Iowa mom attempted suicide three times

IF she was "insane" she wouldn't have tried to cover the murders up. She wouldn't know what she did was wrong so she would have no reason to cover it up.

Out of all of the horrific things that we have saw and read lately on the news regarding crime, this is the worst one for the poor children and what they had to endure, she clearly has been intent on ending her life one way or the other, I wonder what else these children suffered thru, given her mental state. Was there not any family or friends to maybe step in and get the children?

I too have suffered with severe major depression. I have suicidal ideations everyday. Since my mother passed away in July of 2008, death seems like the only way to end the deep depression. I think about dying all the time, but it is not something I share with people. Its not really a welcome topic of conversation. People really don't know how to respond. I put on a "happy face" as much as possible.

I'm not saying that she was or was not insane at the time. I'm just pointing out that I have had friends that committed suicide and they never gave any indication to anyone regarding their plans.

Most suicides that I have heard about are a shock to the friends and family. So to say that she was not reporting full blown depression to her friends and doctors doesn't necessarly mean anything. Only that she had no one to confide in and/or her depression was of such severity that she had given up on life and could only see death as the end to her misery.

After being on many different meds that don't help its easy to feel that they won't help anyway or the side effects are too annoying to deal with. I can understand that she would not want to continue taking meds that usually have not helped in the past.

Severe depression overwhelms every facet of your life and distorts your thinking, making otherwise irrational thought/ideas seem reasonable when in the grip of major depression. I believe her flat affect and odd behavior in the courtroom is attributable to her disease.

I don't accept the defense's theory that M.Kehoe was insane at the time of the brutal death of Seth and the failed attempt of her son Sean. His testimony is so great against his mother,as an eye witness.
M.Kehoe also admitted to her fabricated lies. LWOP is what she said was just for her. At first convicted inmates live in denial.Then slowly as the years go by;some inmates understand and accept LWOP as a just punishment for their crimes.
Andrea Yates' name has been mentioned in this case. Her brain is now totally destroyed by years of daily administration of psychotofic drugs. JMHO more than likely she's likesliving in a la la la land,without any responsibilities..
The defense attorney ,IMO did more harm to her;only when a person can admit that they committed a violent act,can a true inner healing begin.
Kehoe should be sentenced to LWOP;like Yates she admitted to the murder.
Sean may need years of specialized psychiatric therapy and more than likely must live with this horror for the rest of his life;because he survived it.

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SHe deserves death not a mental hospital. I understand what happens to us as children can have affect on you, but i strongly believe it only affects you as much as you allow it to. I was molested by 3 of my sisters boyfriends and a family friend when i was younger. When i told my family about the family friend they didn't believe me at first. Yeah it hurts, but i grew up and realized that i cant let that control my life. Whats done is done the only thing i can do now is move forward. I bet at least %50 of the population had some kind of messed up childhood, whether it be alcoholic parents, abusive but you just got to get past that. You cant let that rule your life. Either you want something better for your self or you dont. Only the strong survive.

those poor little boys....if only someone knew.

I don't think that she should be jailed I think she should be put in a place were she can get help cause u can't be in your right mind to to something like that

I'm certsin it's not overused, because as you yourself have reported
it is statistically more unsuccessful than not, and I feel sure that
defense attorneys are compelled to it due to the extreme circumstances of the particular accusation. It's just one more reason
for a life sentence, if they're that delusional, I'd think they'd prefer to
stay in their deluded state rather than be brought to clarity and have to
live with what they've done......fran in oklahoma

I think its over used but in her case I think she was not in control in this act of craziness she needs serious help

You say that she will not get released but I don't believe that. I have seen people walk out form iowa state facilities walk out that have committed murder because the department of justice rules dictate that they be released as soon as they are under control with their meds.

She is crazy! how could she do that to her children? I think she needs to rott in prison for life.she does not deserve the death scentence. I would wrather see her behind bars thinking about everything she did..

It depends on what Iowa means by 'right or 'wrong', If it means legal or illegal, she was obviously cognizant of the illegality of her acts, as
evidensed by the composition of the note.

I have a question. Lets say this woman is found not guilty by reason of insanity. After X amount of years she is found by the doctor/facility to no longer be a threat and is released. She then goes out and hurts or kills someone. Can the doctor or facility then be held responsible or liable?

Regarding the Kehoe case...I heard a defense attorney say on the show yesterday that a possible defense may be the fact that even though she took the kids to a place where no one would hear them scream she still covered their mouths and, I believe, their eyes with duct tape. He suggested that may mean she wasn't thinking clearly. I completely disagree! I think she covered their eyes so she didn't have to see them looking at her as she slit their throats and also didn't want to hear them scream or call her name.

I think she will be put in jail for life without chance for parole.

As far as the insanity claim, in my opinion, being depressed or having post traumatic stress or history of abuse doesn't make someone insane. I would have more acceptance of the insanity defense if there was a known disorder such as multiple personality or schizophrenia. But, I haven't heard that in this case.

i don't feel that she should be able to use the insanity defense. she said that she was trying to kill the children AND herself. if that was the case, then why didn't she kill herself? i feel she knew what she was doing and she didn't plan on killing herself or she would have, especially if she knew one or both of the children were dead from her doing. i feel she just injured herself to make it "look" like someone else did this to them and that is why she came up with the "unknown man" that she said did it at first. i feel that she should be found GUILTY, regardless of her previous history. she requested her drs to take her off her medications just months prior to this incident due to she said that she was doing much better and felt that she did not need them. then she decides 3 days after this incident that the previous river incident was a suicide? i don't think it was. she was just tellin the authorities that now due to her killing her child and trying to kill her other child and not taking her own life, to make it look like a attempted suicide. if u try to commit suicide, and u have a history of suicide attempts and depression, you're not going to say it was an accident at the time and the 2 years later change your story to an attempted suicide. she needs to be in jail for life.

I do not believe people should be able to use the insanity plea. It is so commonly used. I suffered from depression, but continued to find the help I needed. I was also raised by an alcoholic mother and was physically, sexually, and emotionally abused. That does not give me the right to kill someone. When we look at someone like Andrea Yates, her husband knew she had emotional issues, and she tried to get help, but the doors were shut in her face. In my opinion, there is no comparison to Kehoe vs. Yates.

obviously she is metally ill, but there is a difference between suicidal feelings and killing your OWN children!!!!

I'm so frustrated with this case. The doctors new she was suicidal and she ended up in a lake at one point with her children.You put someone through shock treatment but send her back to play mommy? What is wrong with this picture!!. And yet everyone around her continued to allow her to be alone with these children. This woman should not be the only one on trial here! This is outrageous to say the least... Everyone that was involved in her life her husband and especially all the doctors who treated her put that knife to those kids throat that day. It would never had happened had they done their jobs correctly!!

I feel that we have created a system where we make excuses for people and their actions instead of holding them accountable. Many of us have had traumatic events in our lives and do not choose to go out and kill another human being and break the law. This is an excuse, as an adult we can take a different path and use our past to better our futures or we can continue to live in the past and live in self pity. She was getting help and was on medication. If she was so full of despair why go off your meds? I feel that if she is in that bad of a place that she is thinking about murder and suicide that as a mother and for the love of her children she would have told her psychiatrist regardless of the shame or embarrassment she may have felt just to keep her children safe.

while I have ot made up my mind yet, the testimony of the Psychologist's for the defense is exactly why we need to hear all the testimony before making a judgment on this case.

I do not care what happend to this woman in her past, it is NOT those children's fault. They did not ask to be brought in to this world, and she has no right to try and take them out of it. She should have sought help for herself, and not make her children suffer for her actions.

This women should be executed, she killed her baby and tried to kill her other son. Even though she is mentally ill she still took a life and tortured her sons. Her husband is to blame as well he shoudl of never allowed this mental mom to have any contact with her sons.
No mercy to this mom, execute her.

Is there any truth to her "self reporting" or is it just all self-serving since she was so deceptive before, during and after her crimes???

