Dad kills sons at college in West Virginia

[Columbo]

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/father-sons-dead-in-apparent-murder/20060902174509990013?ncid=NWS00010000000001

I couldn't find any explanation in the story why people aged 24 and 26 were collerge students in an undergraduate setting.

 

[shotglass]

Wow. Shepherd's football team was playing at my alma mater while this happened. Very quiet little town, Shepherdstown.

 

[johnnychoice]

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/father-sons-dead-in-apparent-murder/20060902174509990013?ncid=NWS00010000000001

I couldn't find any explanation in the story why people aged 24 and 26 were collerge students in an undergraduate setting.

Maybe he was upset over having to pay tution for 6 and 8 years respectively

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/father-sons-dead-in-apparent-murder/20060902174509990013?ncid=NWS00010000000001

I couldn't find any explanation in the story why people aged 24 and 26 were collerge students in an undergraduate setting.

It's possible they both went into the military out of high school. It's also possible, given the location, that they went to work in the coal mines after high school but eventually realized, "The money's nice but damn, this is a ****ty way to make a living."

 

[Idaho]

It's also possible that they were working full time, and weren't taking a full load of classes every semester. It's not that uncommon.

I'd dare say it's more common than those who graduate four years after high school.

 

[Idaho]

Heck, I worked a full time (or more) job all through college myself. As far as I know, so have all of my siblings that graduated from college.

I'd rather take an extra two years to get the sheepskin than graduate with $25-50k in loans.

 

[Columbo]

It's also possible that they were working full time, and weren't taking a full load of classes every semester. It's not that uncommon.

I'd dare say it's more common than those who graduate four years after high school.

I would hope so. But the question was brought up as if it weren't ...

I think it deserves mention of why, especially for the 26-year-old.

 

[Bob Cook]

I went to a college where the median undergrad age was 27. And this was 15-20 years ago.

Granted, it was a commuter school, which tends to skew older. But there's nothing that needs to be explained about why someone 24 or 26 is going to undergrad. Yeah, it could be post-military, it could be post-coal mine, it could be dropped-out-because-girlfriend-had-a-baby. Especially with what college costs these days, there are a lot of people coming out of high school that need to work for a while just to afford college, or need to go part-time for a long time to keep a lid on costs. Who knows? And in this story, who cares?

 

[Columbo]

I went to a college where the median undergrad age was 27. And this was 15-20 years ago.

Granted, it was a commuter school, which tends to skew older. But there's nothing that needs to be explained about why someone 24 or 26 is going to undergrad. Yeah, it could be post-military, it could be post-coal mine, it could be dropped-out-because-girlfriend-had-a-baby. Especially with what college costs these days, there are a lot of people coming out of high school that need to work for a while just to afford college, or need to go part-time for a long time to keep a lid on costs. Who knows? And in this story, who cares?

It jumps out.

I don't care what you guys say, 26 is above average for someone at undergrad.

And, in a case where , even by murder-suicide standards, this is bizarre, any abnormality should be checked out.

I mean, killing two adult sons... that is bizarre, even within the realm of an already horrific crime.

 

[buckweaver]

It jumps out.

I don't care what you guys say, 26 is above average for someone at undergrad.

According to Shepherd University's enrollment numbers for 2003-04 (http://www.shepherd.edu/college/enrollment04.html) ...

Average Age (All Students): 26.36
Average Age (4 Year): 23.48
Average Age (2 Year): 27.79
Average Age (Non-Degree): 34.76

So, no -- 26 is NOT "above average for someone at undergrad," specifically at this school.

Any more questions that "jump out"?

 

[Columbo]

It jumps out.

I don't care what you guys say, 26 is above average for someone at undergrad.

According to Shepherd University's enrollment numbers for 2003-04 (http://www.shepherd.edu/college/enrollment04.html) ...

Average Age (All Students): 26.36
Average Age (4 Year): 23.48
Average Age (2 Year): 27.79
Average Age (Non-Degree): 34.76

So, no -- 26 is NOT "above average for someone at undergrad," specifically at this school.

