The Psychology of a Tragedy

News that a before setting fire to their RV and killing himself begs the question: How could a parent do that?

The simple answer—mental illness, said Dan Reidenberg, executive director of Bloomington-based Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE).

Like anyone who commits suicide, a person who also murders is typically depressed and suffering from mental illness, he said.

However, the person might have additional issues, such as an antisocial personality disorder and, in the case of a parent who murders their child, a feeling that their life is out of control.

“They might be afraid their kids are going to be taken from them,” he said.

That sense, combined with a delusional feeling that they’re the only one that can properly care for their children, might push a parent to kill their kids and themselves, he said.

Financial pressure could be involved, he said, but there are typically more issues at play.

“It’s usually a series of things going on,” he said.

Woodbury father less than three weeks after at his Oakdale home.

While experts worry more about suicides inspiring others among teens, Reidenberg said copycats have also been documented among adults.  After news that Marilyn Monroe committed suicide, he said, suicides increased among adults.

School Situation

Students at . The school told classmates what had happened, and made counselors available to students who needed to talk.

Typically, being honest with kids about these types of events is the best course of action in the long run, said Sarah Logan, interim co-executive director of the Center for Grief, Loss and Transition in St. Paul.

“Eventually the truth comes out, and better to hear from people who care about them,” she said. “It takes away some of that naive piece of themselves that we all try to protect our kids from. We don’t want them to lose that innocence, but that’s a delicate balance.”

These types of incidents can even affect kids who didn’t personally know the students involved, she said.

“Sometimes seeing that story can trigger some of what they’ve experienced in their life,” she said, “so it might look like they’re having a difficult time coping with this event of someone they knew from school, but in actuality they’re responding to experiences in their own life.”

How To Help

A fund has been set up for the Almaraz family, in which three children were left orphaned and are now being cared for by their grandfather.

The calendar lists a fundraising event for the family for preschool through second-graders at Pump it Up at 5 p.m. Oct. 28.

The Pioneer Press reports that a memorial fund has been set up for the family of Jace and Jersey DeHaven. Donations can be made at any Wells Fargo location.