Can't get past all the planning nor the long drawn out story about the abductor. Extremely self-serving, just as the supposed 4 months she was feeling no more suicidal ideation per her own reports to her doctors–UNTIL her lies fall apart due to the child living to tell on her!

So, now she really was suicidal and just hid it?

She has lied too much to be given any benefit of doubt as to her guilt AND she should pay for her crime in jail the rest of her life. Don't care about her depression NOR the excuse she should go to an institution for treatment. Why? So that she can someday be considered sane, be freed to have more children to abuse and kill???

Unfortunately, like the many other cases we've seen through out the years, mother's can and do kill their children because they are selfish sociopath's without remorse. Sociopathy is not a mental illness–it's a personality disorder that isn't treatable nor curable.

The testimony of the experts to me seem like they take the infomation from the past and put that infomation in line for which ever side they need it to be. I would not give a lot of weight to much of it. They would not be picked and paid if thier opinon did not favor one side or the other. Just go to the facts, she planned it, she bought the knife in advance, she lied after the fact. She should go away forever for the murder and the jury should not even consider that she might have been insane at the time. She very well might be insane, but she was for years not just during the murder. Where was the fathers protection of these children after he knew of all these different suicide tries. He should have never let her be with the children alone.

When the experts say things like when she was six and her father died in a car accident and his neck was cut. That this would trigger a memory to do the same thing to herself and her sons makes no sense because if that was the case, that would have been the first suicide attempt. They can claim that the car in the river was a accident but I do not buy it, she went for a drive with those boys then to. The husband had to know what was going on. I think he has some responsability in this as well. As in child endagerment, he knew and did nothing. Put her away forever.

Couple of comments:
Today's handling of mental illness leaves much to be desired. I think the reason we are seeing more "insanity pleas" is because our mentally ill are not being served. That being said, I think this woman did have access to treatment, but the doctors failed her. There comes a time when the only viable treament is a 24 hour in patient hospitalization.

Lastly, this Dr. Hutchinson cannot even keep her dates straight (even with notes)–hopefully her clinical skills are better than she is coming across.

Could you please clarify if Kehoe is a pharmacist or pharmacy technician? I've heard both and there is such a big difference in the level of education for these two. When I first heard she was a pharmacist I could not believe she was able to make it through such an intense program with her level of mental illness. But then I heard she was a pharmacy technician which is much more believable.

BFD! I am so sick and tired and these monsters claiming insanity! She had been planning these murders for two months, and then when she wasn't dying

quick enough she made up a story. That doesn't sound like someone that does not know what they are doing. I hope that she does'nt get away with killing her child. She does not deserve to live.

This is not a good thing!!!! But I have seen it happen before!!!!!

I believe Dr. Hutchinson was a key defense witness for the defense. I think this will be seriously considered by the jury when deliberating.

as a great-grandmother who has raised 2 of my own and 5 of my grandchildren, I know a little about stress and life. As a female we deal with all, raising children, being a wife, possibly domestic violence, physical and biological changes, such as bearing children, breast cancer, and menopause. its a wonder we all don't end up as Michelle Kehoe.

as a great-grandmother who has raised 2 of my own and 5 of my grandchildren, I know a little about stress and life. As a female we deal with all, raising children, being a wife, possibly domestic violence, physical and biological changes, such as bearing children, breast cancer, and menopause. its a wonder we all don't end up as Michelle Kehoe. The added pressure of being a PTA mom, a soccer mom and a good wife will almost certainly push you over the edge. The poor woman.

has anyone noticed how much more alert michelle kehoe is today than in previous days?

lara

Amazing how these women are some how able to murder their children but never seem to get it right when they allegedly try to kill themselves....how convenient....

I have a question.. When Kehoe was interviewed, she had stated that she just wants to die or be put away for the rest of her life. My question is.. if that is so, who decided to hire a lawyer for her????

There is no reason for her to kill a innocent 2yr old child. NEVER!!! She is beyond insane

Dr. Hutchinson is the worst witness I would ever consider for the defense....she spent a mere 3 days with Michelle; (who spent many more days planning this), and can be an "EXPERT" witness??? I have 3 suicides in my immediate family; been suicidal, and attempted it many times, have been abused, and all the things Michelle has been through, even been fired from my counselors, yet I STILL NEVER WANTED TO KILL MY CHILDREN!!!!!!

As a juror, I would discount the testimony of Dr. Hutchinson simply because she could not remember dates, which to me as a patient, says she never really heard anything I told her; and she consulted her notes, which not abnormal, in this case is notable...

My guess is that she's been living in a mental prison with severe depression anyways. What they do to her won't matter...i bet she would welcome the death sentence, since that would ultimately give her what she wants...the easy way out.

I also believe that she did WAY too much planning for this to be simply an act of depression. I've got a sibling who plays similar games. it's all manipulation and precisely what someone said before, "SELF SERVING"...they'll do/say whatever, and blame it on some alleged mental disorder, to get their way. Why do the right thing, when you can do whatever you want and get away with it due to our society's lax rules on definitions of mental instability and/or insanity.....?

"She plotted to kill her sons and herself for two months before carrying out the acts on Sunday, October 26, 2008." It strikes me as odd that somebody who was so "colored by depression" took TWO months to carry out an act such as this. Is it possible that maybe the reason it took her so long to do so IS because she knew the difference between right and wrong? That she KNEW what she was doing was wrong, both morally AND legally? I absolutely believe this murdering mother knew exactly what she was doing. Insane? Obviously. A murderer? Absolutely...PUT HER AWAY!

She was NOT insane. I suffer from major depression and just got myself out of a year-long hole I was in because my meds weren't right. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Things, yes, were very dark for me. The fact remains, though, that this animal KNEW what she was doing was wrong. FURTHERMORE, if she wanted to kill herself, go ahead, but don't hurt others ESPECIALLY your children.

Have you folks ever seen the movie 'PRIMAL FEAR?" This trial reminds me of that movie. Kehoe should go to prison for life without parole and get help there if she needs it! I've been through a LOT of what she says she has. I have panic attacks, acute anxiety, manic depression, and PTSD. I saw doctors from 1978 (14 in all) in Atlanta, but no one could help me. I was diagnosed in 1994 in NH. Yes, I feel awful at times. When I do, I see my therapist. I'm tired of these women using a mental disability as a 'crutch' as an excuse to kill their children.

Bren

Honestly – does it really matter what Michelle Kehoe is charged with? As Dr. Hutchinson says, this woman is a 'tortured soul'. Justice has never served her well. Therapy and drugs have never served her well. Her only possible chance at even wanting to live, once this is all over, is if she actually finds a reason to want to. For those who are so quick to condemn her, why bother? She's already done that for you. It's all just a terribly tragic situation, and no one will 'win' this one.

She was obviously "sane" enough to get married, get pregnant, have two sons and raise them to the ages they were before she tried to kill them. Insanity? Please. I know people that come from alchoholic homes and broken marriages and they don't kill their children.

Why was she not hospitalized when she tried to commit suicide the first time so they could regulate her meds. It could of saved a very precious life and the surving boy would not of been traumatized. Has anyone asked this question?

3 suicide attempts, 44 electroshock treatments. Why would anybody think it was okay to leave minor children in the care of this woman? That's a criminal act in itself. Whoever failed to step in to protect the children should be charged with child endangerment – including Dad, if he was just too busy with work to be bothered with his kids. As for her, I don't really care if she's found guilty or not. It sounds like she's been in hell her whole life – nothing we do to her can possibly compare.

Holy Cow! This case would make for a great thesis. Okay, where again was her husband and his family during all of this? He really needs to take the stand and defend his wife if that's what he believes. BUT, the Prosecutor will eat him alive!

Mrs. Kehoe tried to kill herself many times, but why this time (and one other time) did she have to attempt to kill the children!?!?

I'll tell ya, if that was (or is it 'were'?) me, my family would have taken those children years ago. She couldn't have hidden her mental illness all these years.

Thank you.

Annabelle, Ohio

It is so obvious she was completely out of her mind (and not just on Oct.08) but her entire life. How is it no one knew or could see that she just wasn't right? Those poor little boys suffered at her hands, and one will now be a 'tortured soul' for the rest of his life. She was looking for help with her previous, unsuccessful, suicide attempts, how did it get this far? Now there is one little boy gone forever and one that will suffer forever...unbelievable!

