The body of the College professor, who shot three people about a week ago at an outdoor theater in Athens, has been found. He had shot his ex-wife and two other troop players of the theatre and he had left two children with relatives. George Zinkhan had eluded police for a few days until they started searching in the heavily forested area around where his jeep had been parked.
Cadaver dogs were used and they quickly came upon the body. Zinkhan had dug a fairly deep hole, climbed into it and lain down, and covered himself with soil and leaves. Then he shot himself in an act of suicide. He meant for no one to find him and he would have gone unnoticed for several months except for the dogs.
What I don’t understand is the act of murder before a suicide. If you are so angry and bitter towards an ex-spouse or girlfriend, and you have children together, why commit murder-suicide? Is it revenge that she is getting on with her life and having a good time, as was the case with Marie Bruce, Zinkhan’s ex-wife, or was it torment that she would not consider coming home to be a wife and mother to their children? The children were spared thank goodness, but this is not always the case.
Sometimes, when parents find themselves in a desperate place, either financially or emotionally, and they can’t bear to leave their children behind, they will prepare a murder suicide with their children killed first, and then themselves usually with the husband last. Once in a while a child will hide or escape, as did happen a few days ago, when a 13 year old hid and then escaped his family’s plan.
If you are unhappy and inconsolable for any reason, seek counselling and tell your family to go to a relative’s home until you get over this feeling. Do not take it out on the children who have not done a thing wrong to deserve this fate.