JACKSON, Ky. (AP) — Nothing seemed amiss when Robert Collins first heard someone had fired gunshots in his trailer park in rural eastern Kentucky. After all, it wasn’t uncommon for the neighbors to let a few rounds loose for stress relief or target practice.
When the 50-year-old heard six of his neighbors were dead, including the shooter, it gave the routine sound of gunfire new meaning.
“This is unbelievable, really,” Collins said Sunday morning. “It’s just got everybody scared around here. Just frightened that it happened.”
Police say Collins’ neighbor, 47-year-old Stanley Neace, went on a shooting spree Saturday morning, chasing down his wife and killing her and four other people. The man — who had been facing eviction and who a victim’s relative said was furious with the way his wife cooked his breakfast — then turned the gun on himself at the trailer court in the Mount Carmel community 11 miles north of Jackson in Breathitt County.
A day after Neace’s rampage, the trailer court was again quiet, surrounded by hills and farm fields. Laundry hung on clothes lines and front porches. Dogs barked, and cats wrestled in patches of overgrown grass not far from some discarded furniture.
Kids‘ bicycles were parked in front of Neace’s home near the porch where Neace killed himself — his blood still marked a wall near the door. A large hole was visible on the outside of another trailer with holes from a shotgun’s buckshot visible above it, all evidence of where Neace had fired.
Shades or blankets covered the windows of many homes where the shootings occurred. People could be heard talking and televisions and radios played, but no one answered the door when a reporter knocked Sunday.
Sherri Anne Robinson, a relative of two of the victims, said Neace was furious because his eggs were cold. But County Sheriff Ray Clemons and Kentucky State Police spokesman Tony Watts said detectives were still trying Sunday to nail down what prompted Neace’s rampage.
The bodies of Neace and his five victims — 54-year-old Sandra J. Neace; 31-year-old Dennis J. Turner of Vancleave; 28-year-old Sandra J. Strong of Vancleve; 40-year-old Tammy R. Kilborn of Jackson; and 30-year-old Teresa G. Fugate of Jackson — were sent to the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies.
Collins said neighbors and a police officer told him Neace snapped over how his wife cooked eggs — but “that don’t justify killing five people,” he said.
“That’s a big price to pay,” said Collins, who lives at the front end of the trailer court.
Landlord Ray Rastegar said Neace received monthly disability checks from the Social Security Administration, though he didn’t know what his disability was. Rastegar said he had begun the process of evicting Neace, who had lived in the trailer park for about seven years, because he had become more hostile toward neighbors in recent months.
“He was unpredictable,” Rastegar said. “Little things would set him off.”
The sheriff had known Neace for years and said he was not violent.
“He was a little hot sometimes, but we never had any major problems,” Clemons said. “Nothing like this.”
Collins said Neace was a good neighbor over the past few years, but he had suspected for a while that something had gone wrong in Neace’s life.
“I thought maybe Stanley would have killed himself, maybe his wife,” Collins said.
He also recalled Fugate, who lived directly behind him with her four children, as “a wonderful mother.”
“I don‘t know what they’d do without her,” Collins said.
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Karama
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 8:06pmWhy is it that jerks like this always want to take a few innocent people with them? This is sad. I pray for the loved ones that this idiot killed.
Report Post »v.o.t.e.
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 12:19pmwhat makes me sick is that sitting at home waiting for a check is a 21st century form of enslavement– its as simple as that– the dems are plantation masters willing to trade entitlements for votes/power– what a tragedy– we need to give these people hope/jobs and opportunity –definitely not entitlements– jobs are the answer and for the creation of such you needs capitalism– not socialism
Report Post »SMITH1960
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 10:32pmRip
Report Post »Ladypeppercar
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 8:59pmGBisademagogue makes an interesting point — I honestly don’t know who was the prime mover behind the insane asylums closing — I was too busy at that time having babies within wedlock when no one else was— LOL — but you’re absolutely right that the homelessness caused by mental illness (and people snapping like the guy in the article) skyrocketed in the eighties and nineties. Sure, faith is a big part of the answer, but what would I do in a situation like this? No easy answers.
