Really interesting story. Terrible verdict. I fear for Mark in prison. The victim being a great guy should not have come into this at all and swayed the jury.
As the daughter of a mother who had schizophrenia, it is a hell that the average person can never fathom. You never know when the other shoe will drop, walking on eggshells, it is exhausting. BUT as difficult as it is dealing with someone with a mental illness, there are so many things that the family has to do proactively. Mark's family should have been more diligent. You don't have guns in the house, you don't accept a health facility answer to call back the next day, you don't stop until you get them into the hospital at all costs, take them to the ER. You don't leave them alone, you can be relieved that they at one time placed into care, but you don't stop there, you keep going on what you are supposed to do once they are released. If as the mother who was frightened, you needed to go to work and get on the phone & let people know that you are in fear of your life.
My sister is Schizophrenic and thankfully she takes her medicine but she still has strange trains of thoughts even on her meds. I don’t think she would ever hurt anyone she is very meek and mild. But it is so hard dealing with a family member who has these symptoms
Exactly. His parents bear some responsibility in this. Don't wait for society to jump in and offer help. Be proactive. Demand it. They should have done more. It's upsetting that they don't take any accountability.
My mother was schizophrenic. When I was a baby the black nanny ran away and took me to her house. The first time she did it she was so scared because of course she had run away with a white baby. My dad knew the issue and told her you do what you got to do. My mother was seen by the best doctors in America, including the docs that are famous for the movie "Three Famous of Eves" Eventually my dad stopped believing the doctors and nanny's and decided she was crazy because of him. He left me with her. I spent the next years sleeping in the bathtub so she could not kill me. It was the only solid oak door she could not get through. Every day she would try killing me. She came to my high school peeping in the windows and all they did was tell me to take her home. Not one person in my family tried to help me or give me another place to live. I left at 17.
As a person who grew up in a home with a sibling with mental illness, it is absolutely real. Jail is not the answer. Very difficult to get help and very difficult to treat, but at the end of the day those voices they hear are “ real “ to them. They will listen to them. My heart goes out to Ed’s family... Marks parents needed to be more diligent. He should’ve been in long term treatment.
absolutely agree, and the problem is 90% of people don't understand mental illness's, like schizophrenia, bipolar etc were they truly believe what their demons are telling him to do, it makes people think that he were fine and not insane, in reality he is insane. jail is not the place for him at all, he needs to go were he can be treated for life. putting someone like him in jail is inhumane and a form of torture cuz even with the proper meds the environment will make it worse on him, people need to remember he truly believes in what he is feeling. its sad he will not get the help he really needs in jail, he needs to be put in an institute where he can be treated for life.
The part where I hold his parents accountable is having the guns in the house with his condition. They could have pretended to have gotten rid of the guns and moved them so Mark would know where they were. Or they should have gotten a gun safe
I dont want to blame the parents but why would you have weapons in the house with a paranoid schizophrenic? Even if the guns were locked up, that obviously didn’t stop him.
He didn't actually live with them. He had his own apartment. When he was released from the mental hospital he couldn't get into his apartment, so his parents took him in for the night. The next morning at 7:47 AM is when the 911 call is made after he shot Coach Thomas. Fairly difficult to be able to make your house safe for a paranoid schizophrenic in that time frame. They thought he was going to be in the hospital for at least a week.
@@Matt-cr4vv they could have easily bought trigger guards for the guns in a weeks time. If the mom didn’t even feel safe alone with him they should have at least had trigger guards for their guns.
Consider the part of America where these people were living. There are states in the US that place a much higher value on gun ownership than on human life.
You stole this out of my mouth. If someone decide to exercise their rights to carry they should do so contemplating their household. Not just themselves. Their son killed someone because he had access to their guns.
His parents should have been held accountable for leaving guns accessable knowing their son felt that way about the coach. They also were aware of how serious his mental health was to the point his mom would not remain alone in the house with him. The very least they should have done was remove the gun's from the home.
Or even get him some medical help. They knew he was to be released on Friday they didn't even go to get him. Seems like their solution was just to avoid him. He was out there driving with an untreated mental illness.. Having access to guns.. How?
My thoughts exactly! Did I hear the mother say she knew he had schizophrenia? They knew he was doing meth before he came home to detox? The mother wouldn't be alone with her own son? And then, out of left field, Mark starts talking about his high school coach in a negative way? That should have been a clear red flag that he's literally targeting someone he knows! I'd say the 'least' the parents should have done is take his illness way more serious earlier on and get him in the hospital! He absolutely needed to be admitted and on medication and off the streets and away from people. But then again this is in America and if you don't have money, you don't get help! Not like that here in Canada. Everyone gets healthcare and no one is turned away. This is too tragic of a story that absolutely should have had a different outcome.
This is so incredibly frustrating. Throughout the entire episode, we hear the murder’s mother stress the seriousness of her son’s mental illness and the number of times he’s become unbearably violent. Seriously?! Please help me understand your logic to why you kept a storage (with a child’s lock) filled with guns in your home?!?!! I empathize with the lack of resources, BUT, it has to start somewhere.
