The deadliest Christmas murders from slaughter over presents to two-day shooting spree that left six dead | The Sun
WHILE the holiday season is typically a time for joy, there is a surprisingly large number of murders that have taken place on or around Christmas.
From mass killings over some owed cash, to a two-day shooting spree that left six people dead, the holidays have sparked some gruesome attacks over the years.
Here's a look at some of the most horrific attacks to occur during the Christmas holiday.
Daughter Kills Parents Over Rent
In Washington state in 2007, Michele Andersen and her boyfriend went to visit her family on Christmas Eve toting handguns instead of gifts.
Her parents, Wayne and Judy, lived in a home in a rural area and Michelle lived on a caravan on the grounds, according to the Mirror.
Michele, 29, was reportedly angry that she was being asked to pay rent.
Her brother also allegedly owed her money.
The result was her decision to shoot her parents.
When her brother Scott, 32, and his wife Erica, also 32, came over with their two children later that day, the couple also shot them.
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Police found the bodies of the murdered family members on Boxing Day.
A Two-Day Shooting Spree
Four people went on a two-day murdering spree over the Christmas holiday in Dayton, Ohio, back in 1992.
The massacre became known as the "Christmas killings."
The group, Laura Taylor, DeMarcus Smith, Heather Matthews, and Marvallous Keene, were initially trying to rob people, according to Crime & Investigation, but the later attacks had to do with fear of "snitches."
The first victim, Joseph Wilkerson, was killed in his home on Christmas Eve. The foursome went on to kill five more people and leave an additional two, injured.
Rhonda Gullette—sister of one of the victims shot, told Journal-News, “I don’t really celebrate the holidays like other people.”
She continued, “I go back in my mind and I think about the day I found out that my sister was killed.”
Taylor, Smith, and Matthews are serving life sentences for murder, while Kenne was convicted in five of the killings and was executed in July 2009.
Murder Planned in Star Wars Terms
Two brothers from the UK, David and Roger Cooper, plotted to kill a woman Roger was having an affair with.
The pair used Star Wars terminology via text like, "Death Star Complete" to keep their plan confidential.
According to the Mirror, Roger was worried Sameena Imam would inform his wife about the affair they were having, so he and his brother plotted her death.
After about a month of exchanging coded messages, Sameena arrived at David's home on Christmas Eve and was smothered with a rag soaked in chloroform.
Her body was later found buried in the woods.
The brothers were jailed for life, according to the BBC.
A Firey Christmas Eve & Missing Children
On Christmas Eve in 1945, a massive fire in West Virginia ripped through the home of Italian immigrants George and Jennie Sodder and their nine children.
Four of their children survived, but the bodies of the other five were never found, according to Crime & Investigation.
One of the siblings, Sylvia, whom escaped with her parents, told The Independent that she was not convinced that her siblings died in the horrific Christmas Eve fire.
There was some speculation that the disappearance of the Sodder children was connected to Italian mob activity.
George Sodder was a vocal critic of Benito Mussolini and the fascist government in Italy.
Such criticism of Mussolini could have likely angered Italians of Fayetteville that supported him.
The family did not give up hope that their children were alive, even offering cash rewards, but the kids were never found.
The JonBenét Case
Perhaps the most famous Christmas murder mystery is the tragic death of JonBenét Ramsey in 1996.
The tot was found dead on Christmas Day at her family's home in Colorado.
Her father found her body in their basement.
JonBenét suffered a blow to the head that broke her skull and was strangled.
A handwritten ransom note was also found in the house.
Initially, police believed her parents and brother were involved, but they were later cleared with DNA testing.
The 6-year-old's death sparked decades of speculation about who was responsible, as the case still remains open to this day.
Man in Santa Suit Kills Ex's Family
On Christmas Eve in 2008, Bruce Pardo showed up dressed in a Santa suit to a California home where his ex-wife's family was celebrating the holiday.
Pardo then began shooting, killing nine people. He then set the house on fire.
His ex-wife, her parents, her two brothers and their wives, her sister, and her nephew were all killed. Pardo shot himself dead the following day.
Christmas Ax Attack
In 2017, James Hutchinson pleaded guilty to killing his pregnant partner during a rampage while high on drugs.
He reportedly attacked Nicola Woodman at her home with knives and an ax on Christmas Day.
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Hutchinson was reportedly in a drug-induced delusion and believed Nicola had been cheating on him.
She was a mother of two and was pregnant with his child at the time.
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