“How Could a Mother…?” Matricide and Text-Mediated Relations of Family Discourse

This article presents the case of one woman who killed all 6 of her children before attempting to kill herself. The circumstances of the case are detailed, including a history of violence & suicidal threats between the perpetrator & her husband. The author argues that the woman’s commission of matricide & subsequent suicide attempt suggest that in fact she was not a “bad” mother but rather, was committed to being a mother, in that she could see no other alternative in order to keep her family together. (61 refs)