My neighbor right now says she's hearing voices and says that the voices tell her my female roomie wants to her family she even confronted my friend and said please take me and not my dad like we've never met your dad but now I'm sure she's got the same thing as he does and the police didn't come until she called 911 and said there was dead bodies in the house and they literally came took her to the ER and she literally walked out right back here so it is frustrating that mental illness is still not being treated properly
She's one of the better ones for sure. Most ethnics allowed to be front and center usually have an aggressive tone and mannerisms. Hall has been taught correctly and it's _clearly_ translated into her being a phenomenal presenter and all around incredible female journalist
Whoever made the decision to release him & then not tell law enforcement or his parents or anyone, should be held accountable. Prisons release people all the time without notifying the victims & it’s so dangerous. Unless or until the people who make these decisions are held accountable this will continue to happen & victims will continue being murdered, stalked, harassed or whatever the situation is. It’s just too important to “forget” or claim it’s not their responsibility to notify or “oops someone dropped the ball, oh well”. There needs to be serious consequences so this stops!
This happens more frequently than what we would like to think. My son has schizophrenia and there have been times I've begged the hospital to keep him and they would discharge him. It is awful for the family
it's a very slippery thing. He is an adult and has freedoms. Understand people use mental health issues to control others also, so the medical people walk a fine line. IF they did the notifications he could sue them for violating his freedoms/HIPPA laws. WE as a country have to come up with something to help with this.
I work at a law office. A client of ours with mental illness was released without any of his physic meds and didn't get them filled. His 80 yr old father didn't know how to get his son his meds, client cut off his monitor and went awol and now has a warrent. He left us messages about hearing voices and people are after him. Why could the jail not give him a couple pills just to get him by till they figured out how to get his meds. The jail could have called the med refill in but nothing was done. He was doing awesome in jail and within just 4 days he lost his mind. The mental medical world is a f'n mess. I have a 19 yr old son with mental illness as well and I've struggled his entire life trying to get us help and to this day we still struggle. Insurance is a big problem, being seen is a huge problem, the wait is long. It's all awful and it's getting worse. Sorry for this long comment. Thank u for reading.
@@sleepypisceslove1586 I agree completely. The only reason I can figure on why the jail couldn’t just help him out by giving him even a couple of days worth of meds is because they do not care. Our entire prison system needs a MAJOR OVERHAUL to say the very least. Prisoners are still people & we should be focusing on helping prepare them to be outside prison walls with rehabilitation etc not treating them like animals so they end up returning to jail over & over. I sincerely understand about your son as our oldest son (29yrs old) has struggled with some issues himself & it’s absolutely heartbreaking that you have to fight for them tooth & nail even when they’re adults because we’re the only ones who care enough to fight for them. And you’re right about insurance. What a PAIN.
As a mother of a son with this illness, there are so many limitations placed on us. My son was threatening to kill me, I called mental crisis, and they told me it didn't sound that bad. Until you have lived it, don't be so quick to judge. Experience is the best teacher.
What an amazing ,balanced telling of the story...incredibly touching and tragic...mental health is a pandemic that pre-dates Covid and it rips through generations of families.Teenagers have been struggling,and yet when parents cry for help,there is none for them-and two families have lost everything and still have to live on...my prayers for all the families and the town,they seem like a close knit community.
He definitely needed long term care & should have been remanded. That agency should be held accountable for what happened, especially if the family & law enforcement weren't notified of his release...Lord have mercy.
@@isemaciamwase9804 He can be sentenced to life to a facility for the criminally mentally ill like Broadmoor Hospital. He'll be kept out of society, but also recieve the help he needs.
I think he incorporated sane activities in order to complete his completely insane belief that Coach Thomas was in his head/oppressing him. That kid was insane.
Exactly. He may have known what he was doing but he was acting based on a delusion created in his mind that told him the Coach was a danger to him. I would think acting under delusion would be the definition of insanity. Insanity doesn't mean you have no idea what's going on. The definition is having severe mental illness.
Personnel in the mental health unit failed MISERABLY in their duty to notify Mark’s parents of his discharge. Someone dropped the ball and the ramifications were literally deadly.
@@bunnylover6481 No. If a patient is released from the hospital, they are no longer deemed a threat to self or others, and therefore there is no need to inform anyone. (I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the logic, but that's how it works.)
@@liminal_realms Thanks. I didn't think so. When his mom said he was released days before they thought he would be I thought maybe it was just a 72 hour hold.
That's kind of a moot point though. Because the parents figured it out and went and got him. He was in their care when he committed murder. The bigger question is: Should he have been released in the first place? To me, the fact that they didn't notify next of kin doesn't play into what happened.
@ 14:48 “mom’s not gonna leave him on the street…we knew it wasn’t safe for me to be home alone with Mark,so I went to work…” and THEY LEFT HIM COMPLETELY UNATTENDED?!?!? How is that ever a good idea?!?! The parents just left for work- they should have called the authorities- AT THE VERY LEAST removed the weapons-PLURAL: guns upon guns upon guns (with a drug addicted/mentally unstable kid- f-ing brilliant) from the home. How completely irresponsible - believing/knowing the mental instability of their kid. Unbelievable- yet blame the hospital, blame not getting help-anything but take responsibility.
No shouldn’t have been left alone. The problem is what do you do with him because those qualified to help, mental health experts, hands don’t have baby sitting services. They should!!!
I think that they were just caught off guard because they weren't expecting him to be released and so that might have came into contention with the weapons not being completely secured or taken out. But your other question about them leaving him alone... Who was supposed to stay with him. He hadn't committed a new crime so there is no place for the police to be involved. I'm sure that they didn't fathom him doing what he did. At that point they had a fear of the "unknown" and I can't imagine being in such a helpless position.
