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Molestation Possible Motive in Amish Shooting
Grisly picture of assailant painted at afternoon news conference.
By Ellen Barry and Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writers
10:52 AM PDT, October 3, 2006
NICKEL MINES, Pa. -- The man who killed at least five girls at an Amish school said he had molested young family members 20 years ago and had dreams of doing so again, authorities said today.
At an afternoon news conference, State Police Commissioner Col. Jeffrey B. Miller painted a grisly picture of Charles Carl Roberts IV, a methodical assailant who carefully planned for a siege and left suicide notes explaining possible motives for attacking the one-room schoolhouse Monday morning.
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The attack was "organized, preplanned and had forethought," Miller told reporters at a televised news conference.
Miller said Roberts stated that he had molested two family members 20 years ago, but there was no independent confirmation of those attacks. In the notes he left behind, Roberts also said he was angry over the death of his child, Elise, about nine years ago.
The number of casualties in the shooting rose overnight.
Miller said five girls are now dead, ranging from 7 to 13 years old. Three died at the scene and two during the night. Roberts killed himself as state police rushed the building to rescue the children.
Five other females, 7 to 13 years old, were in two hospitals in grave condition, Miller said.
A day after the attack, officials struggled to explain why Roberts, a 32-year-old father of three with no criminal record and no record of mental instability, entered the schoolhouse in the sheltered Amish community with a small arsenal, including an illegal stun gun and several apparently legal weapons.
Why Roberts acted the way he did may never be known, Miller said. But the notes left by Roberts for his family cite his fears about repeating sexual assaults and the loss of his child, who died about 20 minutes after birth.
The death of the child made him angry with himself and with God, Miller said.
"The note that he left for his wife talks about the good memories together, the tragedy with Elise, it focuses on his life being changed forever ... over the loss of Elise, his hatred toward himself, his hatred toward God as a result of that event, and he alludes to this other reason for this anger but he can't discuss it with her and it happened 20 years ago," Miller said.
On Monday, officials mentioned acts that took place 20 years ago as one of the reasons Roberts gave for his attack. Today's news conference was the first time officials gave details.
According to Miller, Roberts claimed to have molested two family members 20 years ago. At the time, Roberts was a child himself. The victims would have been 3 to 5 years old.
There was no independent confirmation of the molestations, Miller said. Relatives have been interviewed and had no recollection of the incidents.
We have "no details or if anything occurred," Miller said. "We were not able to confirm a report was ever made."
In his note, Roberts said he was having dreams of molesting again. "He states in his suicide note that he had dreams about doing what he did 20 years ago again," Miller said.
Miller also gave this chronology of the events on Monday:
Roberts returned from his milk truck job about 3 a.m. By 7:30, Roberts and his wife were getting their children ready for school and by 8:45 a.m., Roberts walked his children to the bus stop.
About 9 a.m., Marie Roberts left to go to a prayer session at a local Presbyterian church, where she stayed until 10:30. She dropped off a friend and came home around 10:50 a.m., when Roberts called her.
At that point, Roberts was already at the school, Miller said. He had barricaded himself inside and had separated the girls from the boys.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-amish3oct03,1,2887285.story
Still sticking to that "No CCW on school"?
Grisly picture of assailant painted at afternoon news conference.
By Ellen Barry and Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writers
10:52 AM PDT, October 3, 2006
NICKEL MINES, Pa. -- The man who killed at least five girls at an Amish school said he had molested young family members 20 years ago and had dreams of doing so again, authorities said today.
At an afternoon news conference, State Police Commissioner Col. Jeffrey B. Miller painted a grisly picture of Charles Carl Roberts IV, a methodical assailant who carefully planned for a siege and left suicide notes explaining possible motives for attacking the one-room schoolhouse Monday morning.
ADVERTISEMENT
The attack was "organized, preplanned and had forethought," Miller told reporters at a televised news conference.
Miller said Roberts stated that he had molested two family members 20 years ago, but there was no independent confirmation of those attacks. In the notes he left behind, Roberts also said he was angry over the death of his child, Elise, about nine years ago.
The number of casualties in the shooting rose overnight.
Miller said five girls are now dead, ranging from 7 to 13 years old. Three died at the scene and two during the night. Roberts killed himself as state police rushed the building to rescue the children.
Five other females, 7 to 13 years old, were in two hospitals in grave condition, Miller said.
A day after the attack, officials struggled to explain why Roberts, a 32-year-old father of three with no criminal record and no record of mental instability, entered the schoolhouse in the sheltered Amish community with a small arsenal, including an illegal stun gun and several apparently legal weapons.
Why Roberts acted the way he did may never be known, Miller said. But the notes left by Roberts for his family cite his fears about repeating sexual assaults and the loss of his child, who died about 20 minutes after birth.
The death of the child made him angry with himself and with God, Miller said.
"The note that he left for his wife talks about the good memories together, the tragedy with Elise, it focuses on his life being changed forever ... over the loss of Elise, his hatred toward himself, his hatred toward God as a result of that event, and he alludes to this other reason for this anger but he can't discuss it with her and it happened 20 years ago," Miller said.
On Monday, officials mentioned acts that took place 20 years ago as one of the reasons Roberts gave for his attack. Today's news conference was the first time officials gave details.
According to Miller, Roberts claimed to have molested two family members 20 years ago. At the time, Roberts was a child himself. The victims would have been 3 to 5 years old.
There was no independent confirmation of the molestations, Miller said. Relatives have been interviewed and had no recollection of the incidents.
We have "no details or if anything occurred," Miller said. "We were not able to confirm a report was ever made."
In his note, Roberts said he was having dreams of molesting again. "He states in his suicide note that he had dreams about doing what he did 20 years ago again," Miller said.
Miller also gave this chronology of the events on Monday:
Roberts returned from his milk truck job about 3 a.m. By 7:30, Roberts and his wife were getting their children ready for school and by 8:45 a.m., Roberts walked his children to the bus stop.
About 9 a.m., Marie Roberts left to go to a prayer session at a local Presbyterian church, where she stayed until 10:30. She dropped off a friend and came home around 10:50 a.m., when Roberts called her.
At that point, Roberts was already at the school, Miller said. He had barricaded himself inside and had separated the girls from the boys.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-amish3oct03,1,2887285.story
Still sticking to that "No CCW on school"?