Man, What A Twisted Family Tree...!

When reading about this family and the crimes they committed, it's hard to believe they managed to stay free as long as they did!

You have to wonder if the madness ran in the family, or was it just the mother? They were all pretty sick if you ask me.

This type of story makes you sad to know there are people like this on the loose in the world. At the same time, it scares the hell out of me! This is almost as though these folks were straight out of the pages of some work of fiction, and not real people! Unfortunately, that is not the case!

From the good folks at History.com, this story certainly gives us all something to think about!

Sept. 1, 1981:

A teenage boy murders his father

Fifteen-year-old Eric Witte shoots his father, 43-year-old volunteer firefighter Paul Witte, in the family's Indiana home. Although Eric admitted to shooting his father, he claimed that the gun had accidentally gone off when he tripped on a rug. The bullet hit his father, who was lying on a couch across the room, in the head. The shooting was ruled an accident, and Eric was released.

Three years later, Eric's grandmother, Elaine Witte, 74, was killed with a crossbow. A few months after the murder, the entire family was arrested in California for forging Elaine's signature on her Social Security checks. In the subsequent trial, the bizarre story behind the murders came to light.

Eric's mother, Hilma Marie Witte, had tried to kill her husband, Paul, by lacing his food with rat poison and Valium. When this proved unsuccessful, she convinced her son to shoot his father by telling him that Paul was going to divorce her and that they would end up living in the streets. She later persuaded John "Butch" Witte, Eric's younger brother, to kill his grandmother by convincing him that Elaine planned to kick them out of the house. John, who witnessed his father's murder at the age of 11, was 14 when he killed Elaine Witte. At the trial, John stated, "My mom said I could strangle her or use my crossbow. It was up to me."

A few hours after killing his grandmother, John went to court with his mother to inquire about receiving disability benefits from his father's death. When they returned home that night, they began cutting up Elaine's body with a knife and a chainsaw. Marie and her two boys then scattered the dismembered body throughout California.

John and Eric were given 20- and five-year sentences, respectively, and were released in 1996. Hilma Marie Witte received a 90-year sentence.

Now, many of us have some slightly bent branches in our family tree, but I'm pretty sure none of us have anything like this! I know that if I did, I wouldn't admit it!

Just way too many crazy folks in the world, I'm thinking!

Want some fresh coffee? We can sit outside, if you can take the heat!