You make a good point, the parents should have removed all guns from the house. They were in a locked gun drawer but apparently one pretty easy to break into. I can't blame the son though. He was in the grip of extreme mental illness, completely delusional. He showed no signs of being an evil person before the schizophrenia.
The fact that they failed to warn the coach they supposed loved so much .. unbelievable. If he wasn’t safe for the mother .. he wasn’t safe for no body .
Thanks CourtTV, not only for these episodes but for allowing Tamron Hall to Host! She's an amazing, well-spoken beautiful person! I love her hair style 💯
My mother and my grandmother And my aunt and uncle suffered with massive mental illness and I'm not perfect but by the grace of God I was born without being afflicted with the schizophrenia that destroyed their minds and a day doesn't go bye without me praising and thanking God for blessing me. Since I watched what schizophrenia does to people and other people I'm here to inform you that it's a problem that causes so much pain and suffering that anyone you know of with the disease should be handled with extreme care and lots and lots of medication!!! Of course God and prayers can help so don't ever stop praying!!!!
I cried watching this. It was such a tragic case for the Becker's and the Thomas's families. I agree with the sentence, although I can empathize with Mark Becker's family. The end, where Aaron Thomas is now the school principal and coach of the team and his boys are quarterbacks, just gave me chills! The tragedy came full circle. We always here about the stoic, solid citizens of the Midwestern United States, and this is an excellent example of how they have faced the awful circumstances, but have gone on with their lives to honor the man that Ed Thomas was. Much respect for all involved - I know I would never be able to forgive Mark Becker.
@@22lyric you're mad at a guy like he made remotely sane choices. i beg people to stop acting like serious mental illness is like bad day. we put a guy who tried to kill the president to impress jodie foster in a mental facility...
I was isolated with a mentally ill mother in the 60s and 70s but I could always get her help in a mental institution. In the 80s the federal government cut funding for mental illnesses and the ppl in institutions were put on the streets. Now it's almost impossible to get emergency mental health care to stop deluded ppl who may commit crimes. So terrible for society and their communities.
@@boggo7831 because it isn't their jobs. That would be social services job. Police recommend to SS a person/family and it then falls into the experts hands. At some point we need to stop expecting Police to be everything to everyone.
You are so right. We tried to get help for a family member a few yrs ago and went to the mental health dept to have him committed and they told us unless they have proof of that person hurting themselves or someone else they could not do anything. Today he is in prison on gun charges. It's a damn shame and you can thank our screwed up government for this. 95 percent of homeless or drug addicts and mentally ill people. Look at California and New York for example....
Yes, the entire country can thank President Reagan for shutting down the mental facilities and making it so difficult to get quality help. Ironic that he suffered from Alzheimer's at the end of his life.
My son has severe schizophrenia like this young man. I am super shocked at the lack of knowledge of this brain disorder. Dear Lord! Why cant a person be smart and have schizophrenia. Their thought process is disorganized... yes, but my son knows if he goes to the doctors on thursdays, he can get his money.. he never missed a Thursday. But, he forget to take a shower for 2 weeks. Another example.. he used to call ppl spiders ... now we are all working for the mob... so, their delusions can change. This young man is in for a lot of danger in prison, I am scared for him. Rip Coach
You are so absolutely correct. Its not mental.retardation he suffers from, its schizophrenia, i think its deliberate ignorance these lawmakers feign just to get a conviction. I have swen it happen again and again
This is tragic. A good man who contributed so much to society was gunned down by one of his own former players. Mental illness is something that needs to be dealt with and treated. He killed a good man and all because his mind was messing with him. I do think mentally ill people who commit murder should be sent to the criminally insane mental institution or a prison with a mental institution for the criminals who needed mental treatment and keep the their for life. They need to be monitored to take their medications as some don't when they are released and commit another horrendous crime. While I understand mental illness, it doesn't remove what he did to an innocent man. Being crazy is not a get-out-of-jail free card. He still needs to be accountable for his crime. Lock him up for life and treat his mental illness there.
This series is amazing. Tamron is in her element and the show reflects tht. Very tragic story. My opinion is, it wasn't weed, it was a stimulant..like meth. prayers to the family💔💟💔🖤💜💙🧡
Weed is no good for relatives of paranoid schizophrenics but aside from those cases, it's unlikely that weed did this. It could've been laced with bath salts, meth, crack, PCP or formeldahyde too.
When someone comes home from a mental hospital, they need to be watched the same way a person that comes home from a medical hospital. Because if the person is showing signs of illness, then you need to return them to the hospital.
Mark's mother seemed a little bit too perky at the start of this vid but then I realized she truly, truly did not understand anything at all about paranoid schizophrenia at that point, even though her son was displaying classic signs of the illness. By the end, i felt she was completely "detached" from all reality of what happened. Other than blaming others for Mark not receiving treatment, she seems oddly emotionless. Second, it seems perfectly clear to me by just looking at Mark that he is ill. In the pics in court, he looks like he's living on a whole other planet. Third, the whole thing is just 100% tragic and heartbreaking. Just awful.
