# What possesses someone to fatally bludgeon a 93 year old woman? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 4, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584 "2004-01-04T04:26:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/1 "2004-01-04T04:26:25Z")
[The car he stole from her was wrecked within the hour.](http://www.sptimes.com/2004/01/03/Hillsborough/93_year_old_slain_in_.shtml) I can’t understand the mindset. Elders are for love, hugs, memories, and all things good. Words fail. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/2 "2004-01-04T04:54:12Z")
And we have our 1st death penalty case of the year? ---
**Author:** ![MrTuffPaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MrTuffPaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrTuffPaws)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/3 "2004-01-04T05:35:34Z")
If you knew my grandmother, you would be swinging an axe handle too. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/4 "2004-01-04T07:22:11Z")
The first thing I wondered was; “What is a 93 year old doing driving?” Am I a bad person? This post is in no way intended to blame the victim. 93 year old ladies never ever deserve or ask to be bludgeoned or otherwise brutalized, no matter how ill-advised their posession of a driver’s license may be. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/5 "2004-01-04T07:36:47Z")
My grandfather is ninety seven. He renewed his driver’s license this year, with a road test. He’s got a better grip than I do, only slightly worse vision, and somewhat better reflexes. I feel safer with him driving than I do with my mother driving. On the other hand, if someone tried to mug him, the odds are that the mugger would be the one beat with an axe handle. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/6 "2004-01-04T08:15:25Z")
Poor woman. ☹ That bloody murdering bastard. :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Grumple\_Grommit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9fc348/32.png) [@Grumple\_Grommit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumple_Grommit)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/7 "2004-01-04T08:22:59Z")
> [@](#): > > MrTuffPaws- > If you knew my grandmother, you would be swinging an axe handle too. Well aren’t you a clever one, \*\* MrTuffPaws. \*\*:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/8 "2004-01-05T11:36:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kung fu lola \* > The first thing I wondered was; “What is a 93 year old doing driving?” > > Am I a bad person? > > This post is in no way intended to blame the victim. 93 year old ladies never ever deserve or ask to be bludgeoned or otherwise brutalized, no matter how ill-advised their posession of a driver’s license may be. I know a woman who is 94 and not only drives a car, she still pilots airplanes. For a living. Anyhow - as a general rule it’s safer for the Bad Guy to carjack the elderly rather than, say, 20 year old quarterbacks. Not that it’s right, just predator logic. And if you had ever met my mother-in-law’s mother-in-law - one of the most unpleasent human beings I have ever had the displeasure to meet - you’d understand why elder abuse can occur. ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_Schmeese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Marconi\_Schmeese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_Schmeese)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/9 "2004-01-05T18:21:16Z")
I doubt he’ll get the death penalty because based on his statements to the police (that I saw on the news), he probably has too low of an IQ to even stand trial. What do you do? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/10 "2004-01-05T18:47:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Grumple Grommit \* > \*\*Well aren’t you a clever one, \*\* MrTuffPaws. \*\*:rolleyes: \*\* He’s not being a smartass, he’s being honest. Just because someone is old doesn’t mean that they just become the sweetest most innocent, most loving human beings in all the world. I work in an industry where I handle transactions for business owners. 90+ year old millionaires who think they are God’s gift to humanity and pull no punches in promoting this notion are some of the most annoying and offensive people I’ve ever met. On that same token, some of the younger clients can be absolute hellions, too. Being an asshole and being nice isn’t a factor of age, it’s of clarity in character. ---
**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-possesses-someone-to-fatally-bludgeon-a-93-year-old-woman/222584/11 "2004-01-05T21:08:14Z")
What possesses someone to fatally bludgeon a 93 year old woman? My guess is demonic possession. Seriously, I don’t have an answer. I agree with **dances** , words fail. It’s obvious from the link that Mr. Russell (I’m not too) Bright is a sociopath. We know he won’t get the punishment that is commenserate with his crime(s), but we can hope he will be put away permanently and do no more harm.