigation for the...

Send us a text The tragic story of Christine Chambers and her daughter Shania is one that exemplifies the darkest corners of domestic abuse and the heartbreaking failures of the systems meant to protect. As we discuss the chilling history of violence that culminated in their deaths, we also reflect on the resilience and enduring spirit of Christine's other daughter, Chelsea, and her two older sons...

Send us a text In February 2016 Geraldine Newman and her two children Shannon and Shane were murdered by their estranged husband and father Paul Newman in Leeds. With a history of domestic abuse and having served a prison sentence for an assault on Geraldine, Paul Newman was released and monitored by police for two years but was left free to kill his whole family.  We step behind the headlines to...

Send us a text In August 2016 Clodagh Hawe and her sons Liam, Niall and Ryan were murdered by the one person who should have protected them the most – husband and father Alan Hawe. The case has been hugely criticised for the way the media excused what Hawe did and ignored Clodagh and her sons and gave way to the #HerNameWasClodagh trending on social media in an effort to refocus attention on what...

Send us a text On 17 February 1970 police received an emergency phone call coming from Jeffrey Macdonald in Army Base Fort Bragg. He said he had been injured and his wife and two children were injured by a group of intruders. What police found was Jeffrey’s wife Colette and his two daughters Kimberley and Kristen dead with multiple stab wounds and blunt force injuries. Jeffrey was eventually convi...

Send us a text In June 2007 Canadian professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife and son and then took his own life. With allegations of domestic abuse in their marriage it could be that Chris finally killed his wife and son after years of abuse. However, some speculate that they many blows to his head he took during his wrestling career led to brain damage and could have caused Benoit to k...

Send us a text In June 2007 Canadian professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife and son and then took his own life. With allegations of domestic abuse in their marriage it could be that Chris finally killed his wife and son after years of abuse. However, some speculate that they many blows to his head he took during his wrestling career led to brain damage and could have caused Benoit to k...

Send us a text We're honored to share the microphone with Jess Phillips MP, a tireless fighter for the rights of women and girls, as she brings her unfiltered expertise to our latest episode. Jess doesn't just talk the talk—her work with Women's Aid and in Parliament gives her a unique vantage point to challenge the systemic barriers that perpetuate domestic and sexual violence. Prepare to be conf...

Send us a text On 2 September 2021 Fawziyah Javed and her husband Kashif Anwar were on a break in Edinburgh. 17 weeks pregnant Fawziyah was planning to leave her husband. He took her on a walk up Arthur’s Seat and pushed her off a cliff up there. She and her unborn child died as he claimed she slipped. Controlling and abusive and determined not to let her leave Anwar was convicted of murder in a S...

Send us a text Polly is CEO of Shelter, the charity that defends the right to a safe home. She is a prominent media commentator and speaker on social justice, housing and homelessness, leadership, feminism and women’s issues, on platforms ranging from the Oxford Union to the first Women’s March London.   She was previously CEO of Women’s Aid and, before that, Executive Director at Action for Child...

Send us a text    Notes    In March 2020, when the world was going into COVID lockdown, Kelly Fitzgibbons and her two children Ava and Lexi were shot and killed by the person who should have loved and protected them the most – partner and father Robert Needham, who then killed the family dog and took his own life. Having lied on his application for a shotgun and with Kelly wanting to take a break...

Send us a text In December 2009 wife and mother Susan Powell disappeared, seemingly having vanished overnight. Her husband Josh came home from a camping trip with their two young sons the next day to a cacophony of concerned police, family and friends. Despite claiming he had no idea where his wife was Josh was the one and only suspect in her disappearance and presumed murder.   The police never h...

Send us a text In December 2009 wife and mother Susan Powell disappeared, seemingly having vanished overnight. Her husband Josh came home from a camping trip with their two young sons the next day to a cacophony of concerned police, family and friends. Despite claiming he had no idea where his wife was Josh was the one and only suspect in her disappearance and presumed murder.    The police never...

Send us a text On 22 January 2006 in Hopkinton Massachusetts, 27 year old Rachel Entwistle and 9 month old Lillian were found dead in the house they shared with husband and father Neil. He was nowhere to be found however.    Having fled back to his homeland of Nottinghamshire in the UK, Neil was arrested and brought back to the US to face trial for the murder of his wife and baby. Facing huge debt...

Send us a text On Friday 19th January 2024 police forced entry into a house in Costessey which is just outside the centre of Norwich in Norfolk. They were responding to a call from a concerned member of the public. Inside the house they found two children and two adults dead and presumably murdered. They were two sisters, their father and their aunt and they had all died by stab wounds.   We look...

Send us a text In December 2001 the bodies of two young children were found in the waters of Lint Slough in Oregan. Days later the bodies of a woman and another child were found less than a mile away. Mary Jane Longo and her children Zachary, Sadie and Madison had been found dead and their husband and father Christian Longo was nowhere to be found. Put on the FBI’s Most Wanted list Christian Longo...

Send us a text In April 2018 Steven Pladl suffocated and killed his seven-month-old son Bennet – who was also his grandson. The next day he shot and killed his estranged wife Katie – who was also his daughter - and her adoptive father Anthony. He then took his own life. A serial predator who took whatever and whoever he wanted Pladl’s murders spanned three states and ruined numerous lives.   This...

Send us a text On 4 January 2023 Michael Haight killed seven members of his family – his wife, his mother in law, and his five children, before killing himself. Having been investigated for domestic abuse previously, his wife Tausha had initiated divorce proceedings just two weeks before the killing, Michael exerted his one final act of control over his whole family.  The facade of happiness, main...

Send us a text Stepping into the dark corridors of the human psyche, we confront the daunting reality of family annihilations, where those meant to protect become the perpetrators of ultimate betrayal. As I weave through my master's studies, the weight of understanding coercive control and its link to intimate partner homicide bears heavily on this episode. We honour the victims, not just as stati...

Send us a text 27-year-old Laci Peterson was 7 months pregnant with much wanted baby Conner when she disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002. Her and Conner’s bodies were found dead in San Francisco Bay in April 2003. Her husband, who was having an affair at the time of Laci’s death, was convicted of murder in 2004 and continues to maintain his innocence.  This Part Two of the story of Laci and Conner P...

Send us a text 27 year old Laci Peterson was 7 months pregnant with much wanted baby Conner when she disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002. Her and Conner’s bodies were found dead in San Francisco Bay in April 2003. Her husband, who was having an affair at the time of Laci’s death, was convicted of murder in 2004 and continues to maintain his innocence.  This is Part One of the story of Laci and Conne...

Send us a text A little bonus episode of the pod  chatting all things podcasting with special guest Sarah Pike @Wild_Earth_Yoga. Written and produced by me, Clare Laxton. Credits Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton Produced by: Clare Laxton  https://killerinthefamilypodcast.buzzsprout.com   Music by Tom Box and from Pixabay. Support the show Killer in the family podcast is a total labou...

Send us a text On the 18 November 2003 Julia and Will Pemberton were in fear for their lives – from their estranged husband and father who had a history of domestic abuse and control. That day Alan Pemberton shot and killed Will in the driveway of the house he shared with his mum, he then killed Julia – she was on the phone to 999 at the time. Alan then took his own life. Their experience is one t...