In response to Kerrin Curtis, I understand what you are saying about being depressed, and being in abyss that doesn't seem to end. The thing is that this pathetic excuse for a human PLANNED the death of her children...and herself. Yet she did not die and she was lucid enough to blame a stranger. That is a mark of someone who is in the right frame of mind. She may be insane, but she knew full well what she was doing. and the scope of her actions had it not been for her son surviving she coulld have well gotten away with it. Kehoe should not be allow to be sent to a mental hospital, she should be sent to prison to rot.

It is amazing to me that the men married to these women (Michelle Kehoe and Andrea Yates) know the problems that their wives face and seem oblivious to the severity of the disease. We as a society need to educate and support the family that surrounds them to ensure that this stops. There are too many children being murdered by their mothers with these disorders and too many husbands with no culpabilities to the final act. They allow their children to be left alone with volatile women, WHY? We need to be more educated so we can properly protect our children. We also need to be able to have laws changed so that the medical personnel who treats them can come forward to the family and discuss conversations that they had so the family will have a better understanding and possibly see warning signs so they can take the proper action to protect their children.

Ms. kehoe is equal to the husband that kills his wife with thought if I can't have her no one will. She wanted to kill herself but didn't want anyone to have and enjoy her son's. This woman is not insane she knew exactly what she was doing. If she could not cope she should have just killed herself, but then she couldn't get back at anyone. She should spend the rest of her life in prison or on death row.

While Michelle's act was horrific, I am even more disturbed by the preponderance of vindictiveness and hateful words from so many bloggers. I suspect these same people who profess such care for children would be the first to want to punish them as adults if they also ended up insane. Michelle thought she was saving her children from a world filled with just such people. That was her definition of "right" which we all know is wrong – and that's the very definition of "legally insane".

Michele Kehoe is NOT insane! She is very smart and manipulative. Everyone comes from a history of some sort of dysfunction–not your fault but your responsibility to make it better for yourself and your future family. Golly let's just have everyone who has committed a crime plea insanity, manipulate the system, duck and dodge being criminally liable so she doesn't have to serve her time in prison, instead a least restrictive setting. Hmmm did the parents have life insurance policies on these children? Maybe that could be a motive if this is found to be true.

Ms. Hutchinson seems more interested in "tooting her own horn." Michelle Kehoe again is very very manipulative and needs to be locked up. We all have dealt with childhood abuse some worse than Michelle Kehoe's experience. That is no excuse as an adult to plea insanity for slitting your children's throats. Furthermore, if this Michelle Kehoe was SO INSANE, what medical/theraputic professionals are we going to hold accountable for failure to report the mandated information to get the children out of this dangerous situation. Also, can we also look to prosecuting Mr. Kehoe for failure to protect his children because of the fact that she was on psychotrophics, had many theraputic sessions, etc that Mr. Kehoe knew about yet allowed his children to be supervised under her care?

Watching the testimony this morning on the woman on the stand she described how Michelle slit her throat and the witness said, " she realized that she had not slit it deep enough to cause death so she reached in to the trachia" H E L L O??????? If she was cognizant enough to "realize" the slit was not deep enough then she is TOTALLY sane and should go to prison for the rest of her life.

Why in God's name was this woman allowed to be alone with her children knowing her mental history?

apart from the stepfather, if i close my eyes it sounds like this trial is about me. i thank god i was watched over by an angel. i had 3 babies and wished us all be taken from this earth or at least just me which i tried to do. i can completly understand what michele is going through and what she had gone through since early childhood. i was not counseled by a therapist until i was in my 50's. i am now in my 60s and on medication which i dare not stop. my children, believe or not are grown and gone and living great lives and they love me. thank god. i was lucky.

I keep hearing comparisons to the Andrea Yates case but some of this situation also reminds me of Susan Smith. Both Smith and Kehoe endured terrible experiences in their early lives. Both murdered their own children. Both blamed an unknown male. But I don't recall that Smith tried to kill herself after sendng her sons into the lake to drown. I'm one of those people who can't help thinking that any mother who kills her own children must have serious mental issues.

I am so sick of hearing about children dying at the hands of a parent/family. The person meant to love and protect these children. My heart aches in pain for these poor inocent lives lost. However these sick parents/family members do not live in a cave... I feel that those close in their lives should be held accountable too! What is wrong with society that we can turn a blind eye when these little people need us most? R.I.P. baby Seth and those like you..., Baby Brianna Lopez, Baby Benjamin Sargent, and baby Peter Connolly.

Is there any way to send money or other help to Sean, the boy who survived? Out of all the horror stories I've heard, his story has moved me so much. I would love to be able to send a teddy bear, or something else to him. Does anyone know?

I don't understand why we loose time doing all of this. This woman could do anything to give up her children, because if she was in that kind of depression (I don't know how she wanted to have kids anyways knowing how she felt)she could put for adoption those kids. And why her doctor let her have them and where is the father? I think there are so many guilty people that need to be prosecuted to and she needs to begin taking responsability for her actions because she is not the only person in the world that has happen horrible things. But you know what? Now a days everybody can commit a crime and then say that it was insanity and that is not fair because depression is not a dessease is a condition that have cure.

It's sad, but since the Yates trial, I predicted that more mothers (not so much fathers) would start pulling the same 'insanity' thing when they are overwhelmed and want to take out their children.

Many people are infected with deep depression, same many are untreated, same many are overwhelmed and exhausted when they CHOOSE (key word) to have a family.....it's tiring to keep up a 'happy' act and do things your body just don't wanna do because now you have people relying on you. These same many...suck it up..take it..or find help for themselves, they don't KILL people. Because you are tired and paranoid that you are doing a bad job as a parent, you've got no right to take the living, breathing body of your kids, well because you think they will be better off. This woman, as sick in depression as she is, still should do prison time for her crimes, she gets off from doing prison like Yates did...this won't be the last woman you'll see with her kids blood on her hands...saying but i was 'crazy!!' sad

I had a very similar, if not parallel childhood to this woman, and i've never inflicted physical harm on anyone other than myself. she's not insane, she's just someone who doesn't deserve to be here. She should have finished the job on herself before she ruined the lives of those around her.

Doctors have been trying to help this woman for years and it hasnt worked. Why do u think it would work now? Why should we let her sit in a mental hospital for years wasting money? The woman wants to die, LET HER DIE! I dont care what happened to her as a child. She knew that killing those babies was a sin and against the law! Everyone knew she was not mentally stable and did nothing. Her husband, family, friends and doctors!!!!! WHY WOULD ANYONE LET HER BE AONE WITH CHILDREN? Someone should have stepped in... expecially after telling people that her children were better off dead!! Nothing anyone says can change my view on this. That woman knew what she was doing and the people closest to her knew she was dangerous!

i was molested as a child til i was 13 my mom took my stepfather over me i took medication but does that give me the rite ti kill my children or anybody i think they r looking for the easy way out and i think she was in her rite mind or she wouldnt of made the note she planned on killing those children she knew what she was doing i hope the jury sees that

she ain't insane she knew exactly what she was doing she deserve alot of jail time for what she did to those 2 lil angels she needs to never go bck to the real world she is such a monster!!

She has had a very horrific life as a child and very young adult, no doubt. This of course has had an impact on who she has become. I myself had very simular things happen to me, abandonment from mother at age 3, an absent father, victum of violent sexual crimes and so much more. In fact, she had some good things in her life I never had. BUT, I am not mental, psychotic, or insane. I never thought about continuing my education, I was just trying to survive life. I am having a hard time excusing her from her crime. She even had counseling which I have never had! I think she is selfish for harming others instead of just herself. She is troubled and depressed but I do not think she was insane. Suicide has come across my mind but I am past that. When you think about ending your life, you think about a method that is definatley going to work!

