Christmas is about joy, love, and family. A few things can really ruin the holidays. Sometimes family fights, politics, and sickness can all put a damper on Christmas. Here are a few things that could really destroy Christmas.
Bloody Presents Destroy Christmas
When Phil Axt entered his sister’s home in December 2011, he discovered Michele O’Dowd’s body. His sister had been beaten, killed, and hidden under the presents meant for her nieces and nephews. The police soon discovered that Michele O’Dowd had been murdered by Patty Michelle White.
Patty Michelle White struggled to keep a job and put her life together. Even after breaking up with her nephew, Michele O’Dowd still thought of White as family. Michele invited White to stay with her, gave her odd jobs, and even trusted her with her PIN number. Unfortunately White betrayed her trust.
The police found White in South Carolina two days after Axt found the body. She confessed to murdering Michele O’Dowd when the cops pulled her over. Two years later White was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Sadly, Phil Axt will probably never look at Christmas presents the same.
Ghostly Parents Destroy Christmas
In 1959, Harold Perelson destroyed Christmas for his family. A normal family with a mom, dad, and three children, no one expected this to happen to them. Harold Perelson and his family lived in Los Feliz in a nice house. Then everything started to go wrong.
Harold had a career in medicine and had been working on a new medical device. Except his business partner tried to cut him out of the deal so Harold sued him. The expensive trial cut into their finances and Harold received only a fraction of what he wanted in compensation. Next, his children were in a car accident. When he sued for damages, he again only received a fraction of what he wanted.
Harold struggled that he suffered from several coronaries as a result of attempted suicide. His wife began thinking of putting Harold into a mental illness home. Finally, Harold lost it.
One early December morning, Harold woke went downstairs, and took a hammer. Returning back to his bedroom he hit his wife in the head with the hammer leaving a hole. Then he went to his oldest daughter’s room and struck her. His oldest daughter survived waking to see her father holding a bloody hammer above her. When Harold went and told a younger child to return to bed, his oldest ran for the neighbors. The police arrived to find the children alive, the mother dead, and Harold dead from suicide.
The children went to live with their aunt. Sadly this father destroyed Christmas for his children. December will probably never be their favorite month.
Death of A Family Destroys Christmas
In 1929, Charles Davis Lawson took his family to town for new clothes and a family portrait. While today that may be normal Christmas time behavior, back then that was a treat. Not very rich the Lawsons did not have money for such extravagances. Looking back the seemingly innocent act becomes sinister.
Just after returning home, Charles Lawson started a deadly work. After sending his oldest son back to town on an errand, Lawson took a shotgun and killed two of his daughters as they left to go visit their uncle. He then went to the house shot his wife and older daughter while his three little ones tried to hide. Lawson found them shot them, then killed his baby daughter. Finally, he walked into the woods, paced around a tree, and shot himself. Shortly after all this happened, people arrived on the scene.
The oldest son at only 16 had lost his whole family and shortly before Christmas. Several books and many posts have been written about this grisly murder/suicide. It can truthfully be said that this father destroyed Christmas that year.
Conclusion
Bloody presents, ghostly parents, and the death of a family can all lead to destroying Christmas for the people around them. When celebrating your holidays try to avoid these ways of destroying Christmas. If you feel the urge to celebrate like this, please seek help. Merry Christmas.
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