I totally disagree with your assessment of this mother. She was struggling to get help for her then 19 yr.old son, who was considered a legal adult. He was old enough to get drafted, serve his country, die for his country, vote, get married, etc. but they did not keep him in the medical facility to get continued help? The parents were no longer legally responsible for him at that point. They released him without notice to the community or his family. They knew his diagnosis, yet his insurance probably ran out? They released him back into society when they knew he wasn’t better. Remember in court he was medicated! Therefore not able to display his true behaviors. Meaning that the true nature of his illness was not apparent to the jurors & people in the gallery. Of course, his parents were in shock at all that happened with their son. No one knows, including the doctors, what causes these changes within these people’s minds. They don’t cure them. They only treat their symptoms, so the problem never really goes away. All of this being said, we as outsiders cannot imagine the horror of having to deal with a loved one who was previously considered “normal”, now having turned into someone who now perceives that everyone & everything around them are demons. “Don’t judge others, lest you be judged!”. It’s easy to sit back & point fingers, but the reality is that no one knows how another will react to such a situation. They tried to get him help, the night before the incident, but no one helped them. What more could they do at that point? You can’t have someone committed or arrested for something they “might do”. The police will tell you that there is nothing they can do if a crime has not been committed yet. There inlays the problem. It’s a lot to deal with. I’m sure his parents feel bad enough about what their son has done, how their lives have changed, & they are mourning the loss of their friend, as well as the loss of their son as they once knew him to be when he was still mentally healthy. The parents need to sue the insurance company & the facility that failed their son. They got him into treatment, but the system then failed him & society at large. The family of the victim should join them in the lawsuit themselves, for the loss of their loved one, due to their actions. I pray Mark is getting the help that he needs & that he is able to live some semblance of a life while incarcerated for the remainder of his life. It’s just tragic all the way around.
It’s the family’s responsibility to seek help for Mark. It was the family’s responsibility to ensure that the guns are not accessible to their paranoid schizophrenic son. Now an entire family has lost their loved one, the students who loved coach Thomas are badly affected. And she had the audacity to expect that her son would be scot free on an insanity plea. Lady please 🙄
What parents leave the weapons and car keys in the house with their son who has been having episodes of mental illness? This isn't rocket science. Smh Some people need to wake the hell up. IMHO
They needed to wake up out of their dream of denial. Their egos wouldn't allow them to acknowledge his scary behavior. "That couldn't be MY son!" Instead of saying, "He's sick. He needs help now and we won't stop until we get it but we are not unleashing him on society."
Shouldn't have they moved the case elsewhere since the coach was well known in that town? How many in the jury knew the coach? I feel like this case was judged on emotions and not very fair that's just my opinion and the family of coach Ed should sue the the facility that let the boy out in the 1st place
@@lemardyc he did, but being a small town and everyone knowing him, the the killer was already guilty before trial and even during trial he was so heavily medicated that he wouldn't even have known what was going on
Mom of Mark - I've been where you have been I too am the Mamma of a boy with Schizophrenia Their Police Dept is exceptional I wish there were more like you - keep understanding when possible I'm so sorry to the Coach and his family this is horrendous
Your child have demons, they a real, they enter your child trugh your family sins, his sins. The door is open to satan and demons. You need to close that door by repenting from your sins and asking God Jesus Christ to deliver him from demons and generational curses. Only Jesus Christ can help you. If your child have episode tell him to call name of Jesus Christ and demons will flee, also ask him to pray to God Jesus Christ and repent from his sins. No amount understanding or pills will help your child, only Jesus Christ can. Mark killed his teacher because demons knew he was trying to lead him out in to the light, the problem is, his teacher did not know God Jesus Christ he had no protection from the Lord. Seek Jesus Christ with all of your heart and you will find him. He is your only unswer, dont wait till your child hurt you or others. Call on the name of Jesus Christ today ask him to save you from eternal hell and your child.
Aww man! Love what he had to offer, his time and effort, support and guidance 😢 anyone who takes time out for kids to point them in the right direction is awesome ❤ I am so sorry to his family.! Great purpose he served ❤
Putting him, as a paranoid schizophrenia in a hospital for life, getting meds he needs and help he needs, but if ever stops any of that, he will maybe do the same again. He could kill again, hurt others, so even if found guilty he needs care. I find this a very sad situation, for everyone.
In regards to parents getting mental health for their children, you’d all be amazed how many rights are given to minor children versus their parents “forcing” their children to get help. My youngest went through a drug phase and I couldn’t force anything on him since he didn’t “want” help. I know it’s a very different circumstance but parents can feel very alone and helpless.
One of the most beautiful ladies on tv period ,personality,looks, and wholesome.Congradulations to her ,husband and kids if they have any.Tamron Hall your the essence of total black beauty, keep representing .
I'm wondering why it took his family so long to get him help... I wouldn't be sitting around waiting for something tragic to happen. This kid was struggling and suffering and needed help. I personally don't feel they did enough to prevent this.
The fact that the parents couldn't get their son treatment put a heavier burden on them to make their home safe. They needed to get those guns and ammo out of their home. Saying that "our son would never have taken anybody life if he were not insane" ... yeah, well, he'd have less of a chance of taking a life if he didn't have easy access to guns, ammo and a car. The parents are for sure just as responsible for Mr. Thomas' death.
If you watch enough true crime, you will see that rarely with parents (or children) of murderers believe their "angels" would do such a thing--even when they are caught red-handed. It's deeply set denial and saving face because they can't deal with the implications.
This young man's case is a perfect case of NGRI. Ridiculous to argue. I know it when I see it...I specialize in Forensic Psychiatry. Worked with many NGRI. This case is a tragedy all the way around. My thoughts to all involved.