There are so many people that suffer from depression, as well as OCD.
The insanity defense is so ridiculous in this particular case – She knew exactly what she was doing, and even more so, she knew it was wrong – hence the fact that she took great pains to cover up the crime.. and had planned it at least a month in advance. The defense psycholigist told Michelle's story of the methodical way she went about committing the crime.. and that woman never even flinched!!! Killing herself is the easy way out of her life.. so be it.. but don't be so selfish as to take and attempt to take the lives of precious innocent children!

I haven't followed every single part of this case but it's difficult for me to understand how Ms. Kehoe could be left alone with her children after all of the apparent attempted suicides, and even the rescue from the lake that happened fairly recently before she did this. As a grandmother, if I had any inclination whatsoever that someone might hurt my grandson I would do everything possible to keep him away from that person. I agree with posters who said we don't handle the mentally ill as we should. There are far too many people out there that are sociopaths, and we are all potential victims. Perhaps the old way of institutionalizing the severest cases bears re-consideration. One innocent life was snatched away and another is harmed for life. This doesn't seem fair at all to the children!

I believe that Michelle Kehoe knew what she was doing, but her thinking was so distorted, that she thought what she was doing was right and merciful for her boys. Does that qualify as being ciminally insane?

I truly feel that she felt she was saving them from the horrors of life that she had already faced.

psychological mumbo jumbo . The learned docs didn't dig deep enough. What about all of the kudos as an excellent student, decent housing when living with her aunt, all the friends, the nice husband , excellent educatiion.yoga. Please don't tell me that absolutely none of those positives made one iota of difference in her life? She had lot's of positive reinforcement to draw on. She chose to act out a horrendous infantile anger at her husband. I believe he lost a job and his new one took away from the famly life. What is..is. Telling. Her dad died horribly in a car accident his throat slit throat... she left a note stating it was a man that did the deed. FYI I have also suffered from terrible depression, suicidal blah blah blah..I didn't have benefit as Keeho of a degree in psychology) The broad needs to go to prison.

She needs help! She will be in her spiritual death in an institute or prison. She will always be sick and maybe with medication she wil have some help, but she has to live with what she has done till she dies. That is the punishment she has no matter where she is.

Why is it most people commenting on the Michelle kehoe case that they all hope she get the help she needs.It's a little to late for that now.So why waste tax payer money on her now.I thought when you commit a crime you get punished not the help you should've had all along.Aren't you supposed to lose privileges not gain them.Instead of using tax payer money on people after they commit a crime shouldn't it be spent on them before they kill anyone and them selves.I think her husband should be on trial to.What was he thinking giving in to her and having kids.My sister in law had mental problems and when she had a kid we took the child away because if not she would've done the same thing Michelle kehoe did to her kids.So that's why i say blame the husband more than her.

All sickoos who kill are insane. So they should'nt be let out because of it. lock them all up on an island and let them fight it out

How can anyone kill their own children? What excuse can a woman give? This is aweful that anyone can take a knife to their children and cut their throats... I watch this trail everyday and to me she looks like a cold hearted evil woman....

Even if you think she should rot in prison-Chelle- my gut tells me that she will not. With her mental history and the way they are showing her in court – she might be a good candidate for room and board in the local mental hospital for life. I agree so much with all that everyone is saying "where was the husband or any other family member in protecting those boys?" "whose fooling who?"

If one really wants to kill themselves, they will find a way
An "attempt" is a cry for help and attention.

Who's to say that she didn't plan all this so she could finally get the attention and sympathy she obviously feels she deserves? (Based on her past traumatic events)

Mentally unstable – Absolutely
Insane – That's a negative

The victim is the kid that survived, now he may grow up insane??

I am going to play Devil's Advocate on this one, but from the facts presented, there is a clear case of the woman being extremely unbalanced for a good portion of her life.

There ARE mentally ill people out there. Depression, especially as acute as hers is, is an illness, that CAN lead to temporary insanity. To state that because one person has the strength to overcome a tragic childhood all people should have the same, is ridiculous. Because one person overcomes alcoholism, or cancer, or any other disease, and another is unable too, does that mean they aren't strong enough?

For the poster that mentioned why didnt she kill herself? I think taking a knife to your neck and cutting deep enough to cut into the windpipe shows the attempt was real.

It's a tragedy that cannot be undone and two precious children are the victims, but the judgement on here is unbelieveable. Until you have walked a mile in these shoes, you should be more careful to condemn.

It sickens me. Life is whatever you make it. If you are depressed, you get help or you change your life. You don't kill babies. It's so sad. Imagine the fear of the children! Why spare this woman? She doesn't want to be here, anyway, so why should taxpayers pay for her to get help when she will eventually do whatever she wants in the long run?Noone helped the kids, why help the murderer?

First off I know Michelle personally, in all the years she appeared to be a perfectly normal woman. Church going, devoted to her children, took ballroom dancing, talented, quiet and very nice. But I truely believe she was searching for attention, somehow past attempted suicides never worked, she always made sure she would recover, as with the final episode of killing Seth. She panicked because Sean was able to get away from her, realizing that hurting herself would make everyone believe it was an a man who did this. The family knew of her personal depression but that was years ago and seemed perfectly normal since. How is it if she planned on suicide she didn't hurt herself enough to die, as with past suicides attempts yet enough to kill one and try to kill the older son. Thank God Sean is a smart 7 year old who saved his own life and tried to help his younger brother.

I'm sorry, she may have had a terrible childhood, but that's no excuse
for butchering her two children. Her seven year old boy will need
years of therapy. As far as her trial goes, I believe the jury should find
her guilty of first degree murder. She should be sentenced to
Life without any chance of parole. If the jury finds her insane, she
will be put in an institute, and so-called treated, until some hot-shot
phsychiatrist feels that she is now sane. At that time all is forgotten,
and she gets to walk out of the institute. Phsychiatry is not an exact
science, and I don't believe they can know it all. She should be in
prison, not an institute.

This lady thought about how she would kill her kids for months before she did it. You cant say that she was "Insane" at the "time" of the murders if she planned it for months. Also she planned the story about the man that tried to kill her and her kids. So she ust have planned on being alive (and her children dead) to tell this story! She needs to be locked up!

Why is it everyone is saying she must be insane to do something like this.Yet if her husband would've done this you would say he's a monster not he's insane.Why is that the man is a monster and women are insane.They are all monsters mental problems or not to kill you own kids makes you a monster.If you ask Sean who's the monster that did this he would say mom.

According to the doctors that the defence has put up on the stand, they state that michelle's depression started in 1996 when she got married. Maybe it was her husband that caused her depression and not her childhood. When Dr. Hutchinson was describing michelle's problem this morning in my + 60 years she described half of the people that I have come in contact with. Depressed, absused, ocd,
acholics, problems with children, so on and so on, but none of them that I know of killed their kids.

Iam really feel sorry for her. She really don't know what to do, she might thin that to end her life is ihe solution of her mistry. Where are the religios people those who walke around with their bible.

Ok obviously this woman had severe mental issues. If everything this witness tesitifed to I have to wonder why she was ever allowed alone with the children. This is a person who tried to kill herself numerous times and was seemed to be demstrating signs of distress in a public manner. Of course she is ultimately to blame – but how sad that so many friends and family members seemed to ignore the multiple red flags!!!

I suffered from severe depression due to a horrible dangerous home life as a child. I was able to get away at 15 years old, but couldn't get away from the depression it caused. I did raise 3 children and they kept me somewhat balanced for 20 years. I had counceling for years, starting at 18 and periodically. Also, prescription medication of different kinds for years, but none helped. I still knew the difference between right and wrong. Depression is no defense. I'm sorry for her but much more sorry for those children. She knew. She could have turned them over to an agency. She needs to be severely punished if for no other reason than to send a message to other abusing parents. She must not be let off because of depression. It's a tough old world.

If Michelle Kehoe thought what she was doing was "right" then why didn't she write in the note she had wrote before the incident and left in the van, exactly what she was doing because it was the "right" thing to do. Instead, she writes a note blaming "the bad man." To write a note and put the blame on "the bad man" (or anyone other than herself) she must have known what she was doing was wrong.

