Terrifying & True | The Liske Family Massacre on Halloween

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On Halloween morning, a truly grizzly
scene is revealed as a family's bodies are

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strewn about as if they are Halloween
decorations themselves. But that's only the beginning

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of how truly heinous and grizzly this
story gets. Halloween is scary, but

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reality is truly terrifying. What you
were about to beat you is buriity to

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Benny. Based on witness accounts,
testimonies, and public record, this is

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terrifying and truth. On October thirty
first, twenty ten, sixteen year old

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Devin Griffin's ear rediscovery in his Oak
Harbor, Ohio home, which initially seemed

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to be just another Halloween joke,
turned out to be life changing in the

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most horrifying and heartbreaking way possible.
Halloween is known for its playful pranks,

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but what about the cold blooded murder
of not one or two, but three

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people belonging to one family. The
murderer also a member of the family.

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This is the horrifying true story of
the lisc Family massacre. And that's our

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topic tonight on Terrifying and True.
So get yourself a pumpkin roll to take

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down the edge on this one.
We're going to get right to it.

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After these quick words from our sponsor. It was Halloween ten when the residents

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at seventy fifty two North Ohio two
in Sandusky, Ohio would become the site

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of a devastating crime. Devon,
aged sixteen, returned from his Sunday morning

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church service to a quiet house.
Settling into his upstairs bedroom, he started

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playing video games on his computer like
any other day. Little did he know

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that day would go beyond his wildest
nightmares. But it wasn't until around one

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thirty that afternoon that he sensed the
disturbing stillness enveloping his home. To check

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up on his family, he went
downstairs and started to search for his mother,

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Susan Lisk. The master bedroom unveiled
Susan and her husband Bill still nestled

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in bed beneath a maroon comforter.
Moving around the bed to Susan's side,

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Devon tapped her protruding leg and pulled
down the comforter slightly to try and get

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her attention. It was then that
his eyes fell upon the pillow case that

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was soaked in blood. In that
disorienting moment, he contemplated the possibility of

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his mother pulling a Halloween prank on
him. But as time passed and he

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was unable to wake his parents up, it dawned upon him that this was

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no Halloween prank. Lying in front
of him were three very still dead bodies

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who would never see daylight again.
But murders like these don't just happen overnight.

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Well, in some way, they
do, but there are almost always

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some very troubling stories behind criminal acts
like these, and this case has one

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very intriguing yet very troublesome story as
well, and to understand it we need

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to take a detailed look at the
family dynamics of the Lisk family. This

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journey to find out what caused this
gruesome murder takes us back to northern Ohio,

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where lake eries massive shores stretch across
four US states in Canada. As

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many of you may already be aware, Northern Ohio is renowned for its natural

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beauty, offering lakes, plains,
and national parks, making it an ideal

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escape for the outdoor enthusiast. Notably, Cedar Point, the second largest amusement

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park in the United States, is
also located in this region and is a

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perfect family getaway for most. However, by now you can probably tell that

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our story today does not revolve around
amusement, parks or leisurely activities, not

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even close. Instead, we venture
into the quiet, sparsely populated area of

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Martin, Ohio where the Lisk family
resided. This household was home to William

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Billy Lisk, his wife Susan Lisk, in, their three sons, Devon

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Derreck Griffin, and William Lisk Junior, known as Bjay. The Lisk family

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led a seemingly happy life, Deeply
rooted in their religious and rural community.

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The boys attended church every Sunday and
were actively involved in the church choir.

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One of their cherished pastimes was hunting, taking full advantage of their home's vast

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one hundred acre property, which they
used for many outdoor activities like walking,

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hiking, and fishing. However,
like many families, the Lists had their

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secrets. Behind the facade of happiness. A darker issue lingered a troubling childhood

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that haunted William Lisk. William's early
years were marked by aggression and defiance.

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He often bullied other children and frequently
got into trouble both at school and with

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the law. His parents initially dismissed
his behavior as typical childhood mischievousness, hoping

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he would outgrow it and that as
time progressed, he would turn into a

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responsible young adult. When William was
fifteen, his father Billy, met Susan,

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who had become his stepmother. Despite
their new found love, William resented

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Susan's presence in his home, and
their relationship deteriorated over time, so much

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so that William's aggressive behavior only escalated
and worsened, and he faced increasing challenges

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both at school and with law enforcement. At the age of seventeen, William

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even physically assaulted Susan, leading to
felony charges. His violent outbursts and lack

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of respect for authority continued, eventually
resulting in a diagnosis of schizo effective disorder.

