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Oregon woman loses fight to keep sons from home of child killer
LA Times ^

Posted on 08/30/2011 11:57:40 PM PDT by Borough Park

  She was a Brownie troop leader, a room mother, a Sunday school teacher and almost the definition of an Orange County soccer mom -- until she shot her two small daughters to death in 1991 while they slept in their home in Laguna Niguel, Calif.

Kristine Cushing, then 39, said she was the victim of anti-depression medication, a debilitating heart condition and worry over the impending dissolution of her 17-year marriage to former Marine Corps fighter pilot John Cushing Jr. when she shot her daughters, ages 4 and 8, and then attempted to kill herself.

She was found not guilty by reason of insanity and spent four years in a mental hospital. In 2005, California authorities concluded that she posed no risk and granted her an unconditional release.

Fast forward to now: The Cushings are back together, living on Vashon Island in Washington state,  and an Oregon woman who married John Cushing four years after the killings has temporarily lost her legal bid to prevent her own teenage sons from living with the couple.

In his ruling, King County Superior Court Judge William Downing said Trisha Conlon, who only recently discovered that Kristine was living in the home, has not proved that Kristine Cushing poses an immediate threat to Conlon's two boys, ages 13 and 14, though he called for a full investigation to determine an appropriate final order.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...


TOPICS: US: California; US: Oregon; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: childkiller; children; divorce; johncushing; kristinecushing; mentalillness; motherhood; murder; parenting; trishaconlon; williamdowning

1 posted on 08/30/2011 11:57:50 PM PDT by Borough Park
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To: Borough Park

# the law?


2 posted on 08/31/2011 12:04:16 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been Redistributed. Here's your damn Change!)
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To: Borough Park

The only way this nonsense will stop is if the enablers of these predators are punished when they repeat their crimes. How many times have we read about some idiot judge or probation officer letting someone go, only to have the perpetrator kill/maim/rape some new victim?

The officials who enable them should be charged as accessories, equally liable with the offender.

Maybe this lady will live the balance of her life on the straight and narrow — maybe not. Nobody knows. But the judge who made this ruling should “have some skin in the game”.


3 posted on 08/31/2011 12:30:44 AM PDT by GadareneDemoniac
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To: Borough Park

Anybody who “attempts to kill” themselves and doesn’t succeed didn’t really mean to get the job done.


4 posted on 08/31/2011 1:10:13 AM PDT by icanhasbailout (Draft Judge Andrew Napolitano 2012)
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To: Borough Park
What the causes any man to dump his wife and children to take back the murderer of his two young girls?

He needs his head examined!

Just image the dialog, "Well how bad is your former wife? She's so bad she drove me back into the arms of my double child-murdering ex!"

5 posted on 08/31/2011 1:43:47 AM PDT by newzjunkey
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To: Borough Park

Wait a minute. This time line is all messed up. The killings tok place in 1991; she spent four years in a mental hospital and was released in 2005. There’s ten years missing.

Secondly, Trisha Conlon married John Cushing four years after the murder - during the missing ten years. Was there any divorce(s)? And why does Cushing have custody in the first place?


6 posted on 08/31/2011 1:44:45 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners)
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To: Borough Park

This is wrong.


7 posted on 08/31/2011 3:06:49 AM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: newzjunkey

Birds of a feather....he’s a wacko too. I only feel sorry for the children.


8 posted on 08/31/2011 4:29:38 AM PDT by FES0844
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To: Borough Park

Do any of these judges have a brain ..??

I seriously doubt it.


9 posted on 08/31/2011 5:51:59 AM PDT by CyberAnt ("America is the greatest nation on the face of the earth".)
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To: Borough Park
In the meantime, the judge ordered that John Cushing ensure that there are no firearms or other deadly weapons in the home,...

Good luck with that.

10 posted on 08/31/2011 6:17:21 AM PDT by facedown (Armed in the Heartland)
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