Hi all.
Sit back and relax, this gets complicated. :roll:
Have you heard about the Lohstroh case in Texas? A severe case of Parental Alienation Syndrome caused a boy to unload a .40 caliber revolver into his father's back. Now the 10 year old boy is on trial for his father's murder and is facing a possible sentence of 48 years. :shock:
Parental Alienation Syndrome usually occurs in the context of divorce when one alienating parent, out of anger hatred and rage, tries to turn the children against the other target parent. The children are put in a position where in order to maintain the love and support relationship with one parent they must act out against the other parent. The once healthy bond between the child and the target parent is successfully destroyed out of the bitterness of the alienating parent. It is a very sad turn of events, and something that was without a doubt a determining factor in the murder of Dr. Lohstroh.
A brief summary of the case is this ... The mother and father had been through a very contentious divorce in which accusations of sexual abuse had been filed against the father. These charges were proven false by two different police investigations and two lie detector tests. As a result of these false allegations the mother was made to settle the case out of court. The father was awarded the couple's home and given 50/50 parenting time with their two children, 8 and 10 years old. Many suspicious things led up to the shooting, most of all the mother putting the child on Prozac without notifying the father. When the father came to pick up the children from the mother's house the older boy came out with a gun in his backpack, climbed into the back seat of the car and fired three rounds through the seat striking his father. When he went back into the house his mother sent him back to his father's car where he unloaded the rest of the bullets and returned to the house. The mother took the gun away from the boy and stayed inside until police arrived. The mother was a registered nurse yet she did not render aid to the father as he sat dying in her front yard. :shock:
The father's parents came to town for their son's funeral and ended up with custody of the two boys. They have temporary custody and are living in the father's home now.
Yes, there is a question coming ...
The mother went out and hired an attorney for her son the next morning. The first thing the attorney said is that the boy shot his father because of sexual abuse years earlier. He made no mention of PAS, and when a forensic psychiatrist mentioned the possibility he dismissed it. Everyone who knows this couple is convinced that the mother had something to do with it, even her own mother and brother.
The grandparents have asked for substitution of counsel because they fear the present attorney, Chris Tritico, is not looking at all the possibilities and is not keeping them informed about the case. He speaks with the boys mother every day, but as far as we know has not once initiated a call with the grandparents who have custody. When the grandparents asked for substitution their motion was denied. It is on appeal right now.
How can the court system think keeping the lawyer on the case that the mother, who is likely involved with the murder, hired? Isn't that a conflict of interest? Some people have said juvinile court is different, but that seems like common sense to me. What's the legal opinion on that? :?
Also, the mother was still listed on the father's life insurance. He hadn't changed it since their divorce. Does this mean that she will get a million dollars? Isn't that motive right there? :twisted:
Thanks, sorry so long.

