Authorities: Mother killed son, herself by setting fire in Scotch Plains home

[FarCenter]

Authorities are now classifying the deaths of a mother and her 3-year-old son in a house fire in Scotch Plains as a homicide-suicide.

Katherine Halverson, 32, and her son, Jeremy Scott McDonald Jr., were at first thought to have died after getting caught in the fire in their home Tuesday night.

But following an autopsy conducted this morning, authorities now say Halverson took her son to a small second-floor bedroom, where she set fire to the room, Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow announced this afternoon. The county homicide task force is investigating with Scotch Plains Police, and no possible motive for the killing was announced.

At a press conference late this afternoon at Scotch Plains Police headquarters, Police Chief Brian Mahoney said Halverson "placed material, like rags in front of the door then poured an accelerant on the rags and lit them on fire." He said the fire was contained to one side of the door, and was easily doused.

An autopsy on Halverson and her son revealed both died of smoke inhalation, more specifically from asphyxiation due to inhalation of combustible materials.

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2012/12/authorities_identify_mother_an.html

[HooptieWagon]

1. I guess we should ban rags and accelerants. nt

[morningfog]

2. Aw, poor thing. Do you feel like your toys are threatened?

There, there. If you can't see the difference, you are a lost fucking soul.

[HooptieWagon]

6. Toys?

If you're referring to guns, I've never owned one. I do own a lot of rags and accelerants, that I use frequently. I'd hate to see them banned because a mentally ill woman used them for a murder-suicide.

[morningfog]

8. I was referring to guns. I am honsetly surprised you don't and have never owned one.

It turns out you may just be horribly ignorant.

[HooptieWagon]

9. Maybe just a realist and not a zealot.

I neither believe NRA propaganda nor anti-gun hysteria...both of whom employ vast amounts of paranoia. I simply look at the facts. Additional controls would be good, but banning guns won't stop ownership of guns, end homicides, or prevent mass-murder attacks.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

3. Yet another grievously toxic post. This forum has become seriously polluted. eom

[Exultant Democracy]

4. Wow, now that is ghoulish.

[tblue]

5. Let's just ban stupid.

Stop.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

7. How original.