Any more questions that "jump out"?

So, the guys were graduate students?

Thank you. Question answered.

 

[HoopsMcCann]

It jumps out.

I don't care what you guys say, 26 is above average for someone at undergrad.

According to Shepherd University's enrollment numbers for 2003-04 (http://www.shepherd.edu/college/enrollment04.html) ...

Average Age (All Students): 26.36
Average Age (4 Year): 23.48
Average Age (2 Year): 27.79
Average Age (Non-Degree): 34.76

So, no -- 26 is NOT "above average for someone at undergrad," specifically at this school.

Any more questions that "jump out"?

So, the guys were graduate students?

Thank you. Question answered.

according to the same link, 27 of the 4,831 were enrolled in 'graduate studies'

it's west virginia, hell, not sure they can read until 13, it takes a little longer to get to college level classes

 

[Ralph Waldo Henderson]

My aunt just graduated from Shepherd, and she's, um, 47. So maybe she's just skewing the numbers and Columbo's right.

Oh and Hoops, for someone who (rightly) gets pissed every time someone makes a crack at Southerners, I would have expected more from you than an easy West Virginia shot. My aunt and her daughters all learned to read well before they were 13. I'm pretty sure they were 11.

 

[HoopsMcCann]

My aunt just graduated from Shepherd, and she's, um, 47. So maybe she's just skewing the numbers and Columbo's right.

Oh and Hoops, for someone who (rightly) gets pissed every time someone makes a crack at Southerners, I would have expected more from you than an easy West Virginia shot. My aunt and her daughters all learned to read well before they were 13. I'm pretty sure they were 11.

noted... i did have it at 10, but, well, i remembered my last trip through that state

and, well, we southerners are on the internets now, west virginia, well, i don't know if the trs80 couplings (or whatever you call those damn things that held the phone to the computer like in weird science) work with tin cans on a string (i keed, i keed)

 

[Columbo]

So, the guys were graduate students?

Thank you. Question answered.

Who said the guys were grad students? ???

All I said was that 26.36 was the average age for undergrad at that school.

Average age for ALL students was 26.36. Since they have a grad program, I will take that "four-year" references undergrads.

 

[Point of Order]

The age goes in the "clues to possible motive" category, and it's worthy of an explanation if available about what the sons recent history has been. Obvioulsy, they didn't go to college straight from high school. So, where they living at home? Did they go in the army? Were they still mooching off of dad? All those are questions rightfully pretty near the surface here. 23 and 26 years old kind of puts the sons out of "kid away at college" mode with the old man. It also makes it more likely that the sons were self-sufficient and not relying on mom and dad for money. So why'd he kill them?

 

[Columbo]

The age goes in the "clues to possible motive" category, and it's worthy of an explanation if available about what the sons recent history has been. Obvioulsy, they didn't go to college straight from high school. So, where they living at home? Did they go in the army? Were they still mooching off of dad? All those are questions rightfully pretty near the surface here. 23 and 26 years old kind of puts the sons out of "kid away at college" mode with the old man. It also makes it more likely that the sons were self-sufficient and not relying on mom and dad for money. So why'd he kill them?

Thank you Point... get ready to don the kevlar.

 

[heyabbott]

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/father-sons-dead-in-apparent-murder/20060902174509990013?ncid=NWS00010000000001

I couldn't find any explanation in the story why people aged 24 and 26 were college students in an undergraduate setting.

We had a 19 year old sophomore at a local high school last year, though he was suspended for shooting at a school bus. with people inside. Once he gets out of jail he'll b e a 21 year old High School sophomore

 

[Pancamo]

The local news reported the younger son had some cryptic messages on a website saying he wished he was someone else.

 

[Columbo]

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/father-sons-dead-in-apparent-murder/20060902174509990013?ncid=NWS00010000000001

I couldn't find any explanation in the story why people aged 24 and 26 were college students in an undergraduate setting.

We had a 19 year old sophomore at a local high school last year, though he was suspended for shooting at a school bus. with people inside. Once he gets out of jail he'll b e a 21 year old High School sophomore

and headed to college?