Father kills 4 children, self after spousal dispute (2006 US murder totals - 8788 and rising)

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette ^ | 7/04/06

[Libloather]

Father kills 4 children, self after spousal dispute
Associated Press
Posted on Wed, Jul. 05, 2006

An undated photo provided by the Gustine Police Department shows twins Alyssa Branscum, 5, left, and Taylor Branscum. The twins and their two other siblings were found dead in their Gustine, Calif., home Tuesday, July 4, 2006, officials said. The children apparently died of gunshots to the head, and their father, Trevor Branscum, 38, died of a self-inflicted wound, Mayor Jim Bonta said. Police Sgt. Vince Inaudi said the children appeared to be sleeping when they were shot. The evidence was consistent with a murder-suicide, but the department planned to conduct a full homicide investigation, he said. (AP Photo/Gustine Police Department)

GUSTINE, Calif. – A man who was seen arguing with his wife Tuesday later killed his four young children with a hunting rifle before turning the gun on himself, officials said.

Authorities identified the dead siblings as Aubrie Branscum, 12; Jacob, 10; and twins Taylor and Alyssa, 5.

The children apparently died of gunshots to the head, according to Mayor Jim Bonta.

Their father, Trevor Branscum, 38, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities told the mayor Branscum had to reload the rifle before each shot.

Bonta said that the family had lived in Gustine for several years and that police were unaware of any previous problems with the family.

“They were happy; they were doing fireworks together last night,” Bonta said.

The bloodshed came about an hour after a store owner called police to report that Branscum and his wife, Amanda, were having an argument. Police said that as the woman drove away in a van, her husband dove through the window.

Authorities said that after police were called to the Branscum home before 2 a.m., officers saw Amanda Branscum lying in the road uninjured; the father and children were found dead inside the house.

[starfish923]

It sounds to me as if you have been the "victim" of a button pusher. It also appears you play the "victim" role very well.
I have news for you. MOST people have, at one time or another, been both. I suppose that's human nature. You just accused me of being a human being. How dare you.
However I have not been either to the extent where FIVE people are dead...four babies and their dad.

More later. I'm going to a birthday party.

[GoLightly]

All true and Andrea Yates should get the death penalty, then burn in hell.

Erm, what sentence do you think Mr. Yates should get? The analogy you chose speaks volumes. You associated people in the passion plays by gender, rather than by the roles they played...

I suppose it's the headlines I object too...."marital dispute"?!

The headline is neutral. Seeing anything more in it would come from a reader's perception.

He murders his own children and himself and there might have been a "dispute"? Something doesn't smell right there. SHE is lying outside on the sidewalk uninjured? Completely uninjured? I wonder where she was in defending her four babies, that's all. They had more than a mere "argument." And it didn't suddenly start in ONE day. Has she NO part in this?

Seriously, you need to work on your understanding of personal boundaries. There was nothing that she did or could have done to *make* him do this.

Is she completely blameless in all this?

Unless she pulled the trigger, yes, she is blameless. Due to some red flags that I saw in the news report, she prolly will tend to agree with you, rather than with me. Still doesn't change the fact that 100% percent of blame falls on the one who pulled the trigger.

Four babies and one father/husband are dead.....and she isn't even injured.

While she has no physical injuries, I would hardly say that she is unscathed by this. There is no doubt in my mind, that was the point. Ya wanna shred someone, harm those they love.

It ALWAYS AND ALWAYS takes two to fight. One person alone can't have a "fight," "argument" or "dispute"; it always takes TWO. So if there is a fight, then both are to blame for the fight. That's just a fact.

I disagree. Inadvertently burning the pot roast is not an act of war... Seeing the burnt pot roast as proof that your SO doesn't care about you, is.

Also, when buttons are pushed, they are pushed by someone, KNOWING full well that buttons are being pushed. That goes for spouses, siblings, work-mates, whatever. That's the egregious part of fighting: buttons pushed are pushing someone farther and farther. The button pusher knows this but never knows "how far" the other person will go. That is always an unknown, yet the buttons continue to be pushed and pushed and pushed.

There is one appropriate, healthy response to button pushing. All of us are responsible for disarming our own buttons. Long as we try to lay blame for our reaction on the button pusher, we are handing them power over us.

Some people just prefer to push buttons because they know they can. It's part of the control they have and exercise....especially when THEY don't have the guts, backbone, courage, brains, desire, whatever, to solve the problem WITHOUT pushing buttons. Then when pushed-person goes "too far," the button pusher can ALWAYS say, "I didn't know s/he would go off like that. Besides, it's not MY fault, I didn't pull the trigger." I was just wondering. This wasn't merely a dispute or argument. He didn't simply "go off" one day. I would be hard pressed to believe that she was blameless. I am just wondering, that's all.

