Our own Dr. Deborah Koricke was featured again on Cleveland’s Action News again recently, talking about what could inspire a mother to harm her children. Here’s the text of the story:
“I don’t know what was going on her her mind, but, obviously she was pretty desperate. It’s very sad,” says Psychologist Deborah Koricke.
Koricke has treated patients who are at their breaking point. In one case she says a single mom with a severely disabled child took her own life. So it’s no surprise to her that an Oregon mom did the unthinkable, tossing her 6-year-old autistic son over a bridge.
“Something in her snapped,” says Koricke.
The mom, 34-year-old Jillian McCabe, was going through major life changes. Her husband has Multiple Sclerosis and her father recently died. McCabe told police she heard voices that told her to throw her son over a bridge Monday evening. She was recently on YouTube joking about how the whole family should commit suicide.
“Pulling a Thelma and Louise which I’ve totally thought about, I said it, but this is our life,” said McCabe.
The mother called 911 confessing to the horrific crime. Officials found the body of London McCabe in the frigid water, four hours after that troubling call.
“She could be in a state of shock. She could be really detached from reality. In terms of the fact that her son is dead, gone, and that she sadly killed him,” says Koricke.
Police arrested McCabe on charges of aggravated murder, murder and first-degree manslaughter.
Doctor Koricke says many times there are red flags to look for when someone may feel overwhelmed.
“The person really suddenly seems to change if they have been maybe admitting more how they’re feeling about their frustrations,” explains Koricke.
If they shut down and don’t talk at all Koricke says get them help.
“If you think you’re at the end of your rope get help from family members and other resources,” says Koricke.