As a woman who has suffererd from depression since my teen years, I can understand Michelle Kehoe. When you suffer from such severe depression, your mind thinks the most bizarre and devastating thoughts. You think that your thoughts are rational even if you know its wrong. I have had suicidal thoughts many times that I never told anybody about . When these horrible thoughts enter your mind, you think they are the solution. At my worst, I had thoughts of hurting myself as well as my spouse or child but I was lucky- I got help and will never go off my meds for fear of those thoughts ever returning People who dont suffer from depression will never understand the prison depressed people are in but should be compassionate.

When it is being discussed on 'trutv' or it was courttv.....between defense lawyers and prosecutors.......they can almost get you believing that she is innocent...she did these actions against her own mind...let's feel sorry for HER...not the boy she killed, or the boy (in worse i think) that survived his mother's attack..........can you imagine if one of the older children of Andrea Yates had survived, and told the tale....ughhh I get chills...

Hearing "voices"...um...post-pardum depression....severe depression for years.....manic....OCD......all these, ladies, we have no right to take the life of another living, breathing human being..we just don't. Even if you are so depressed and scared, paranoid, aching over your child's future...you have no right to take their future from them, you cannot do this..then get away with it by living, breathing, receiving treatment to sustain YOUR own life, while your child is in the dirt..not living..not breathing...not having a day to wake up to. IT'S not your call to end their life for your own sadness and pain, it's not your call to say they are better off....let them have the chance to decide.....if you want to die...take your life, don't take others with you because you feel they will hurt over your loss.........that's a plea to anyone out there that will copy-cat this because too many mothers are getting away with this......

diabolical says it all

The Defense is doing a great job but if I were a juror it would fall short based on the one key fact that she had enough presence of mind in commiting the act that she attempted to make it look like a robbery. Apparently she thought about, and made a decision as to how she wanted that scene to be perceived – as a robbery/murder, as opposed to murder/suicide. I am not buying the past history of child abuse, etc., many, many people grow up in abusive environments and do not later murder/attempt to murder their children. My heart goes out to the defendant because I too feel that she is a torture soul. However, I do believe that she was aware that what she was doing was wrong.

I understand that some people may feel that she is being judged to harshly. Since we cannot walk in her shoes and many of us have experienced negatives in our own lives we can only speculate based on what we have experienced and the knowledge of society as a whole. I feel that she knew what she was doing it is clear by her planning months in advance and making up a story to cover it up. It is a terrible tragedy that has happened to these boys and now Sean has to deal with this traumatic event in his life. Thanks to his mother. Where is her responsibility in destroying his life and traumatizing him? She also expressed if I am not mistaken that she wanted to be a better mother to her children something she did not have. She failed at that and it seems to me she did not try very hard. As a mother myself I could never hurt my child. Just hearing his cries would destroy me. She not only heard one of her children’s cries but both of them and by her hand. She is not insane just selfish.

Call me crazy but am I the only one out there who thinks this woman should spend the rest of her life in PRISON!!! I do not under any circumstances have any compassion for any one, male or female who kill their own kid(s). Honestly, I think that the offer for even pleading insanity should not be available for anyone who can even commit this kind of crime. It is your own child for goodness sakes. I think she or anyone who can commit this kind of crime should have to spend their life without the possibility of parole in PRISON. Getting sent to a mental facility is almost like a luxury for people who do this. At least thats my opinion.

Come on!!Give me a break!! Multiple suicide attempts,drinking Heet,carbon monocide,driving babies in frozen river,slashing throats,trying to pull your own windpipe to insure death....If this woman is not the poster girl for mental illness,then believe Charles Manson is an alterboy in southern California!!!But I need to know,with all these red flags in her life...where is the family and local authorities when all this transpires??This woman was totally let down by everyone!!! Hospitalize her, or forget everything!!

I seen a post on InSession that said we shouldn't even take these 'insanity' cases to trial. Then whats the point of the whole justice system? Its the prosecutions job to convince the jury that the 'defendant' undoubtedly did the crime that the 'defendant' is being charged with. And as in this case, its pretty much a lock. Then it become the defense's job to prove that she was 'insane' and had no reasoning between right and wrong at the time of the charged crime. Nobody is proven insane before the trial begins. I personally don't believe in insane pleas whatsoever. Keep her away from society for the rest of her life. I don't care where she is. But she doesn't deserve anything for the rest of her life. She had a life, she gave up that right when she cut her kids' throats. Get rid of her.

When are people going to be held accountable for their actions? So if found insane where does it stop? I was on drugs so insane? I was mad so insane?

I think she should go to jail for the rest of her life and let her child visit her so she can constantly remember what she did to him for the rest of her life until she commits suicide in jail and succeeds this time.

I was never suicidal but have contemplated on the methods and couldn't go through it, than again, I'm not insane. We cannot judge this person's sanity by her action because the standards are not fixed...there is nothing rational from insanity. We'll never know what this women is going through.

She wasn't insane, though she probably did have that depression, it's clear in this article if it is accurate, that she knew right from wrong, indicating that "suicide is an unforgivable sin" and if she knew that was wrong, she surely would know that killing her own flesh and blood is wrong as well. The basic Definition of Sin is basically a wrongdoing. so she knows it was Wrong. Therefore, She knew the consequences.

Dr. Hutchinson really bugged me with her inability to get her numbers straight. She continually stated that M Kehoe did this and that in "66" instead of "96", that she had approx 23 therapy sessions in a "week" instead of a year, etc. She stated that she has testified in other cases involving the murder of children by their parents, so she's pretty seasoned. Why couldn't she get her numbers straight?? Also, I find the defense attorney always sounds bored. Aren't defense attorney's supposed to sound somewhat passionate about the defense they are mounting???

I currently work with a male schizophrenic who would never consider harming his beloved daughter in any way. He is very, very compliant with his medication and therapy bc he understands that he needs to be so in order to function.. He is NOT educated like Michelle Kehoe, has had a very, very difficult life of poverty, neglect, and abuse. So, the defense strategy that Ms Kehoe is somehow entitled to murder her child bc she is mentally ill does not hold any water with me. She spent weeks planning the murder and knew exactly what she was doing. She quit medication at times, she did not follow through with her therapy, she kept secrets about her sick thoughts and plans. She is to blame and should spend the rest of her very tragic and sorry life in prison.

Kerrin Curtis.. I understand depression and not sharing it but once you become a mother something should change and thinking about killing your children would scare any GOOD mother I think this woman should kill herself and go straight to hell where she belongs

If I were a juror for this case, I think Dr. Hutchinson's testimony would have opposite the intended effect on me of prooving that Michele is insane for the following reasons: Dr. Hutchinson kept stressing how Michele-as she planned how she would kill her sons and herself-wanted to protect her husband from "...the shame of a wife who suicided..." Then she wanted her son to "...think the badman did it.." She REASONED that if the car looked ranshacked then robbery would be the motive. She REASONED that she should throw away the keys. She REASONED that she didn't want to shame her husband. She REASONED that she didn't want her son to know she was his attacker. Why weren't bells sounding in the head of this intelligent. psychologist? The more she tried to convince us of Michele's innocence, the more I was convinced that she can't have it both ways. How could she REASON the dynamics of this crime-yet couldn't reason that she was committing a crime? Another curiosity question: Have any studies been done to determine the statistics of those who have been given a verdict of "not guilty by reason of insanity", placed in criminally insane institutions until they are "no loner a threat to society", then released? I'd be curious to know what percentage of them go on to lead productive lives, or are they still plagued with the same psychosis that provoked them to commit crimes?

Why was she taking care of these precious children after so many suicide attempts? Some thing is very wrong here. Children need more protection! God bless her surviving son he'll need ongoing prayers to recover from what she did! She needs to be in jail! This was premeditated murder!

I forgot to mention this second expert who testified on her behalf. Wow. She's real good. Only thing is, she tells us just how aware of her surroundings Kehoe truly was! She is reaching for sympathy from this jury which should not be allowed in this courtroom. It's supposed to be about punishment for the crimes against her victims, not sympathy for those criminal acts, especially those against herself!
Yesterday, her own witness had to concede that he was troubled by the facts of her planning ahead to be "insane" on that day and her ability to make up the abductor story as cover.
Haven't seen the cross of this second "expert" yet but I can see her having a ready explanation for all of this.