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Consequently, he was placed in a
group home for mental health patients in

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Sandusky, near Lake Erie. Although
receiving treatment, William remained a danger to

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others and he had several inc counters
with the law during his stay in the

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group home. His family, particularly
his father, continued to support him,

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but tensions within the family persisted.
William's disturbing behavior extended to harming animals,

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a troubling sign in the world of
psychology. Regardless of this, Billy tried

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his best to be a good dad
to his son and often took William on

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trips to their family cabin in Carroll
County, hoping to provide him with an

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outlet for his troubles and bridge the
divide within the family. However, William's

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mental health deteriorated further, leading to
his hospitalization in two thousand and seven,

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soon after, Billy applied for guardianship
to ensure William received proper care. He

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recognized the importance of medication, but
William's inconsistency with treatment hindered progress. Despite

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his efforts, Billy could not fully
control his son's behavior. After returning home

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from treatment, William's relationship with his
family remained strained, and then came the

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dreadful night in October of twenty ten
when Susan, Billy, and Derrick were

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all found dead in the family's home. So, now that we have all

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the background information of events that led
to the crime scene, let's dive into

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the details of what happened. After
the bodies were discovered and Devin contacted his

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aunt Laurie, who promptly dialed nine
one one the crime scene that the police

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arrived at was as you can imagine, one of extreme brutality and violence,

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with a claw hammer identified as the
murder weapon. Upon examination of the house,

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the police were also able to trace
some muddy footprints which suggested that the

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killer had fled the scene. The
family vehicle, a Ford F one point

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fifty, was missing, and this
raised suspicion toward William, who had encountered

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Devon in the house that morning.
William was found at the family cabin in

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Carroll County, captured by surveillance footage
during his journey. He was arrested and

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subsequently charged with multiple counts of aggravated
murder. Despite his initial denial, William

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ultimately changed his plea to guilty in
exchange for the removal of the death penalty

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from his potential sentence. Something important
to note is there is a rather intricate

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tapestry of events that led to these
killings, all of which started long before

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that ill fated Halloween. Official police
reports traced Bjay's issues back to early two

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thousand and two, when at the
age of sixteen, he was placed under

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house arrest. This marked the first
instance when Bill had to summon the police

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to their home Bjay had been expressing
threats of self harm, leaving his father

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at a law on how to intervene. When the police arrived, Bj turned

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violent towards them. By two thousand
and four, BJ's behavior escalated from self

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harm threats to attacks on others.
That October, he had a physical altercation

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with his stepmother, Susan, resulting
in her being hit. In the subsequent

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months, he faced multiple charges of
criminal assault and robbery for striking Susan and

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stealing her car keys. However,
he was deemed unfit to stand trial due

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to incompetence, leading to the charges
being dropped. At the time of the

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murders, BJ was no longer residing
at home. His father had ordered him

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to leave the house after he attacked
Susan while she was showering. This incident

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prompted BJ's hospitalization, during which time
he received treatment for schizo effective disorder and

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bipolar disorder. Despite these challenges,
Bill Lisk persisted in maintaining a connection with

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his son, often visiting him at
the halfway house where Bjay was residing.

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In the week preceding the murders,
Bill took time off work to spend it

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with Bjay. They went on a
deer hunting mission to the family's hunting cabin.

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Their return occurred less than twenty four
hours before BJ would perpetrate the unspeakable

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act against his father. Investigations suggested
a chilling sequence of events. Two different

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murder weapons were used, a blunt
object and a firearm. Detectives theorized that

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Derek was the first victim, as
the fatal blows from what appeared to be

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a hammer wouldn't have woken up Bill
and Susan from their sleep. No shell

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casings were left behind, indicating deliberate
cleanup by the killer. There were no

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signs of forced entry or robbery.
A neighbor reported hearing disturbing noises potentially gunshots

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around six thirty a m On Sunday. Initial inquiries centered on Devon, but

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he was soon cleared as a suspect. Devon recounted seeing Bj in the driveway

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at his house before the church concert. BJ, seemingly loading something into his

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father's white truck, was informed by
Devon that he'd be back shortly. The

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focus then shifted to BJ Lisk,
whose relationship with his stepmother Susan had been

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fraught with tension since her marriage to
his father. Witnesses disclosed a history of

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confrontations between the two that escalated to
several physical altercations. When police eventually tracked

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down Bja at the family hunting cabin
in Carroll County, the cabin and its

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surroundings underwent thorough searches in the quest
for potential murder weapons. Deputy Mike Ballish

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of the Carroll County Sheriff's Office recalled
quote, we knew we're looking for at

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least one blunt force object. We
believe it that time it was a hammer,

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and then were looking for a small
caliber gun. Critical evidence, including

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blood in a twenty two caliber rifle, was discovered in the white truck.

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Inside the lisc residence, investigators stumbled
upon a bloodied hammer hidden in a closet.

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According to prosecutors, Lisk used a
claw hammer to fatally attack his stepbrother

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before proceeding to his father's bedroom,
where he shot his father five times in

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the head. His stepmother also fell
victim to three gunshots to the head.

