Twin boys in New York watch as mother's fiancee runs over their father

Source: AP

New York (AP) - Nine-year-old twin brothers watched as their mother's fiancee allegedly struck their father with a van, killing him on Father's Day weekend. The man told police he was upset the boys called their biological father, «dad,» authorities said. David Connolly, 55, was arraigned Monday on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Dennis Pike, 36.

"I was very upset because the kids were calling Dennis 'dad,»' Connolly said in a statement to police. "I have been raising those kids for the last seven months as if they were my own." He said he did not mean to kill Pike.
The boys' mother, Linda Potter, told police there had never been a problem between the two men before. Potter, 47, said she had been with Pike «off and on» for 10 years and but they never married. She and Connolly were engaged at Christmas.

According to statements given to police, Pike took his sons to play baseball Saturday morning after the boys spent the night with him. Connolly and Potter drove to the ball field, where Connolly said he did not want the boys hanging out with Pike.

Authorities said Connolly threatened Pike with a baseball bat. After an exchange of punches, Connolly and the boys got into the van, Pike hit the windshield with the bat and Pike was struck by the vehicle. Connolly was being held without bail pending a court appearance Friday.




Read more: http://www.pr-inside.com/print158247.htm

It starts out as a tale of hubris, and ends with the minor detail that the two men had been fighting and the victim was attacking the killer's van with a baseball bat.

Is it seriously too much to ask journalists to write facts instead of pretending they are auditioning for screenwriters for CSI?

The children and the boyfriend (Connelly) were safely in the van and had the ability to leave at will. Running over the father was not in any way justifiable. Not in self defense, not in defense of the children, and not in defense of innocent bystanders.

I don't think the imminant fear of death or serious injury criteria was met yet. Even in a state like Florida with the "Stand Your Ground" law, I don't think this would fly unless the father had already smashed through all the windows and and was about to start smashing skulls.

My comment was on how badly the story was written.

They seemed to just kind of flow together, so my post was a combination thingy. :-)

:hi:

This is such a damn sad shame of a story, in more ways than one- as usual.

I find most of the news we get sorts into a few categories- sex, personal tragedy, and PR are the top three.

(I can say it, I live here.)

that the kids called their father, who has been their father since conception, "Dad" ("Potter, 47, said she had been with Pike «off and on» for 10 years and but they never married.")?

Sorry chum, I'm the stepmother of two children, and raised one of them like his was my own. And I never suggested that they call me "Mom." And when my stepson suggested once that he call me "Mom," I told him no, because he already had a mother and it would hurt his mother if he did.

Seven months? My guess is that this guy has a very controling personality. The mother and the kids are better off by far without him.

And the father would have been alive without this guy.

I'm a stepmom for 2 kids that I have raised as my own for 13 years, one of which is more my daughter than her mother's (the younger one). I would never suggest or allow them to call me "Mom" as they have one already.

how sad. :cry:

...to lay the blame on them.