Does Murder Run in Families
Not being murdered, that would be an unfortunate family trait, but of being murderers. Once you get past the mafia and those created for television or movies few murderous families present themselves.
There are those who call themselves family but who are not blood relations and others who have murdered their own families. But this was not quite what I was looking for. In the end, three families stood out; The Borgias, The Beanes and The Blair’s. Interesting but not intentional by me that all three begin with a B.
The Borgias
The Borgias, of course, have a television show based on their history. There is some debate about this family and just what it was that they really did. But the majority agree that they were corrupt. Whether for pleasure, political reasons or to obtain wealth the reasons they killed are wide-ranging.
For the Borgias, it would seem that other families of equal standing behaved in similar ways and the family itself had almost been created for the purpose of obtaining wealth and stature.
The Beanes
The Beanes were a Scottish family living in a cave in the 17th century. The mother and father weren’t, as far as I can determine, related in any way. Due to not being able to mix with outside social groups their offspring coupled to produce grandchildren. The family robbed and killed for a living, curing and preserving the meat of their victims for their own consumption. It took a long time before this murderous family was found and justice dispensed.
The Beanes had deliberately sought out an isolated location to live and eventually raise their rather extensive interbred family. They kept their offspring away from the rest of the civilized world. And it could be said that the children and grandchildren simply had no idea that there was any other way to live.
The Blair’s
The Blair Family is more recent and Diamond Blair was convicted of murder and robbery in 2009. His murderous family includes five other convicted murderers, two of whom are his own mother and an uncle.
The Blair family, of course, knew of modern-day law and would have had little doubt that if they were caught they would have to pay for their crimes. This does not seem to have been a deterrent.
Research on Murderous Families
Scientific research suggests there is little evidence to support the theory that such traits can be passed down through genes. Perhaps the psychology of the family dynamic would be more revealing -a post for another time maybe.
Horror and Fantasy Author – Also writing as K.T. McQueen. Love Western Horror, cowboy boots, my cactus Collin, & my Demon Cat.
Moths – I hate moths, the way they flutter at your face!
