On Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, neighbor Hailey Erickson brings a flower and a stuffed animal to a makeshift memorial in front of the apartment where a father and his children were found dead in the 2700 block of White Ridge Place the day on Wednesday, Sept 16, in Thousand Oaks. (Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer)
Jobless dad, kids in murder-suicide
By Connie Llanos, Jerry Berrios and Kevin Modesti, Staff Writers
Updated: 09/17/2009 09:53:39 PM PDT
published in the Los Angeles Daily News
THOUSAND OAKS — After losing his job in the midst of fighting a child-custody battle, a Thousand Oaks father apparently stabbed his two children to death in their own beds and then killed himself, police said.
The murder-suicide stunned this suburban Ventura County community which hadn't seen a single homicide for more than a year.
The children's mother found the bodies of her ex-husband, James Mulvaney, 52, son Jason, 12, and daughter Jennifer, 7, when she went to pick up the children from their father's home Wednesday evening, said Ventura County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ross Bonfiglio.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office determined the two children died from multiple stab wounds. Mulvaney's cause of death is pending toxicology reports, which could take anywhere from 12 to 16 weeks. But officials said it appeared he overdosed on prescription medication.
Shocked neighbors described Mulvaney as a quiet family man who was often seen outside watching his kids ride their bikes or swim in The Knolls apartment complex pool. They said he had lived there for about six months.
Karla Jackson, a neighbor whose 11-year-old son often played with the Mulvaney children, said the kids always seemed happy.
"They had beautiful blond hair and always had big smiles on their faces," Jackson said as she teared up. "It will be a long time before we will be able to get over this."
She said the scene at the apartment complex was like a movie. A crime scene investigations truck was parked in front of the apartment, as well as several police cars. Dozens of residents watched the crime scene.
"I was out here until 1 a.m. last night," Jackson said. "I couldn't sleep. I just can't believe this happened."
Mulvaney's ex-wife called 911 at 5:42 p.m. Wednesday, police said. She had become concerned after learning the children had not attended school or after-school activities Wednesday.
She also identified the bodies.
Authorities believe Mulvaney killed the children between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 2 a.m. Wednesday, then killed himself between 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
"It is believed he overdosed on multiple prescription medications," said Craig Stevens, a senior deputy medical examiner.
They recovered the presumed murder weapon from inside the house, a large, fixed-blade knife covered in blood.
The couple was recently divorced and were in court over custody of their children, Bonfiglio said.
Grief counselors were at Lang Ranch Elementary and Los Cerritos Middle School Thursday to help students and teachers deal with the tragedy.
"It's a tightknit community and we all rely on one another," said Janet Cosaro, assistant superintendent of instruction at Conejo Valley Unified School District.
Cosaro said the tragic event was not only heartbreaking but uncommon for the quiet suburban neighborhood.
Bonfiglio said Mulvaney had lost a job recently.
Mulvaney previously worked at a Citibank branch in Camarillo, a branch employee confirmed Thursday. A Citibank corporate spokesman would only confirm he once worked for the bank.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident. Our thoughts and condolences go out to all the friends and families who are affected by this tragedy," Citibank spokesman Robert Julavits said in a written statement.
Investigators worked overnight Wednesday combing through the apartment in the 544-unit upscale Spanish-style complex for clues to the gruesome crime. By Thursday afternoon, a crime scene cleanup crew arrived at the corner apartment.
Bonnie Shapiro, one of Mulvaney's neighbors, said she came out to console Mulvaney's ex-wife after she heard her screams at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
"You don't think you are going to come home to something like this," Shapiro said. "My heart goes out to her."
Thursday afternoon, gold and blue glittery hula hoops lay by the entrance to Mulvaney's apartment. His gray Lexus sedan was parked out front with a red and white soccer ball in the front passenger seat and pink tennis shoes in the back seat.
Neighbors identified a blue Volvo station wagon, parked askew two doors from the apartment, as belonging to Mulvaney's ex-wife. She also had children's items scattered throughout her car including soccer cleats, knee pads and a My Little Pony video game.
The tragedy follows a recent rash of family murder suicides in the Southland in the past two years, including incidents in North Hollywood, Porter Ranch, Covina, Yorba Linda, San Clemente and Wilmington.
Dr. Lanny Berman, executive director of the Washington D.C.-based American Association of Suicidology, said the role of marital strain and child-custody battles in such violent incidents is "a common theme."
Berman said evidence is mixed on whether job losses and other elements of the national economic downturn have contributed to any increase in suicides and violent behavior.
Berman said that during the recession, operators of some suicide-prevention helplines have reported an increase in calls in which financial stress seems to be a factor, but others report no difference.
Because there's typically a two- to three-year lag in the reporting of suicide data, statistical evidence of a correlation between the recession and suicide attempts is not yet available, and a direct tie-in may never be proven.
"All we have is anecdotal reports, and the media picks up on these things, because everyone suspects there's going to be an effect," Berman said. "I would caution against rushing to judgment on it.
"That's not to say it couldn't be a factor. But the economy has affected millions of people in this country. To commit suicide, somebody would have to have a lot more going on. (Financial stress) is not a sufficient explanation."
Daily News research
Updated: 09/17/2009 09:43:53 PM PDT
Other slayings
Parents killing kids
Wednesday: Thuy Le, 38, of Garden Grove, is suspected of stabbing her 3- and 5-year-old daughters with a kitchen knife at a cousin's home in Westminster, then stabbing herself. The 5-year-old girl has been placed on life support but is expected to survive. The 3-year-old girl suffered superficial wounds. Authorities said they plan to charge Le with attempted murder.
Sept. 2: Diana Moreno, 17, and Edith Moreno, 11, die when their throats are slashed at their North Hollywood home. Their mother, Antonia Gomez, has been charged with capital murder. She pleaded not guilty during a hearing Thursday.
Jan. 27: Ervin Lupoe of Wilmington kills his wife and their five children before turning the gun on himself. Lupoe and his wife, Ana, had just been fired from their jobs as medical technicians at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in West Los Angeles.
Dec. 24, 2008: Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, of Sylmar, dressed in a Santa Claus costume, commits suicide after killing nine people at a Christmas Eve party at the Covina home of his former in-laws. An unemployed aerospace worker, Pardo had recently divorced.
Oct. 6, 2008: Karthik Rajaram, an out-of-work financial analyst, kills his wife, three sons and mother-in-law before committing suicide in their rented home in Porter Ranch.
May 2008: Five members of a close-knit Turkish-American family in San Clemente die in what authorities say was a suicide pact. A motive was never determined.
Feb. 23, 2008: Orland Cho, 41, killed his wife and three of his children in their Yorba Linda condominium before turning the shotgun on himself. A 14-year-old stepson was shot but survived.