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Traces of physical evidence indicated that his
stepmother had been sexually assaulted by Lisc,

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either just before or after her death. Bj Lisk was then formally charged with

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murder with DNA evidence linking him to
the crime scene. During a jailhouse conversation

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with his mother, BJ confessed an
a poignant moment, stating quote, I

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wasn't in my right mind, then
abruptly ended the conversation with mom. I

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can't talk about this anymore, as
shared by Detective George Byington of the Ottawa

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County Sheriff's Office. In a courtroom
filled with friends and family who cared deeply

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for his father, stepmother, and
stepbrother, William B. J. Lisk

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faced the difficult task of explaining why
he committed the brutal murders of his loved

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ones last October. Holding back tears, Lisk, twenty five, spoke his

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truth, quote, I had a
lot of love for my dad, and

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every time I think about what I
did, it churns my stomach. I

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can't fully explain why all of this
unfolded, but I believe my mental struggles

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played a major role. The judge
in the Ottawa County Common please Court,

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Bruce Winters, acknowledged that while the
court couldn't mend the pain or bring back

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those lost, its duty was to
strive for justice. As a result,

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Lisk was sentenced to life in prison
without any possibility of parole for taking the

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lives of William E. Lisk Junior
fifty three, Susan Lisk forty six,

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and Derrick Griffin twenty three. Prosecutors
and defense attorneys had a consensus on List's

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life imprisonment, avoiding the death penalty. Lisk admitted guilt to three counts of

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aggravated murder out of the six he
had been charged with. While there was

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substantial evidence that could have led to
a death sentence, the decision took into

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account Lisk's age and history of mental
health struggles. The reaction of both the

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Lisk family's relatives, as well as
police officials and detectives involved speaks volumes about

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the intensity of the situation. Lisa
Kurle, sister of William Lisk Junior,

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addressed the court, expressing the permanent
alteration of her family's lives and how the

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senseless tragedy had robbed them of their
cherished family members. She struggled to comprehend

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and how such a devastating event could
occur, leaving them with profound pain and

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loss. Prosecutor Mark Mulligan shared his
impression that Lisk's acceptance of responsibility meant a

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great deal to the family. While
it couldn't provide a satisfying explanation for the

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tragedy, it did offer some form
of closure. When asked if she was

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content with the case's outcome, Lisa
Kerle responded, quote, I'm just glad

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it's over. In March of twenty
fifteen, at the age of twenty nine,

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b J was found dead in his
cell from self inflicted wounds, bringing

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an end to a tragic chapter.
Prosecutor Mark Mulligan, reflecting on this chilling

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case, stated quote, this was
the most disturbing murder scene I'd seen throughout

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my career, and I can still
see it to this day. This case

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truly serves a poignant reminder of the
complexities of mental health, that challenges faced

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by families dealing with mental illness,
and the devastating consequences it can have on

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not only the family, but also
the community at large. Talk about a

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heavy story to head into Halloween with. Not only is this a truly tragic

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story of mental health and family strife, but it takes place in my home

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state of Ohio. For those of
you knew to the show, that's where

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Weekly Spooky HQ is in Sunny Dayton, Ohio. Ohio has many fascinating pieces

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of urban legends and folklore and unfortunately
some truly ghastly true crime. If you

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don't believe me, just look up
the Circleville Letters. Yeah, we did

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an episode about that. You can
listen to if you go to our archives

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at Weeklyspooky dot com. Boy,
I want to take a moment to say

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something I think deserves to be said. William Lisk Junior, the father of

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the family. He was a hero. He had a son so deeply troubled

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that he was assaulting family members that
he was truly unhinged in many ways,

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and he refused to give up on
him. Unfortunately, that refusal may have

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been a catalyst that allowed this to
happen. But William Lisk Junior was being

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a good father, spending time with
his son. They had just returned from

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a hunting trip the day before the
ghastly events of this story. William Lisk

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Junior was a great dad, a
man who cared so deeply for his children

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that he stood by them even when
it was definitely not easy. So that's

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what I want you all to think
about right now as you listen to the

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show. Let's all hope we can
be as good as William Lisk Junior was.

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Terrifying and True is narrated by Enrique
Kuto, Executive produced by Rob Fields

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and Joshua Butler, produced by Daniel
Wilder, with the original theme music by

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Ray Maddis. If you have a
story you'd like us to cover on the

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program, send us an email at
Weekly Spooky at gmail dot com. And

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if you want to support us in
a very direct way, go to Weeklyspooky

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00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:21.480
dot com and click on Patreon.
For as little as one dollar a month,

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you can support us and allow us
to keep the Spooky rolling and rolling

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and rolling. And I want to
say a big thank you to our Patreon

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podcast booster folks who page us a
little bit more to hear their names at

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the end of the show, and
they are Johnny Nix, Bobotopia dot com,

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Megan hu Uh, Julia Kirsh,
Brent mccallus, Steve King, Karen

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We met, Jack Kerr and Craig
Cohen. Thank you all so much and

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we'll see you next time right here
on Weekly Spooky and Terrifying and True.