This is such a mess of an area in our law. It doesn’t seem to be understanding of compulsions in the mentally ill so strong that the person who commits the crime can’t seem to stop them selves even though they know right from wrong. The fault lies with a system that values personal freedom of the ill over the safety of the public. It’s partly a problem that private insurance doesn’t want to pay for safety of the public. Should Mark go free? No not for many years he’s shown he can’t be trusted but I don’t think he and those like him should be considered the same as someone who kills for drugs etc. The illness is enough of a burden.
I have deep sympathy for both families. I currently have a son who is prison for a choice he made, while not in his right mind, which resulted in a death of one young man and a crippling lifelong handicap for another. I recieved alot of hateful comments about my son and they were very hurtful. Of course we wanted justice for the victims and their families (both were very loving to us). Believe me when I say the Becker Family has hurt too and are ashamed of what their son did. Going out in public after such a horrible event is very hard for the offenders family.
My younger brother has paranoid schizophrenia and I've lived with this very up close and personal… but once my Mom and Dad saw what it was doing to his mind they had to have him committed for a while and by the time he was released they had a court give them Power of Attorney over him ( because by the time the real bizarre behaviors started he was over 18 ) which gave them legal rights over his care. My parents didn't just allow him to roam on his own… and damn sure not have access to firearms!!! They knew it was their obligation to make sure, us, him and the public was safe from his delusions. *"I believe his parents should've been held responsible for at least part of the blame"* because trust me when I say a delusional mind can't separate what's real and what's not when NOT medicated!
It’s very tragic that this innocent, generous and gentle man lost his life. I think that the perpetrator needed help mentally and should be in a mental hospital for life instead of prison for life. But I’m not a professional. 🤷♀️ I just think life in prison for a man who was suffering and most likely still is suffering tremendously with schizophrenia needs a mental health facility. A lot schizophrenic people turn to the drug use to cope with their tragic disease and attempt to feel normal or numb the voices, audible hallucinations and/or visual hallucinations , which in turn worsens it. I also think the facility who initially let him out and didn’t inform Mark’s parents or family should be held accountable.
I agree, however, hospitals for mental illness are not well funded. They are quick to medicate the person until they feel they are better and then release them. This is allowed even in murder cases. The problem with schizophrenia is that the person stops taking the medication when they are not closely watched. The schizophrenic distrusts all medication. This causes more psychosis and a repeat of the crime. As much as I would love all mentally ill people to be treated in the right place, unfortunately it’s safer for others sometimes to have them in prison. It’s a system problem that needs changing.
@@MimiB1974 It’s not just your country. England is just as bad. A few years ago most mental health places were defunded. Personally, I think it’s a worldwide problem due to a huge lack of understanding about mental health issues.
They insinuated at that point it was methamphetamine and/or other substances. I thought it was pretty clear he was thought to be detoxing off hard drugs. It was mentioned it began with weed not ended there.
Wow…he’s parents knew how crazy he was and left him to himself in the home and to go places. He even mentioned this coach in a rage before he killed him. It’s not solely the hospital’s fault bc if he was of age he can leave AMA whenever he wanted. The parents should’ve done more 😐
Utilizing the descriptor “crazy” only serves to propagate the stigma surrounding mental illness; which then leads to the continuous failure by society (writ-large) to itself suffer when people have disease/s of the ORGAN that is the brain, as Coach T. did. Please refrain from contributing (in ignorance) to an issue that needs compassion, not judgement. Lastly, pray that the 100 hundred BILLION neurons that are currently residing in your brain, and those you love, never malfunction. The most minuscule shift of them would put the aforesaid people in a very devastating position.
There’s no denying what mark did was wrong. There’s no denying the nightmares these teens must have. There’s no denying the pain both families feel. But UNTIL you’ve had a family member with schizophrenia you won’t understand the demons they fight. A doctor explained it to me as wearing headphones with loud music you are never able to take off. The emptiness in mark eyes I’ve seen before and it breaks your heart. This boy was truly sick . This isn’t ‘justifying’ this is ‘understanding’ that although he knew what he was doing he did not act within his right mind.
Feeling sorry for them and protecting society and two different things. We can still contain them and show compassion. But if left out on the streets, as they are in the cities, is not kindness and it benefits no one, including the children who witness their antics and the adults who are distressed by aberrant behavior.
I don't agree. Mental illness is not an excuse to kill. It was planned. He knew it was wrong, and he didn't care. Mental illness does not equal insanity. Paranoid schizophrenics should not be allowed in the community they are way too dangerous. Non Paranoid schizophrenics are OK. They are more likely to hurt themselves.
@@junemarshall-kingsley566Totally agree with you. Paranoid schizophrenics should be in a locked facility for their own safety as well as the community.
I don’t know what it was like to deal with a son going thru such craziness but damn what more of a sign do you need to get rid of your damn guns at least during the ordeal. Afraid to be home with him but have guns.
I was thinking the exact same thing. I was about to comment this when I seen your comment. Very flimsy gun cabinet. If anyone was to argue that they were locked up. Should not have been in the house.
Those parents are as guilty as their son. Crazy to leave a guy who is soo dangerous alone with guns at hands!! Unacceptable that they didn’t brought their son back to the mental facility as soon as the morning hit. Truly infuriating that they allowed their son to savagely kill a great man
I agree with Mark’s Mother on this one.Her son was not ever going to do this act if he was of sound mind. I grew up with a father who was in and out of a mental hospital and it was very traumatic experience. It is true that the system does not take mental illness seriously.