Report Post »LoisLane1951
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 8:48pmSad sad story. The unemployment in some parts of Kentucky reaches upwards of 40 or 50 percent….particularly in mining towns. When they closed the mines, ALL the jobs went away. The land isn’t good for much else…it’s straight up and down. There’s a lot of poverty, mental illness, alcoholism, spousal abuse and other social problems and mental health services are rarely available. The hopelessness and poverty are no excuse for this sort of behavior. But, the violence is a result of the those problems when an unstable man believes he has no hope and nothing to lose.
Report Post »These problems live not only in Kentucky, but in much of Appalachia. Those on this site who have made silly comments about what happened, need to educate themselves about the realities of life in some parts of our country and consider how they may be able to help.
Put_God_ First
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 8:21pmHas anyone noticed that DANGLINGBAGS is always posting one this website, not matter what time of day. He must be unemployed. Maybe he is employed just to agitated and harassing people that read the blaze. I do see that most of his post are just cut and paste from the democrats propaganda pages. nothing new.
I find it so amusing that anyone would be so dumb as to believe is that democrats propaganda crap.
What do you think?
Report Post »Is DANGLINGBAGS just a stooge for the democrats?….
N37BU6
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 9:30pm@Put_God_ First
An operative? LMFAO! If that’s the best they can come up with, we’re golden.
You were right the first time: unemployed loser.
Report Post »David Foxfire
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 1:38amI’m wondering. All those copypastas, are they all in Full Caps?
Report Post »A Patriot
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:31pmThis is the society you get when you remove God from the schools, and from government. Satan has released his demons.
Report Post »Metalist
Posted on September 14, 2010 at 12:11amAmen to that.
Report Post »bronchy
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:17pmThat is as bigot as calling a black person the “N” word. of course I am sure you have, since you think death is funny. Just in case “Bigot is too big of a word for you I’ll help you out.
Bigot:a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance
Report Post »People died it does not matter the race or ethnic group they are from, children lost their mother, someone lost a loved one.
Ladypeppercar
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:48pmI am probably older than the rest of you, but I remember a time when someone who was little “off” — and all the neighbors knew it — could be placed in a facility where he could not do the kind of damage this man did. Some liberals in the 1970′s decided it was imperative to “mainstream” all those tormented souls and all such facilities were emptied and shut down. Now we have situations where families are begging the authorities to help (sometimes for years), but because of the nature of “privacy” issues, the person has to do something heinous before anyone is allowed to step in. It is a trade-off that may just have come with too high a price tag, but if we bring the asylums back — we will be the next group carted off as “dangerous” because we do not agree with the political powers that be…Freedom comes at a price on many fronts and this “Catch 22” is one of the unsolvable dilemmas that go along with freedom.
Report Post »GlennBeckIsADemagogue
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:49pmIt had a lot less to do with liberals mainstreaming the mentally ill back into society, and a lot more with ronald reagan and his fellow conservatives promoting “less government”, which led to cuts in social programs all across the board. It turned out there was no profit motive to house and treat the mentally ill, so the private sector didn’t step in. We didn’t see the vast number of homeless people on the street, in good times or bad, in the 60s and 70s. Their numbers began to skyrocket in the 80s and 90s however. Go figure. Regardless, none of this applies to the KY shooter, coz he had no real history of mental illness. Even in the 60s and 70s (yeah i’m old too) it was no easy feat to get someone with a bad attitude towards his neighbors declared incompetent or a threat to society, and lock him or her up. What happened in KY was a tragedy…. the guy totally snapped. The landlord was aware something was turning sour, but how much could he do? I don‘t think liberals or conservatives are to blame since i don’t know what could have prevented this, except if maybe this guy hadn’t owned a shotgun. I’m not a gun control advocate, so i really don’t want to go there. This guy would have at least taken one person out with a knife if he didn’t have a gun. I probably should refrain from this next statement, but the first thing that went through my head when i saw rural kentucky, trailer park, and shooting was, “Gee, do you suppose this guy was a speed demon?” Crystal methamphetamine is ravaging this country, and amphetamines are well known to precipitate psychosis and violence. Might not have anything at all to do with this particular case, just a hunch.
Report Post »baldwin4freedom
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 9:50pm@GLENNBECKISADEMOGUGE
I agree with the possibility of drug use.
The social program cuts that Reagan did in the 80′s probably did cause more homelessness, but playing the victim card does not do oneself any good.