Kehoe's 3 attempted suicides ,are just an elelaborate cover-up for the murder of her son,2y/o Seth and the failed murder attempted of son,Sean. =skidding off into a frozen lake.
It has come out in testimony that,she bought a knife,duct tape and the 'ruse' of going to see her mother.
Again if this was not a premeditated murder,why didn't she commit suicide;by slashing her throat and this time completeing the act?
People who really want to commit suicide,do it quietly when there is no one around..
Sean thankfully will never have to see his mother again. I hope he can be placed with a warm secure family
This cousin,Deb,didn't she see any distrubing signs;especially after Kehoe is taking copious notes on parenting?

i think since she was insane and wanted to cover the murders up .. then it would mean she would or could have murder sweat and was thinking to hard to cover up her mess

I do not know if anyone caught it, but during the testimony of the prosecution's expert, at the time that he was testifying about the duct tape, Michelle Kehoe looked up with such hatred it sent chills up my spine. It was just for an instant.

Phyllis,

Springfield, Mo

I think this woman needs to go to prison for life. Claiming to be insane is NO reason to kill your children, or try to. If the doctors knew that she was this "crazy" and knew that she was on medication and needed help why in the heck did she have custody of her children anyways!?! And "accidently" driving her van into a body of water some time before. She is no mother, she is a peice of crap "wanna be" who deserves to serve life in prison. I don't understand who can look at their children and even think about killing them!

I would ask: if you really wanted to die, why would you go to a house for help? You could have bled to death where your sons were.

My my! what a bunch of bleeding hearts in your audience. Every comment I have read this morning is about "poor ole Mrs. Kehoe." What about the boys? Where is the oldest son? He is old enough to know his mother is a bad person who wanted to hurt him very badly and that he knows his mother killed his baby brother. Lets feel sorry for the real victims here. The children!!! Not her!! If she wanted to kill herself, then go ahead. My father killed himself, but not my mother! I have no sympathy for this woman at all. She is "all" a big act. She wanted rid of those kids and she suceeded. Now, guess who is still alive!
She needs to be out of reach. Where was her husband during all of this. How can he be there in the courtroom for her and still be a parent to the oldest little boy? He should be held just as responsible as her even though he was not even there. His supporting her in court is disgraceful as you can't tell me there were no signs of craziness in that house from this "very very ugly ugly" woman.

If I were to ask her one qustion it would be if she was so crazy why didn't she just kill herself ? Why take the life of an innocent child and forever scar the life of the other because that little boy will never forget what his mother did to him and his brother.

Who is advocating for the children in these situations? How could someone with such an extensive mental health history have custody of their children? Where was the father and the rest of Kehoe's family? They should ALL be on trial... including Kehoe's doctors! This reminds me of Andrea Yates in Texas!

The dispute is not whether she is guilty; she knows she is. I have no question in my mind that she was insane at the time of the killing and her thoughts prior to the killing and attempts still place her in the insane category. She deserves to be committed for the rest of her life; but with the medication she needs. Either way, she will never be free but it's my belief that she has never been free anyway. It's really too bad that she could not get the help she needed and that she was not committed after the first couple of attempts. The children always suffer; which is most likely what she was seeing all along and in her sick mind; wanted to rid them from the pain she felt they were or would be having in their lives. What's upsetting is that the father was not able to detect any of these events that eventually led to her killing and attempts. She must have been a walking time bomb .... my guess is that the laws did not allow a committment of Michelle...if the laws were made to help the insane, my guess si that this would not have happened and she would be the only one suffering!!! Unfortunate that someone could not have stepped in and taken the chilren away and palced them somewhere else with all that must have been happening at their home............

I recently saw a documentary about a teenage boy who was suffering with a bipolar disorder. The physician who was treating him said that the note he left just before he committed suicide was "super sanely written, but that his mental illness drove him to insanity."

I don't think that it matters what Michelle says after the unthinkable things that she did to her children as well as herself; I believe that her mental illness drove her to insanity.

i have not been watching this trial since it began, so do not know – where is this woman's husband?

Dr. Taylor did not seem to be telling the whole exact truth!!

Who in their right mind would write the letter that Michelle Kehoe wrote prior to this horrendous event. To write a letter that is so obviously transparent as to how ill she truly is.

How do I get live court coverage on the internet – it is on somedays and not others – I really wanted to hear the closing arguments. She is guilty – but why is her husband not on trial for child endangerment – for leaving the children with her in the first plance.

My father was mentally ill and my nephew commited suicide. I will tell you that it was not at all unusual that they planned and replanned the
horrible things they did. And hiding, lying or trying to direct the
blame to "others" was exactly what they did so as to relieve the
survivers of any blame. Multiple suicide attempts is often done.

I'm not so sure she really did want to die and not get caught, the real
reasons for all this may never be known or understood.

You missed a critical piece of why she killed her youngest and tried to kill her oldest child, she didn't want them to suffer the hell she was living in. Many forms of mental illness is hereditary and she
knew that.

Whether she spends the rest of her life in a prison or mental hospital
she will always be in hell

Sad story. Lots of us have sad stories. We don't use them as excuses to murder our children. I feel so sorry for the son who survived.

Ms Kehoe knew exactly what she was doing was wrong; it is time that psychologists quit giving these people a free ticket to by-pass life in prison and let them accept responsibility for their actions. Any individual, whether they have a mental illness or not, who can plan and execute those plans are guilty as charged–and Ms Kehoe went through great lengths to conceal her intent. The Andrea Yates' case was mentioned several times in this trial; Ms Yates should have been found guilty in the second trial because she knew that she had a 30-minute window of opportunity to commit the murderous acts upon her children and was clearly able to provide a lengthy description of what she had done when she called 911. It is disgusting to see people get off and take a walk after planning and wantonly taking a life in the manner that both women did. As for telling the viewing audience that Ms Kehoe will spend the rest of her life in a mental institution this is not exactly true; many do leave the facility after a time (some as short as 6 months, others after a few years) and some of those individuals commit yet another murder. Charles Manson was one of those individuals who was released even after he told the authorities that he would kill again. Ms Kehoe was in command of all her faculties and her act was deliberate; if I were on the jury, I would find her guilty and recommend her sentence to life without parole.

She has serious mental problems and needs help. If I were on the jury I would find her Not guilty. And if it need be. I would be the one that would create a hung jury. I could not let her go to jail. Not that I would want her out on the streets but I would want her to get help.

What gave her the right to determine whether or not her kids should die she should have left them with someone and killed herself. Also I understand that you don't try to commit suicide you either do it or you don't. She wanted her children dead not herself. If she wants to die lets put her in the system and i'm sure there is someone there that would be more than happy to fulfill her desire to die

If Michelle is found guilty of murder the option of criminally insane should be removed from the books because if Michelle doesn't qualify then no one does. The prosecutors' that are arguing that because she planned things ahead that makes her sane are wrong!!! I worked for years with an indivual that was mentally ill.He came to work did his job and yet at the same time would stand there and tell us things that he believed to be happening right at that time. He saw things he carried on conversations with himself and yet he did his job, and yes he planned things and carried on even as these things occured.I'm not a bleeding heart by any stretch of the imagination ...but I have to say I could never find this woman guilty of murder. She should be found be found guilty by reason of insanity!!!

I don't think she is insane! She planned it for months and if she felt it was "right"she wouldn't of made up a story about a man. Also, if she planned on dying herself then why cover the boys' eyes? I don't think she wanted to die! I think it all was a set up to get rid of her boys. Depressed? yes Insane? NO

I understand the severity of mental illness. But slashing a young child's throat deserves punishment, not rehabilitation. If she was so depressed and wanting of death, she wouldn't have a defense team. She would fire her counsel, plead guilty and look forward to the death penalty. She is crazy for being a brutal murderer, but all murderers are nutcases, that's why they even allow themselves to think it's okay to kill people. I suggest prison for the depressed mom, not the nut house.

