Man shot daughter, stepchildren out of revenge for failed marriage
MERCED, Calif. -- Rambling letters written by a man who killed his daughter, three stepchildren and himself depict a desperate man bent on revenge over a failed marriage, authorities said Wednesday.
The writings were found in the apartment of the former sheriff's deputy and at the house of his ex-wife, where the five victims were found dead of gunshot wounds Tuesday.
John Hogan wrote that he had nothing to live for and that he wanted to be buried with his 5-year-old daughter, who was found lying in her father's arms, said Merced Sheriff's Sgt. Ken Thurman.
"I want to be with her forever," Hogan wrote, according to Thurman. "She was a blessing from God."
Hogan also allegedly wrote that he blamed the stepchildren for the divorce from Christine McFadden. Melanie, 17; Stanley, 15; and Stuart, 14, were McFadden's children from a previous marriage.
Hogan had recently lost his job in law enforcement because of a disability, his marriage collapsed and he was about to be evicted from his town house.
"He was upset and disgruntled," said sheriff's commander Mark Pazin. "He was hoping there was going to be a reconciliation in their relationship. Evidently he realized that it was not going to happen."
The two were married in 1995. Hogan knew his ex-wife's routine, and is believed to have entered the house through a garage door that was unlocked while she was out walking with a neighbor, Thurman said.
Inside the house, Hogan called a friend and former colleague who still works as a deputy at the Santa Clara sheriff's office, and left a message saying he was financially and emotionally bankrupt and that "it was over."
Thurman said he thinks the call was made after Hogan killed the children.
"The tone and emotion in his voice sounded very desperate," Thurman said. "He was already talking in the past tense."
John Hogan wrote that he had nothing to live for and that he wanted to be buried with his 5-year-old daughter, who was found lying in her father's arms, said Merced Sheriff's Sgt. Ken Thurman."I want to be with her forever," ...
Well, I guess we can rule that out.