I’m sure by now that everyone has heard the horrible and shocking story about Michael McLendon who killed his mom, grandparents, aunt, uncle and strangers for no apparent reason. I’ve delivered to these small sleepy farming communities many times, never dreaming that among them a killer waited. Not even children were spared as he killed the wife and daughter of a deputy and then went on to wound the deputy’s youngest daughter. A merciless act of revenge motivated killing that encompassed three small cities in the southern most parts of Alabama early this week. I hesitated to write about this tragedy for several reasons. Mainly because each blog or news report even mere words causes the families who suffered these horrible losses more pain and renews the sense of loss that they are feeling and will continue to feel for years to come. Lastly it helps to immortalize someone that needs never to be spoken of again in the public venue. Because we all know so little about what eventually caused a allegedly hard working quiet polite young man to pitilessly kill people that caused him no harm.
We can only try to put the facts together as bits and pieces slowly come out about Michael McLendon’s short life. The main question will always remain. WHY did he decide on that day to act as judge jury and executioner? Was it to express his real or imagined grievances against family, friends and former employers when a ‘hit list” was found among his possessions? Regardless of what all the investigators learn from the evidence, statements from people that were directly or indirectly in contact with this young man, the facts will never be known.
He chose the cruelest way to make the victims suffer by taking his own life. After he wantonly murdered 10 people, wounded four others and was cornered by law enforcement he killed himself as a last act of defiance. That act alone denies anyone a chance to ask the questions that will keep the victims families from achieving closure on this living nightmare. My heart goes out to the victiums and residents of these close knit towns and I pray that in some way they achieve some type peace. No words or acts can take away their pain anger and confusion, only God can bring that to them.
Tags: Michael McLendon Alabama Senseless