Ok my question is that if she attempted suicide 3+ times, including slitting her wrist in a motel room alone, who saved her and did she set it up so somebody would rescue her?! also I do not believe she even thought this action against her children was morally right! she hid the crime and then lied about it and when she bought the knife, she never even told anybody that what she thought was morally right she was planning on doing! Murdering her children!

Having a family filled with multi-types of mental illness, from Psychosis, to Bi-Polar Disorder, and suffereing from anxiety and depression myself, I decided to study Psychology to understand more of what my family and I are truely dealing with. This women is in "Dire" need of constant mental attention. Putting this sick women in jail, is only going to make her worse. To often we want to place these people in jail because of our anger however, if we are going to accept that mental illness is a disease, then we must treat it as one!

is it just me, or was the closing argument attorney, just awful? i am watching his closing while they are waiting for the jury, and i can't follow him nor really understand what he is trying to say.

I have no bleeding heart for her after the electro therapy and her statements that she tried to commit suicide a year or so after the fact when it became convenient. The TV today caught her off guard today and showed the face I was looking for –normal. Which backed my belief that the drugged downtroddened look was a put on. I can only hope that people of the jurry saw it. I can pray they did. She is an evil wolf.

My father faught depression and had electro therapy. He never sought to kill us or himself. Regretably it was only years after his passing and my searching for answers for myself that I found out we had a genetic liver –metabolic disorder that causes depression. But not once has suicide every been an issue. (My anger is at the many misdiagnoses I went through and all my savings and retirement trying to find answers)

My point, you can be depressed and not suicidal. There have been too many evil parents that take out their children when they want to commit suicide. She needs to be put behind bars. People need to be accountable. She planned this entire event and lied about the entire occurence and staging until she was trapped. She was selfish TOTALLY selfish.

I still say a pharmacist has had anatomy schooling and knows where the veins and arteries are –she never cut her own –how convenient. She knew what she was doing and should spend the time for the crime. Let her children haunt her every day without any medications to drug her into a stupor to avoid her sins.

I am a mother of 3 and cannot imagine how a mother could contemplate let alone carry out such a heinous act against her own flesh and blood. Why choose to have children if life is so horrible. She is not insane, she is guilty and needs to spend life in prison and then answer to her higher power. She disusts me and I pray for the father and other family members of these boys.

I live in Grundy County and have been following this trial from day one. I can not believe someone who has attempted killing her children before by driving into a river would use an insanity defense. I'm not buying someone who planned this for months will be found insane. She even said if someone came up on them in the woods she would have continued to the town of Sumner where they were headed to

I am so tired of all of you making excuses for these self-centered, maniacle mothers who are killing their children today. It has almost become a "fashion". Excuse me, post-partum depression, regular depression, and on, on and on. Maybe they should learn a word rather than "I". It is no longer how one makes others feel, it is how do "I" feel? If children caused this much trauma then explain why it happens today when families have fewer children, compared to when they had from 5-15 kids? And you never say a father had to be crazy to kill his children or that he was depressed. Don't you think that men love their children as much as women do. Face the facts, these women are self-centered monsters, just as everyone believes a man is when he commits the same crimes. Let her pitiful body rot in prison, she duct-taped their eyes so she didn't have to look them in the face. That is my opinion-she knew enough about anatomy to know where to cut herself and still survive, both times she did it.

My understanding and experience of the cause of depression is repressed anger. Once the anger is released there is recovery. Why wasn't it mentioned in the trial.
I do not approve of electric shock therapy which always appears to me as a further punishment of a patient who will not or can respond to drugs or the therapist and only does further injury. I know to many psychiatrist who use it out of frustration.

Why didn't people recognize the attempt to kill them by drowning them in the river? Both children would be alive now not just the elder! She knew what she was doing and so did her "doctors" and she should have taken the correct measures to stop her!!

Just wanted to say that I watch this show everday and have been following this trial since day one, This is what I think yes this woman is crazy and should pay for what she has done, I dont think that sticking her in a prison for life is what she needs but It would be hard for me to say put her in a mental hospital , unless they say that she should spend the rest of her life there is not the answere either. If I was on the jusry my request would be to torture her just like she did those 2 beautiful children. She should be punished for life either way that you look at it. Michelle in Florida

This woman is simply a killer who has been influenced by the feminist movement of killing young male children.. Nearly all mothers who kill their children are mothers of boys. Of course LMN on TV fosters this hatered for men with this constant bombardment of female viewers that all male lovers, husbands, fathers etc are horible and should just die. Their only use is to send then to war that they may die protecting women and children.

I don’t care if the legal system uses archaic terms such as, “Insanity”. They can also use “Crazy”, “Bats in her belfry”, “Nuttier than a fruit cake”, or, “Not playing with a full deck”, for all I care So long as the legal system differentiates their terms of , “mental competence”, from the psychological community. Mental illness is already plagued with archaic stereotyping in our society, many of whom the psychological community grabbles with continuously. Let’s not forget that the DSM II considered homosexuality as a mental disorder. That’s why we are on IV now and probably need five as soon as possible

Sandra...THANK YOU! im glad someone in here has the same outlook on what happened as I do. She knew exactly what she was doing. It was a premeditated murder and people are trying to stick up for her. I agree with you, let her rot in prison!!

It was a sad case all the way around. I definitely agree with the verdict. However, I do think she needs psychiatric help. Will she be able to receive the help she requires in prison?

Here's some things Michelle Kehoe has in common with Andrea Yates: Yes, both were mentally ill – but note that mentally ill people are much more likely to be victims than perpetrators of crimes. Both women had in their histories failed suicide attempts [even though both had some medical training, physical therapy & nursing, respectively]. Previous suicide attempts were just that – suicide attempts – they didn't attempt to kill the kids in these instances. But, both Michelle & Andrea, in the time leading up to the crimes against their children, had become involved with very strict churches. After immersing themselves in new churches, each made the decision to kill the kids.

Gee what is wrong with this picture? If this mother was so insane, then how did she have enough sense to try to cover up what she did. I think the problem with these insane people who commits these horrible crimes, are just as sane as they want to be, but, lets cry "I am nuts, but, please do not find me sane. I think I just want to take another life!! People do not use common sense with so many of our young children being "rid of" by the same hand that help bring them into life. Wake up people the children out in this world needs to know they can depend on someone to protect them. Betty

I know one thing, I would NEVER want the prosecution's psychiatrist as my Dr. WOW !!!! I don't know what else to say of this individual. I hope some of his patient's were watching in shock!

The psychiatrist for the prosecution has got to be kidding!!!
People don't get ECT treatments because they are inconvenient??
She might not be in this situation had she had one recently...they pretty much turn you into a zombie for a couple of months. I bet 99% of the psyciatric community would tell you they ARE a last result.
This could stir up a big controversy...but it's such an outragious comment that it may not. HE needs help!

I am personally sick of the insanity defense. She knew what she was doing was wrong, by trying to cover up what really happened! I thank those that found her guily

Too many forgetting the irrelevance of *after the fact* with an insanity plea. There's a 100% chance her state of mind changed dramatically from the amount of time between the crime and her interrogation. In other words, she could have easily been insane at the time of the murder, while the attempted cover-up came when she knew she was starting at life in prison. The latter is absolutely irrelevant-cover-ups only matter when somebody claims they *didn't do it*. Her claim was insanity forcing her into her actions.

Furthermore I'm bothered by the burden of proof with insanity cases. It is clearly geared towards protecting mentally disabled, or for lack of a better term, retarded. There's obviously a huge line between that and being severely insane. Expect an Andrea Yates-esque conclusion on this one.