You are so right. I feel for everyone in this case, and do feel that Mark was let down by the mental health and judicial systems. Prosecutors are so focused on the goal of guilty that they refuse to recognize the obvious, untreated madness. May coach Rest In Peace. No winners here
I can’t get past the “F you, old man” statement. That’s not insanity, that’s someone who knew what he had done and was proud of it. And that mother…no words.
The mother enabled his behavior. If he was so dangerous, then lock him up. Never leave him alone. No gun should be in their home. Make Ed family aware that they may be in danger. The overkill is not insanity. Its planned murder out of hatred.
Nope, there's a small percentage of people (those who have a familial predisposition to develop schizophrenia and/or to possibly experience psychosis) that are more sensitive to thc than the average person and for them a bad experience with being high can trigger the mental issues and they can actually experience psychosis because of it. Meth is more likely to cause severe psychosis (specifically meth psychosis) I believe, also because it makes you not eat/it's a massively intense amfetamine but most of all YOU DONT SLEEP and a lack of sleep makes the a person become unhinged and confused way faster than when they're actually well rested. Not nitpicking, just saying there's a small group of people who actually would be smart to be careful with weed as they are more sensitive to it and it can cause them real issues.
Actually, research has shown that weed smoking in young people with a predisposition to schizophrenia can precipitate onset of the disease, particularly in young men. Well established fact.
Coach Thomas. Great man. Sad, sad story. Thank you for sharing. Its always sad, and unforgivable really, that in situations, someone's always got to get seriously hurt or die before such situations are paid any attention to & resources are brought available. Of course, not immediately, if brought at all.
I “lived” what a schizophrenic behavior is. One of my brothers tried to kill me three times, accusing me of trying to harm him. He believed, for instance, that I could walk through walls in the middle of the night with the purpose of scaring him. Of course, he said I was the devil and I could change my body in monstrous beings. When he looked at me, his eyes would almost burst away from his orbits, and would start shaking as if having a seizure. Anyway, the man suffered enormously. Schizophrenics live a mental life that’s unreal BUT, they don’t know that. In this case, the coach was the object to which Mark pointed his false ideas, but he didn’t know that Mark was mentally incapacitated. In my case, I took my precautions. Rest In Peace Coach.
I am glad that this type of program is airing. That's because it gives my new research data a chance to prove it's validity. Any Victim of Homicide ,anywhere in the world has an inborn way to let the living know whether or whether not to have known who murdered them. This is rather simple for being so complex. Since there are two sides to the face, left and right sides. If the larger eye is on the smaller side or the smaller eye is on the larger side on the faces of homicide victims, they were not familiar with the killer. If the eye sizes match the perspective sides, they knew who killed them. Which brings up a very interesting development in the case of Adam Walsh. Adam's eyes matched the correct positioning. So. How did Adam know Any of the suspects that were accused of his murder? Answer in short is that he didn't, because they did not murder him. Adam knew who murdered him.
This is so tragic and heartbreaking. I just wonder, if he was showing signs of mental illness in september-october, to the point that his parents witnessed his hallucinations, WHY didn't they seek help sooner? Hindsight is 20/20, and there but by the grace of God go I.
Mark's mother said it got worse and increased in intensity. The night before his parents did try to get help and was told to call back at 8:15. This was stated at the beginning. A week before the police arrested Mark and Mark was to be in the hospital's custody until that Friday but they released him without informing anyone including the police. Am I watching the same vid lol, a few people didn't catch all of this.
A week before, the night before is too late!! He had been having problems before that!! Even his own brother didn’t want him in his house and all the parents did was just move him back home with them. If the mom can’t even be alone with her OWN son because she’s not safe there is a SERIOUS problem!!! I’m not blaming the parents but I will say they waited a little bit too long to get him professional help
Schizophrenia is not a person forgetting and walking around like a zombie! It’s living in fear, suspension, think they can read people minds, stress, an unbalance of mental coordination with thoughts running you wild. My best friend remembers everything but is ran by dark thoughts uncontrollably and she got this way in our late 20’s and before was intelligent and such a sweetheart
The one thing that stands out is when she stated she knew she couldn't be alone with Mark. She knew he was dangerous! Marks parents could have had him committed.
I have watched this case 3 times. It is so sad, my goodness. I have worked for 43 years with psychiatric patients. And I have seen what can happen when patients are not treated in time. I know that having a child with mental health problems is tough and draining. And I have seen family blame the facility or doctors and nurses for not doing enough or releasing patients to early. I have witnessed the tragedy of what happened in those awful cases. I have also seen some family fight back to seek help for the family member who they believe need help. They have asked for second opinions, literally made people listen and they succeeded. But it's difficult. I do believe that Mark was sick. But he was sick for a long time and this is what happens.... So sad....
Omg I'm from Iowa. First time I heard about this. My deepest sympathy for his love ones.. believe it or not Iowa has alot of murders, my 28 year old son was murdered.
Omg what are the chances... Ed's wife just happened to be one of the EMTs on the ambulance that transferred him to the hospital. How terrible, I feel so bad for her. He seemed like such a good person, father, coach, husband, friend etc., and didn't deserve to die the way he did. RIP, Ed.
These parents are not taking responsibility but blaming everyone else!!!! Y'all are just as guilty!! This Coach who helped everyone and his family paid the ultimate sacrifice. How sad all the way around!!!!
