Father Slays Children, Self
Was Afraid of Losing Them in a Divorce
Smithville, Texas (AP) -
A father-fearful of losing his three children in divorce proceedings-apparently killed the youngsters and then took his own life, officers found Saturday.
Vernon Musick,27, died with two-ear old
Vernon, Jr., cradled in his arms.
Fifteen yards away was
Sharon Lee (Lea is correct spelling), five.
Across the road in an opening between two cedar stumps was John, nine months old.
The father was shot between the eyes with a pistol (other papers report that it was a 7.65mm forgein made pistol).
The throats of the boy and girl had been cut.
Authorities were puzzled because no blood was found around the children or in Musick's automobile. Neither could they find the knife.
Authorities speculated Musick killed the children at some other place.
Relatives said Musick picked up the children last Sunday at their mother's parents' residence in McMahan, Tex., to take them for a drive. Mrs. Musick lived with her parents and he lived in Lockhart, Tex.
A rancher said he saw the abondoned automobile Sunday night but did not know about the search for Musick.
The car was parked on a dirt road about seven miles south of this Central Texas town. The bodies were about 75 yards away from the automobile in a ravine.
Sheriff Desmond Reed said Musick's mother reported she found a note written by her son in which he expressed concern about the possiblility of losing his children through divorce.
Sunday World Herald
Omaha, Nebraska
Feb 17, 1963
Front Page
Was Afraid of Losing Them in a Divorce
Smithville, Texas (AP) -
A father-fearful of losing his three children in divorce proceedings-apparently killed the youngsters and then took his own life, officers found Saturday.
Vernon Musick,27, died with two-ear old
Vernon, Jr., cradled in his arms.
Fifteen yards away was
Sharon Lee (Lea is correct spelling), five.
Across the road in an opening between two cedar stumps was John, nine months old.
The father was shot between the eyes with a pistol (other papers report that it was a 7.65mm forgein made pistol).
The throats of the boy and girl had been cut.
Authorities were puzzled because no blood was found around the children or in Musick's automobile. Neither could they find the knife.
Authorities speculated Musick killed the children at some other place.
Relatives said Musick picked up the children last Sunday at their mother's parents' residence in McMahan, Tex., to take them for a drive. Mrs. Musick lived with her parents and he lived in Lockhart, Tex.
A rancher said he saw the abondoned automobile Sunday night but did not know about the search for Musick.
The car was parked on a dirt road about seven miles south of this Central Texas town. The bodies were about 75 yards away from the automobile in a ravine.
Sheriff Desmond Reed said Musick's mother reported she found a note written by her son in which he expressed concern about the possiblility of losing his children through divorce.
Sunday World Herald
Omaha, Nebraska
Feb 17, 1963
Front Page
Father Slays Children, Self
Was Afraid of Losing Them in a Divorce
Smithville, Texas (AP) -
A father-fearful of losing his three children in divorce proceedings-apparently killed the youngsters and then took his own life, officers found Saturday.
Vernon Musick,27, died with two-ear old
Vernon, Jr., cradled in his arms.
Fifteen yards away was
Sharon Lee (Lea is correct spelling), five.
Across the road in an opening between two cedar stumps was John, nine months old.
The father was shot between the eyes with a pistol (other papers report that it was a 7.65mm forgein made pistol).
The throats of the boy and girl had been cut.
Authorities were puzzled because no blood was found around the children or in Musick's automobile. Neither could they find the knife.
Authorities speculated Musick killed the children at some other place.
Relatives said Musick picked up the children last Sunday at their mother's parents' residence in McMahan, Tex., to take them for a drive. Mrs. Musick lived with her parents and he lived in Lockhart, Tex.
A rancher said he saw the abondoned automobile Sunday night but did not know about the search for Musick.
The car was parked on a dirt road about seven miles south of this Central Texas town. The bodies were about 75 yards away from the automobile in a ravine.
Sheriff Desmond Reed said Musick's mother reported she found a note written by her son in which he expressed concern about the possiblility of losing his children through divorce.
Sunday World Herald
Omaha, Nebraska
Feb 17, 1963
Front Page
Was Afraid of Losing Them in a Divorce
Smithville, Texas (AP) -
A father-fearful of losing his three children in divorce proceedings-apparently killed the youngsters and then took his own life, officers found Saturday.
Vernon Musick,27, died with two-ear old
Vernon, Jr., cradled in his arms.
Fifteen yards away was
Sharon Lee (Lea is correct spelling), five.
Across the road in an opening between two cedar stumps was John, nine months old.
The father was shot between the eyes with a pistol (other papers report that it was a 7.65mm forgein made pistol).
The throats of the boy and girl had been cut.
Authorities were puzzled because no blood was found around the children or in Musick's automobile. Neither could they find the knife.
Authorities speculated Musick killed the children at some other place.
Relatives said Musick picked up the children last Sunday at their mother's parents' residence in McMahan, Tex., to take them for a drive. Mrs. Musick lived with her parents and he lived in Lockhart, Tex.
A rancher said he saw the abondoned automobile Sunday night but did not know about the search for Musick.
The car was parked on a dirt road about seven miles south of this Central Texas town. The bodies were about 75 yards away from the automobile in a ravine.
Sheriff Desmond Reed said Musick's mother reported she found a note written by her son in which he expressed concern about the possiblility of losing his children through divorce.
Sunday World Herald
Omaha, Nebraska
Feb 17, 1963
Front Page
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