A moment of violent madness Our reader finds a brutal tale of family slaughter in her family tree
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rchie Vernon Connett was my fifth cousin once removed. He was born on 13 March 1914 in Cheyenne County, Kansas, USA. He was the only son of Vernon Andrew and Lefa Marie (Amsberry) Connett. When Archie was young, his father was murdered while they were visiting family in Nebraska. His mother, Lefa, remarried by 1925 and by 1937, the family was living in Denver, Colorado. By the 1940 Census, Lefa indicated she was divorced, but still living in Denver with her son Archie.
Promising start
In 1941 Archie graduated from the University of Colorado fifth in his class and a Phi Beta Kappa member. He joined the Navy after graduating and served during World War II. By 1952 he had married Wynona Gottlieb, had three young children, earned a master’s degree in education from Stanford University, and was teaching English and physical education at San Lorenzo High School in Santa Clara County, California. Archie and Wynona separated that same year and his wife received an interlocutory divorce decree during the summer. Two days before Christmas in 1952, Archie went to his ex-wife’s house and flew into a rage over the break-up of their marriage. He beat his wife and slashed her throat. She escaped to a neighbor’s house and called the police. Left alone in the house, Archie then beat his three children – Michael, aged four, Theresa, two and baby Carl, just four months old– to death. After realising what he had done, he locked himself in the bathroom and attempted to end his own life by swallowing poison, slashing 98
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his wrists to the bone and severing his esophagus with a razor blade. The Oakland Tribune reported that the coroner said: “The youngsters apparently were held by their feet and their heads bashed against the floors and walls.” The children were buried on 26 December 1952 at the Santa Clara City Cemetery. Archie Connett and his ex-wife survived their injuries. After a monthlong trial, Archie Connett was found guilty of three counts of second-degree
happened on 23 December 1952 in “a moment of madness”: “My wife and children were my little world. When my wife withdrew her love and affection... When my wife said things to me I could not stand to hear, and struck me – when this happened, I felt cut off with terrible finality, violated, betrayed, almost inundated with terror. I could no longer contain myself. It was as though something burst deep inside me. I felt impelled to destroy and did.”
“I could no longer contain myself. It was as though something burst deep inside me. I felt impelled to destroy and did” murder and one count of attempted murder. He was sentenced ten years to life. He served 15 years and was released on parole 30 June 1968.
Life after prison
After prison he founded Ex-Offenders Resources to influence the ex-offender community to contribute to society and authored at least two books, including Paroled but Not Free: Ex-Offenders Look at What They Need to Make It Outside, which was published in 1973. In the epilogue, Connett describes what
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He said that he hadn’t intended to hurt the children, but they had come screaming out of their bedroom and his violence had transferred from her to them and it was over in a few seconds. He said, “these were not the actions of a sane man”. After his release from prison, Archie also became a counselor to inmates, was a researcher at Western Behavioral Science Institute, taught at San Diego State College, and lectured at judicial symposia. He died in 1978. Although I am normally quite fond of our black sheep ancestors, I’m afraid I can’t find it in myself to like Archie very much at all. ■
By SCHALENE JENNINGS DAGUTIS Schalene got her love of genealogy from her father. She blogs about family history at http:// tangledrootsandtrees.blogspot.com.
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