Bet he killed the kids as the ultimate act of pushing her buttons... He sure showed her... Unless she pulled that trigger, she was in no way responsible for his actions!

She will weep her way past any blame, naturally. Andrea Yates is doing a good job of it. Humans will do that with women, especially young women....let them weep their way past due process. Practice. It works. Then, she will remarry and have more children. One hopes she will have learned something about disputes, arguments and fighting.

She is not to blame, any more than Mr. Yates is to blame. Do I think she & Mr. Yates were Both enablers? Yes, yes I do. Doesn't mean I place fault on either of them for the horrific actions of their spouses.

[NY Attitude]

The following is from a person that lives in Gustine, California:

"You people are all guessing and conjecturing without knowing one shred of actual circumstances. Get a life. Your posturing and philosophizing make me sick. These are real people, usually good members of our community. Bad things happen to good people. Trevor snapped. End of story.... There is stress in all of our lives and we each deal with it differently; some in good ways, some in bad. You do not know any of the people involved. You should be ashamed."

[snowstorm12]

This is info from another article.

"I just wanted to find Amanda and give her a hug," Lee said, though she found no one at the house. She said the family had appeared happy, though Trevor Branscum recently lost a construction job and had to take another at $5 less per hour in Modesto. That caused Trimble to seek a job, something Branscum never wanted, she said.

[snowstorm12]

My theory is she had plans with her friends that night. She went to the store to get a few things alone. This guy follows her there and starts an argument. The store clerk says he showed up a short time later and she came in alone. It was probably about him being at home with kids for the night while she goes out and has a good time. She tells him to stuff it and get lost. She wanted some free time for a night to herself. He jumps in her car and later the store owner sees him go out the window of the vehicle. She heads home and head outs. He probably pulls this sort of thing all the time so she thought nothing of it.

[pollyannaish]

This is a sick, twisted world. There really are no words.

[pollyannaish]

The only innocent victims in this entire story are the children.

Beyond that, we do not know.

[pollyannaish]

All of us are responsible for disarming our own buttons.

THAT is the KEY to a good marriage. Wow. Excellent analysis.

[lmf]

I have read all of these statements and for U people that are putting Amanda down are incredible ignorant! That woman no matter what did not deserve this to happen! Her husband regardeless of the circumstance took the lives of their children. My parents live in Gustine and my brother was Jacob's best friend!! You have no right to bagger Amanda. Saying she should have known or that she should have seen this coming. U Morons that are not reading everything are not getting the story. Her husband and her had an arguement she then decided to call a gfriend to pick her up so they can both get control of themselves. She did not leave her kids. She was not injured because she was not there when this happened she was with her gfriend. She returned home to find her husband dead in the kitchen. She then ran out of the house hysterically trying to get some help and she fainted on the floor. UNINJURED BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT THERE!!!!!!!!! I think we should be grieving the death of these 4 innocent children not trying to play detective and start pointing fingers at she should have done this or that. You do not know what you would do in that situation. I think this pathetic and the only reason I am posting this is because my brother lost his best friend and Amanda was a wonderful mother that did everything in her power for those kids!! U don't know anything about her.......

[RedWhiteBlue]

BS. Based on your signup date, you're not even in the US.

[Libloather]

You don't know anything about her.......

Pause, take a deep breath and, please, tell her story. You seem to know what happened...

[RedWhiteBlue]

I think this is what we refer to as a "necro-troll." They normally pull up old threads (usually months or years old), claim to know the people in the story, and proceed to tell all of us freepers what a uncaring, cold-hearted lot we are. The signup date on this one is 7-10, which means that they are located in a time zone that is outside of the US -- another indication that they really don't know those involved.

[Libloather]

...the only reason I am posting this is because my brother lost his best friend and Amanda was a wonderful mother that did everything in her power for those kids!!

Kinda sounds like the poster knows someone we don't. We'll see...

[pollyannaish]

Cross referencing for interesting contrast.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1662127/posts

[RedWhiteBlue]

Necro-trolls ALWAYS claim to know the people involved in the story, and try to claim they are an insider. This is just one example of many. There is actually a freeper (can't recall his name) that keeps track of these resurrected threads, all with posters that sign up claiming to be insiders just so that they can chastize us.

[trussell]

Ping

[trussell]

Another troll? I think there are two here!

[trussell]

How did you just *manage* to find us here?

[trussell]

Sign up date is set for GMT...it always looks like they signed up the next day when it's later in the day here.