I have a family member that was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. It was a scary road leading up to finally getting her the help she needed. Once the medicine really started working she was better than ever!! About a week ago she decided she was better & no longer needed her medicine. We’re all on pins & needles day to day not knowing when she’ll stop taking it & fall into another psychotic break it’s so sad & scary!! People with mental illness especially those with schizophrenia NEED HELP!!!!
Just about 8 months after he exhibited signs of mental Illness he already murdered someone? The mother did say he mention the coach why didn’t she tell someone about it? If he really suffered from mental illness how come the psychiatrist that examined him when he first hospitalized didn’t warn the coach or the school? He obviously had some form of animosity toward the coach and he didn’t hide it.
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Americans - if you have a mentally ill person in your household then GET RID OF ALL THE GUNS IMMEDIATELY!!
Really interesting story. Terrible verdict. I fear for Mark in prison. The victim being a great guy should not have come into this at all and swayed the jury.
@@outlawJosieFoxIt was the right verdict. His “F you, old man” statement says it all.
"Whatever you do, do it RIGHT". Coach Ed was a gift to this world. A great teacher.
As the daughter of a mother who had schizophrenia, it is a hell that the average person can never fathom. You never know when the other shoe will drop, walking on eggshells, it is exhausting. BUT as difficult as it is dealing with someone with a mental illness, there are so many things that the family has to do proactively. Mark's family should have been more diligent. You don't have guns in the house, you don't accept a health facility answer to call back the next day, you don't stop until you get them into the hospital at all costs, take them to the ER. You don't leave them alone, you can be relieved that they at one time placed into care, but you don't stop there, you keep going on what you are supposed to do once they are released. If as the mother who was frightened, you needed to go to work and get on the phone & let people know that you are in fear of your life.
It is terribly difficult to live with a schizophrenic, especially if they don’t take their medication.
My sister is Schizophrenic and thankfully she takes her medicine but she still has strange trains of thoughts even on her meds. I don’t think she would ever hurt anyone she is very meek and mild. But it is so hard dealing with a family member who has these symptoms
Exactly. His parents bear some responsibility in this. Don't wait for society to jump in and offer help. Be proactive. Demand it. They should have done more. It's upsetting that they don't take any accountability.
My mother was schizophrenic. When I was a baby the black nanny ran away and took me to her house. The first time she did it she was so scared because of course she had run away with a white baby. My dad knew the issue and told her you do what you got to do. My mother was seen by the best doctors in America, including the docs that are famous for the movie "Three Famous of Eves" Eventually my dad stopped believing the doctors and nanny's and decided she was crazy because of him. He left me with her. I spent the next years sleeping in the bathtub so she could not kill me. It was the only solid oak door she could not get through. Every day she would try killing me. She came to my high school peeping in the windows and all they did was tell me to take her home. Not one person in my family tried to help me or give me another place to live. I left at 17.
@@s.d.8561 Totally agree 💯
As a person who grew up in a home with a sibling with mental illness, it is absolutely real. Jail is not the answer. Very difficult to get help and very difficult to treat, but at the end of the day those voices they hear are “ real “ to them. They will listen to them. My heart goes out to Ed’s family... Marks parents needed to be more diligent. He should’ve been in long term treatment.
Agree.The concept of mental illness is too complex for the ignorant people of Iowa.The jurors should have rendered a mental insanity verdict.
@@January. if you never lived it, you have no idea.
absolutely agree, and the problem is 90% of people don't understand mental illness's, like schizophrenia, bipolar etc were they truly believe what their demons are telling him to do, it makes people think that he were fine and not insane, in reality he is insane. jail is not the place for him at all, he needs to go were he can be treated for life. putting someone like him in jail is inhumane and a form of torture cuz even with the proper meds the environment will make it worse on him, people need to remember he truly believes in what he is feeling. its sad he will not get the help he really needs in jail, he needs to be put in an institute where he can be treated for life.
The part where I hold his parents accountable is having the guns in the house with his condition. They could have pretended to have gotten rid of the guns and moved them so Mark would know where they were. Or they should have gotten a gun safe
@@FaithandNova he unlocked the gun safe to get the gun.
The good that a coach like this does for a community is incalculable. What a heartbreaking story. His son is a big part of what he left the world
I dont want to blame the parents but why would you have weapons in the house with a paranoid schizophrenic? Even if the guns were locked up, that obviously didn’t stop him.
He didn't actually live with them. He had his own apartment. When he was released from the mental hospital he couldn't get into his apartment, so his parents took him in for the night. The next morning at 7:47 AM is when the 911 call is made after he shot Coach Thomas. Fairly difficult to be able to make your house safe for a paranoid schizophrenic in that time frame. They thought he was going to be in the hospital for at least a week.
@@Matt-cr4vv they could have easily bought trigger guards for the guns in a weeks time. If the mom didn’t even feel safe alone with him they should have at least had trigger guards for their guns.
Consider the part of America where these people were living. There are states in the US that place a much higher value on gun ownership than on human life.
@@john-brady sadly seems to be the case. Even murdered children won't budge the 2nd amdt.
You stole this out of my mouth. If someone decide to exercise their rights to carry they should do so contemplating their household. Not just themselves. Their son killed someone because he had access to their guns.
His parents should have been held accountable for leaving guns accessable knowing their son felt that way about the coach. They also were aware of how serious his mental health was to the point his mom would not remain alone in the house with him. The very least they should have done was remove the gun's from the home.
