*Lizzie*

From The Globe and Mail:

A Toronto police spokesman said Friday that a mother this week stabbed her husband and three-year-old to death before killing herself.

Detective-Sergeant Chris Buck, of the homicide squad, said that forensic investigation, interviews with family and neighbours and reviews of the 911 transcripts had implicated the mother in the deaths.

Brian Langer called 911 shortly after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday and said he had been stabbed. Police and emergency workers arrived a few minutes later to find a gory scene. Two-year-old Brigitte stood staggering on the front porch, blood pouring from a neck wound, wearing only a pink T-shirt and a diaper.

Zoe, 3, was found inside the house with no signs of life. Mr. Langer, 47, was alive at the scene, but died later. Andrea L'Abbé, 26, was found dead. The family dog was also injured. Only seven-month-old Margot was unharmed.

The post-mortem showed that all three deceased had died of puncture wounds, Det.-Sgt. Buck said. Zoe was killed by a wound to the neck, Mr. Langer by wounds to the torso and Ms. L'Abbé by a single stab wound to the neck.

"The deaths of both Zoe L'Abbé-Langer and Brian Langer, and the injury to Brigitte, were caused by the deceased person, Andrea L'Abbé," he said at a press conference Friday morning at Toronto police headquarters.

"I can tell you further that the wound to [Ms. L'Abbé] was self-inflicted."

He would not theorize on what might have led Ms. L'Abbé to stab Mr. Langer and two of their three daughters. He acknowledged speculation that she may have been suffering from postpartum depression but refused comment.

"This is a tragic case, there are no good answers for the families," he said. "We don't have all the answers as to the why, and we may never have them."

He told reporters that the families of the deceased had been informed Thursday night that Ms. L'Abbé was to blame.

He urged the media to respect the privacy of the grieving family and to allow them to give Brigitte and Margot a chance the chance to recover.

"Brigitte turns two years old tomorrow," he noted, "the families have to try to get past what happened this week and move on."

Peter Collins, a forensic psychiatrist with Ontario Provincial Police, refused to comment on the specific case but acknowledged that said some women become so severely depressed after having a baby that they become suicidal, and reluctant to leave their children behind to contend with what they see as a cold and cruel world.
"They're in a sense doing their kids a favour by killing them," Dr. Collins said. "Altruistic filicide is often associated with suicide."

In other cases, a woman may become delusional and paranoid, and may see her children or spouse or both as evil or threatening.

"One wonders whether there's been either some severe depression troubling her or whether she's in fact had some delusion that has frightened her," said Dr. Donna Stewart, a University of Toronto psychiatrist and expert in mental illnesses associated with giving birth.

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I think that this is a realy tragedy. I feel for the two surviving children who no longer have parents.

Elizajoey

Terrible sad.

You close your eyes and your whole world can change. I think it's even sadder that the children will never fully understand why. They really wouldn't remember their parents interactions so they will forever be wondering.

A complete tragedy.

SuperDeluxe

Killing family members..sick

Trying to kill the dog? I mean come on..

Hot Like Fire

I feel bad for the family.

Messed Up Girl

That's a horrible thing to have happened Human beings are truly our worst enemies.

sum1

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Starless Night 20

While I do think the article almost tried to force a pity towards the mother, I don't think they were trying to make excuses for what she did. I think they were just trying to understand why on earth a mother would kill two of her children and her husband by comparing it with previous accounts of maternal-induced murder. I don't quite understand what was running through her head as she shoved the knife into her family, and I, by no means, condone the actions she did, but some sort of explanation as to why someone would even let the thought cross into her mind is always appreciated. And who knows? Maybe the mother was just psychotic and needed a reason to snap. Maybe her daughter wouldn't eat her spaghetti-o's and it sent the mother into a frenzy. I don't think anyone but the murderer themselves really knows what they were thinking or their reasoning.

Quarterley

Actually, it's not surprising for her to have Postpartum Depression even though it's been seven months after giving birth to her baby. Some cases even last for years. The one that lasts for a short period of time after giving birth is Postpartum Blues/Baby Blues. It happens to a lot of women, especially new mothers, and would usually go away after a few days after the mother got adjusted to the arrival of the baby. Postpartum Depression is more intense and can last longer. It's a psychiatric illness that if left untreated, the situation would get worse...which is likely what happened here with this mother.

Ambular

Not really sum1. Claiming that she's helplessly sick and it isn't her fault would maybe be making excuses. But the fact is, she very well could be suffering from a prolonged, untreated psychological affliction that caused this to happen. And of course she isn't without blame, but it wasn't a random "psycho" killing spree, at least not to me. They have to consider all possible reasons; I mean, people don't just decide to slaughter their family without being deeply disturbed.

Post-Partum can definitely extend into several years if it's untreated, like Cin mentioned. Andrea Yates did the same thing - some of her kids were a couple years old.

"Altruistic filicide" is legitimate, though. Of the five different reaons currently known for mothers killing their children, Acute and Altruistic Filicide are both quite common, and both involve serious mental illness.

I'm not defending her whatsoever, I'm just saying, there is a real cause for concern in these cases and they shouldn't simply be dismissed as nutjobs.

Quarterley

Pictures of the family taken on Mother's Day, 2003:

The couple - Brian and Andrea:



Andrea and the eldest daughter Zoe and second daughter Brigitte:



Brian and Zoe:



Andrea and Brigitte:





Source: Toronto Star

May Andrea, Brian, and Zoe rest in peace.

Ambular

Such an adorable family.

Andrea looks completely happy and normal, too.