Homicide survivors are often hypervigilant and over-predictive of further harm. This is unhealthy and (for most of the country) unnecessary. This final episode of 2023 explains the concentration of homicide within 13 zip codes in the U.S. (sometimes known as “kill zones”) and a possible remediation to the problem.
Homicide survivor “Jessika for Justice” makes her debut as a podcast host on this episode of Domino Effect of Murder. She discusses the ethics of true crime with her guest Raul Montero as he pursues justice for the victims of the Long Island Killer.
All murders are heinous but timing it to take place in front of the victim’s six-year-old son? This egregious act took place in North Hollywood on Halloween, 1985. But for our guest Susan Snow, the murder of her father seems like yesterday. In addition to her sharing her story of homicide, it is also a cautionary tale. Susan painstakingly explains why the lack of assistance given to her by adults in her life (personally and professionally) led to years of unnecessary suffering and feeling alone and damaged. She is the author of The Other Side of the Gun, available on Amazon.
www.jancantyphd.com
The financial fallout from murder and suicide is immediate, unexpected, under-researched, and murky. But, as our guest says “It is real.”
Using the example of brand-new widow Sophia, we get an inside glimpse of how financial demands add to the already overwhelming shock of unexpected death for those left to grieve.
One beneficial resource is suggested to take away some of the guesswork. (For additional information see the reference book “What Now? Navigating the Aftermath of Homicide and Suicide” available on Amazon.)
https://www.jancantyphd.com
Terry Gaza had an inkling there was trouble ahead with the young man who fathered her infant daughter. She put distance between them over his objections. Although Terry sensed he was capable of violence, she was unprepared for the news that he murdered his own mother, attempted to murder his brother immediately afterward then killed a passing motorcyclist as he fled the scene – in handcuffs no less.
Years later Terry was faced with the delicate task of revealing the truth to her daughter about her father. How much should she know? When should she be told? What words would help her understand? How would she react if and when he asked to see her. She gave it considerable thought.
Please join us as we sit ringside to the tragedy of a murder that impacted at least three families.
https://www.jancantyphd.com
The wind was not at the back of our next guest. Ever. She never knew her biological father. She grew up trapped in abuse and poverty. Her large family lived in a hot, isolated stretch of California dotted with Joshua trees, few people, and even fewer opportunities. When her mother was bedridden with cancer she became her caregiver, all the while working to support the family and caring for her younger siblings. By age 20 she was orphaned. Rather than sink in self-pity she (and her new husband) adopted her younger siblings. The marriage didn’t last, but her devotion to her family did.
Her younger sister/daughter Aryanna was never able to rise above her harsh beginnings and turned to unhealthy behaviors early in life to cope. Sadly, that eventually led to her violent death by a homeless man inside a deserted mobile home in San Diego. She was only 28. While Aryanna perished, her son did not and our guest is now raising him. Our speaker’s compassion, determination, and sorrow come through as she tells us of the loss of her much-loved and much-missed sister, Aryanna. Please join Alexa Hansen as she shares the story of the homicide of Aryanna who was burned alive.
https://www.jancantyphd.com
It’s impossible to explore grief following violent death without stumbling across compelling accounts of unexpected, metaphysical communications with the deceased. It may be the scent of their perfume precisely when they are thought about. Or, it could be a vivid dream that awakens the griever and persists. In other instances, it’s a special set of numbers that recur over and over. While seemingly rare, it’s likely that many “experiencers” have these asomatous events but declines to mention them for fear of ridicule.
Regardless of the form they take, it would be dishonorable and dismissive if we did not pause to take a closer look at these events. Enter Dr. Ann Clark.
Dr. Clark’s professional background is that of a scientist, researcher, and statistician. So it may come as a surprise to learn how her on-the-job experiences and the unexpected loss of her only child led her to investigate the phenomena of life between lives. In this episode, she discusses past life regression, soul development, and the process of life selection.
For more information see my website: https://www.jancantyphd.com
The carefree life of southern California teenager Lynette Duncan was abruptly stolen by a pair of serial murderers on a crime spree. She was only 16. It was 4 am. Her father was followed coming home from work with a bank deposit. As he stepped onto his front porch to unlock the door his life was cut short. So was the life of his eldest daughter who heard the commotion and was the first to get to the door. Listen to how this brave, young woman coped with being thrust into the role of head of household all the while grieving the loss of the family she once had.
Ryan was a senior at the U of Tampa and a star athlete when his life was cut short. A young man with a criminal past took Ryan’s life early one morning in a botched robbery. So started the enduring grief of Ryan’s close-knit family. His father, Kevin, reflects on how grief changes with the passing of years and the pressure it puts upon families. He discloses what he did to keep his family united during the three-year wait to bring the killer to justice. In addition, Kevin explains how keeping a journal helped him then – and now. (It is available on Amazon with the apt title “For The Love of Family.” I recommend it to students in victimology, criminal justice and social work majors as well as families experiencing the grief of a recent violent death.)
Four years ago Jessika learned her fiance, Austin, had been stabbed to death in the leasing office of their Texas apartment complex. He seemed the most unlikely person to meet a violent end with his polite countenance and love of animals and people. To compound her misery, the investigation was compromised from the get-go and ultimately left unsolved. In time Jessika pivoted her intense grief and anger into something positive. Today she is all about advocacy and educating others about the reality of the aftermath of murder. She knows of what she speaks.