The trial is over and I can tell you what the verdic will be. The jury won't be able to send her to prison. It will be Guilty by reason of Insanity. That defense always works. So she will go to the Mental Hospital and then WOW all of a sudden the sane person comes out. She only has to stay in the Hospital until they deem her sane. So the doors are unlocked and she walks free. If she gets life in prison she is going to be there many many years. She "tried" to commit suicide three times????? Give me a break. If she really wanted to kill herself she would have done it the first time if not the second. Boy does she have way to many people fooled. If you remember she fooled the Dr's. The reason I say the Insanity Plea will work is because there is a shrink on the jury. Enough said. She will never run away with what she did. It wasn't until in the Hospital that she admitted she tried to kill her children when they went into the water. She made up a story when they were saved just as she made up the story of a stranger slit their throats. We are giving parents a liciense to kill their children and call it insanity. They can claim sexual abuse, mental and physical abuse as children but those are just words because they know it brings sympathy. No one is there to dispute it. WOW, the children sure need Guardian Angels to watch over them. They don't stand a chance to grow up. SAD.

About M Kehoe, If not for family an friends , there go I, I was given Zoloft ,because of depreesion from close family deaths. Only a week went by an I was having suicidle thoughts,that turned to I can't leave my family without me,no one loves them like I do.So I'LL TAKE THEM WITH ME. They say the drug had not had time to start working yet, I had never thot of any thing like it before. It was so not like me. when I blurred it out one day, They said get rid of the Zoloft. Since than I have notice others that have commited Suicide an Homicide [Family] After taking Zoloft. My Heart goes out to Michell . I appeared OK .it isn't something you can see. Like she said' I can't explain it'.
God Bless her. Know one can hurt her more than she has hurt herself ,by living. I UNDERSTAND..

I wonder if the killer she described is what her Dad looked like as she remembers him when she was a littlte girl.

Nate P brings up insanity at the time of the crime & after-the-fact, but in the case of M Kehoe, it's not an issue. She was setting up the cover-up – i.e. the note about the "bad man" – before she even committed the act. During the act, she continued to do things to cover up her own involvement, like covering the eyes of the kids, so they wouldn't know who was killing them.

One thing about our justice system's parameters for insanity is that, having been developed in the 19th century, there were influences on sanity that are not common today. For example, hardly anyone today loses their mental faculties due to untreated syphilis. Also, before we knew about the importance of vitamins, deficiencies caused both severe physical & mental deficiencies. While improved diet might improve mental state while bowed legs & other physical effects might remain, the connection between the physical & mental problems wasn't known. So, in the 19th century, it was far more reasonable to believe that there were forms of insanity that come & go. Today, thanks to vitamins & medicines, the only mental illness that really can cause someone to "not know the difference between a gun & a banana" [Jack Ford's phrase] is schizophrenia, which a life long affliction.

Personally, I think the idea that one can be so disturbed as to have views of reality counter to the truth is highly unrealistic. I think a reasonable mental defense might be, "I misunderstood so-&-so's actions such that I believed he was trying to kill me or another person", or "a 3rd party convinced me to act on a danger that really didn't exist", but outside schizophrenia [which we can now determine if someone has], there aren't really forms of "insanity" today such as were conceived by people before modern medicine. So depressed, or bipolar or borderline that one didn't know right from wrong? Not so much.

Killed her son and dabbed her eyes??? WOW. I don't think that this women had any remorse for what she did to her son. She wants to kill herself then why try to stop her she doesn't want to be here, but her son!!!!! That was his choice and his choice alone. She tried to commit suicide and didn't complete the mission; if she really wanted to kill herself she would have found a cleaner, quicker, more promising way. The trial isn't able or shouldn't be able to continue, if there is in fact another shrink on the jury. If there is I ask that people remember there is a pro AND con side to this. Pro being that if the shrink doesn't know this women then he/she might be able to make a non-biased opinion saying if she truly is demented. Con being that if by chance a mistake was made and he/she does know the women it could be an easy one way out for her. Anyone that has sympathy for this women does NOT understand what she did. And does NOT know the value of life.

As many people before me have said ( Her son could have been the one to discover the cure for cancer. )

I guess we will never know.

I feel bad for this woman. However, she will only live until she can find a way to kill herself. She has suffered for most of her life.

This woman is so clearly severely mentally ill. Where is the compassion on the DA 's part as well as the jurors? I could not believe not one of the 12 jurors had compassion for this poor woman. COMPASSION – look it up.

This is a miscarriage of justice. If more attention had been spent
try ing to help her when she was in such need for years instead of letting her ffall through the cracks, this probably wouldn't have happened. Some of the medications they had her on were proven to add to her problem. There are too many so called mental health providers that don't care. They just have them in for a 15 minute conference and change from one medication to another

I have to say I'm tired of the argument that a child's untimely death is sad "because he could have cured cancer." I think the fact that the kid was alive and did not try to end his own life is enough argument that it was wrong for her to take a knife to his throat. If she was so miserable her whole life, she didn't have to have kids.

I am sooo tired of hearing sob stories about the "PAST". It seems to me that everyone that commits a crime is always alleging family disfunctions, drugs , or alcohol. Take responsibility.

I feel for this woman, i do, but she had no right to take the life of her son. His life is his, and no longer part of hers. If she wanted to commit suicide, and really cared for her children, she would've secured them a safe place to live and sent them away before attempting. And, suicide is the most selfish act a human can commit: taking away your own life out of self-pity and without consideration for the pain that the people who love you will feel. If she had such a darn terrible life, then why did she have children to begin with? And by sounds of it, those miscarriages should have told her she wasn't supposed to have them. She might've thought about the fact that they could inherit her condition BEFORE they were born. This whole thing is simply ridiculous. I'm not vindictive, but i really think that this woman needs help, beyond therapy. I personally don't want her showing up at my door to kill my little sister and brother.

Okay if she tried three time to do that were was her family support If I was her husband i wold not want her around the kids alone. Hello Were was everyone to help take the kids she clearly was not in the right state of ming to care for childern. I would have not trust her at all

There really isn't much to say except that she is CRAZy! God Bless those children......

While i do not have any sympathy for this woman, i do feel like what has happened needs to be used as an educational tool for mental illnesses. So many people are in the dark, or simply want to be in the dark, about depression, bi-polar, scizhoprenia, etc. they don't want to believe that these horrible illness actually exsist, it's just all fake, right. maybe next time you will take a closer look at a friend who is having a bad day, or a person who just seems a bit overwhelmed, and just ask them how they are. they might say something and they might not, but at least they know you care and sometimes, that can make a world of difference.

WOW! ~alot of plp are very jude-mental~ i suffer from anxiety, depression and bi-polar...if yins never experienced any mental problems, plz don't be quick to judge...i've been on meds, been thru counsling...counsling didn't work for me...the "kehoe family" are the victims...no one wins in this case...GOD-BLESS, the lil boys...i just hope michelle will get the help she needs along w/ her hubby and lil sean!!! "IN GOD WE TRUST" live by it, it'll work for us all...i know i live by it everyday...GOD gets me thru EVERYTHING!!!

Sorry Jennifer but God has nothing to do with this. This evil woman deserves to die a painful death for killing her own son! How can you say people are being judgemental ? i dont care what she suffers from, she needs to be put into a dark little cell so she can reflect on what she has done for the rest of her life. Life is a Gift, she didnt deserve hers, but her child did nothing.

Yes I agree w/ Jessica

after reading these comments it really makes you realize that we haven't come very far in this country regarding mental illness. having suffered for many years and yes, contemplating suicide daily, it saddens me to see that people are still so narrow minded.

unless you have walked in their shoes, don't judge. you have no idea what your mind is capable of if you are suffering from a mental illness. heaven forbid you have no insurance or a doctor who doesn't get it. heaven help us all.

simple: any mnother who would kill their own children ( or anyone who'd murder any child) is definetely not normal... crazy or not, said person should not and could not be part of society, therefore, she needs to be put away, killed , whatever the state she lives in will allow...being crazy, she may still suffer from her acts..just kill her and let her out of it.

Sounds to me like it was PTSD. That gets misdiagnosed all the time. When treated with antidepressants, PTSD gets more severe and results into bouts of rage where an individual has no actual thoughts – it's all instinct. The army has finally released a study that proves antidepressants do not work with PTSD and can make it more severe, yet with the continual misdiagnoses and the failure of psychiatrists to stay abreast of current pharmacology... do you realize they just flip through a book and pick out a drug?... it's no surprise that these things happen.