Reagan would not of had to cut these social programs if they would never have been implemented to begin with. There are so many talented people out there that could go somewhere, but when there is an expansive entitlement environment sucking the life out of millions of people thus creating a society that will not be productive, only makes matters worse.
Report Post »PostProgressiveAmerican
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 5:09amDefinitely a sad story.
I recall my parents going to visit a cousin in ones of those mental institutions when I was young…she was drugged out of her mind, the place was filthy and she had been beaten and raped by the orderlies. Needless to say, they got her out of there as soon as they could (a legal nightmare). Believe me, the patients were better off when they closed the doors on the big gov’t mental institutions.
Entitlements programs are another issue – they destroy self-worth and family values while only providing enough to exist…these programs do nothing but make people dependant on the Government to ensure that the recipients will vote for politicians that promise to give them more. When families are on entitlements for generations, you know something is wrong. I do believe in giving people a hand up, but not a handout.
Report Post »Debrabate
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:57pmThis one is a Jaw dropper…
Makes me glad my husband is the only one that makes breakfast in the house.
Almost as bad as the guy in san antonio that stabbed his cousin a few months ago… why did he stab his cousin several times? Because he got the wrong Nachos. No kidding!
People are crazy.
Report Post »GOTT-EM-MAUSER
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:26pmYes I remember this and so many more that have become commonplace now. In the San Antonio area, this might have gotten some extra attention, solely based on the body count. But it surely wouldn’t surprise anybody. As we become the Northernmost State of Mexico, the cultural changes are following the migration, human life is becoming cheaper and cheaper everyday.
Report Post »Waiting4George
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:39pm5 fellow human beings are murdered and the perpetrator commits suicide. Your response is to attempt to degrade and dehumanize them. Unconscionable.
Report Post »Danglingbags Daddy
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:32pmDadgummit!!! My bag’s full again. Where is that little good fer nuthin’?
Report Post »Danglingbags Daddy
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:26pmThat‘s why me and the misses are workin’ are makin’ him a little sister.
Report Post »CherryBomb
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:19pmAt least we know it wasn’t him shooting up the place..no one would ever marry your son.
Report Post »Danglingbags Daddy
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:08pmThat boy never did take to well to potty trainin’.
Report Post »BenInNY
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 3:57pmBeyond the absolutely disgusting nature of this, wasn’t there a domestic abuse PSA a few years ago starting out with the husband at the dinner table yelling at his wife: “The pizza’s COLD!” Used to laugh at that, but whoa.
Report Post »baldwin4freedom
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 3:54pmThis is a horrible, horrible tragedy.
The article says that this guy was getting a government check of some kind. This may sound cold but it shows that people need to have dreams and goals in life. For these dreams and goals to have any value they must work for them. No good comes from sitting at home, drawing a check and waiting for the next check. Insanity follows.
Report Post »smartypoop
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:12pmBALDWIN, it may sound cold, but you raise a good point. It is part of the humans need to feel control over ones destiny, value in ones self and sucess in some form. Otherwise you become very very angry as this gentleman did. Also as odd as it might sound, control and self worth (its a catch 22) are two significant factors in domestic violence as well.
Report Post »A bad economy and absence of hope for the future will cause violence to rise, not reduce, one need only compare the crime stats with the unemployment rates to see that this is true.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all the innocents, and their families who were affected by this tragety.
yiggybup
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 8:52pmAmen
Report Post »David Foxfire
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 1:29amThat‘s why I’m writing novels to sell on my web site ( Link at my name) and hopefully to be published within five years. That’s the plan. You see, I‘m one of the unfortunate souls who has one of these government checks and I made it an effort to find a way to get to the point where I don’t need it anymore. Things have been up and down along the way, but with the Grace of God, I’ll make it with my 9-12 themed “Blood and Metal” series. Like I said, you can reach it by clicking on my name.
Report Post »notimeforthis
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 3:51pmOh well you can’t cure stupid or contol brain damge! What What! I think I hear a Liberal who can fix it!
Report Post »Oh what!! More money would have stopped this! We could have saved 5 people from being killed by a crazy man! Intervention do you say! Local legislation. I’m sure they daid someone in the governemnt could stop the seneless killing over cold eggs.
Skwerl
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 3:44pmWords fail me.
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