Or even get him some medical help. They knew he was to be released on Friday they didn't even go to get him. Seems like their solution was just to avoid him. He was out there driving with an untreated mental illness.. Having access to guns.. How?
So true
As a gun owner myself, you are 100% correct
My thoughts exactly! Did I hear the mother say she knew he had schizophrenia? They knew he was doing meth before he came home to detox? The mother wouldn't be alone with her own son? And then, out of left field, Mark starts talking about his high school coach in a negative way? That should have been a clear red flag that he's literally targeting someone he knows!
I'd say the 'least' the parents should have done is take his illness way more serious earlier on and get him in the hospital! He absolutely needed to be admitted and on medication and off the streets and away from people.
But then again this is in America and if you don't have money, you don't get help!
Not like that here in Canada. Everyone gets healthcare and no one is turned away.
This is too tragic of a story that absolutely should have had a different outcome.
the gun case was locked, he broke it open. I understand it was a gun cabinet and not a gun safe
This is so incredibly frustrating. Throughout the entire episode, we hear the murder’s mother stress the seriousness of her son’s mental illness and the number of times he’s become unbearably violent. Seriously?!
Please help me understand your logic to why you kept a storage (with a child’s lock) filled with guns in your home?!?!!
I empathize with the lack of resources, BUT, it has to start somewhere.
Exactly, if she herself was afraid to be alone with him, why unleash him on innocent unsuspecting people.
Good point. She said she didn’t feel safe at home with him.
Exactly....
@@SouthPawGirlie The mom seem weird why was she laughing
My neighbor right now says she's hearing voices and says that the voices tell her my female roomie wants to her family she even confronted my friend and said please take me and not my dad like we've never met your dad but now I'm sure she's got the same thing as he does and the police didn't come until she called 911 and said there was dead bodies in the house and they literally came took her to the ER and she literally walked out right back here so it is frustrating that mental illness is still not being treated properly
Tamron Hall is a class act in all ways: great complement to Cout TV
Agreed.
Facts
Absolutely. I have been missing her! A beautiful compliment added to the Court TV family.
@@sherryrunslate9678 *complement *Court TV
She's one of the better ones for sure. Most ethnics allowed to be front and center usually have an aggressive tone and mannerisms. Hall has been taught correctly and it's _clearly_ translated into her being a phenomenal presenter and all around incredible female journalist
Whoever made the decision to release him & then not tell law enforcement or his parents or anyone, should be held accountable. Prisons release people all the time without notifying the victims & it’s so dangerous. Unless or until the people who make these decisions are held accountable this will continue to happen & victims will continue being murdered, stalked, harassed or whatever the situation is. It’s just too important to “forget” or claim it’s not their responsibility to notify or “oops someone dropped the ball, oh well”. There needs to be serious consequences so this stops!
100%
This happens more frequently than what we would like to think. My son has schizophrenia and there have been times I've begged the hospital to keep him and they would discharge him. It is awful for the family
it's a very slippery thing. He is an adult and has freedoms. Understand people use mental health issues to control others also, so the medical people walk a fine line. IF they did the notifications he could sue them for violating his freedoms/HIPPA laws. WE as a country have to come up with something to help with this.
I work at a law office. A client of ours with mental illness was released without any of his physic meds and didn't get them filled. His 80 yr old father didn't know how to get his son his meds, client cut off his monitor and went awol and now has a warrent. He left us messages about hearing voices and people are after him. Why could the jail not give him a couple pills just to get him by till they figured out how to get his meds. The jail could have called the med refill in but nothing was done. He was doing awesome in jail and within just 4 days he lost his mind.
The mental medical world is a f'n mess. I have a 19 yr old son with mental illness as well and I've struggled his entire life trying to get us help and to this day we still struggle. Insurance is a big problem, being seen is a huge problem, the wait is long. It's all awful and it's getting worse.
Sorry for this long comment. Thank u for reading.
@@sleepypisceslove1586 I agree completely. The only reason I can figure on why the jail couldn’t just help him out by giving him even a couple of days worth of meds is because they do not care. Our entire prison system needs a MAJOR OVERHAUL to say the very least. Prisoners are still people & we should be focusing on helping prepare them to be outside prison walls with rehabilitation etc not treating them like animals so they end up returning to jail over & over. I sincerely understand about your son as our oldest son (29yrs old) has struggled with some issues himself & it’s absolutely heartbreaking that you have to fight for them tooth & nail even when they’re adults because we’re the only ones who care enough to fight for them. And you’re right about insurance. What a PAIN.
If Tamron Hall is in a show of any kind you know I’m gonna watch it!
And is!!
I get that! I’ve always noticed and enjoyed her so much as a host/presenter.
me too💯
The way she speaks and she just has a presence about her. I love Tamron myself! She's just a great woman!
@@kelsthegreat1596 ooo
His own mother was afraid to be home alone with him says it all.
Excellent point👏👏👏
what it says is that his parents should have had the killer committed for good.
But she left him alone knowing he was unsafe.
Exactly I have 3 daughters if you make me afraid of you I don’t need nor want them in my home
As a mother of a son with this illness, there are so many limitations
placed on us. My son was threatening to kill me, I called mental crisis,
and they told me it didn't sound that bad. Until you have lived it, don't
be so quick to judge. Experience is the best teacher.
His Mom’s interview explains it all. As a parent, my tears would NEVER cease to flow for the victim’s family! How unfeeling that little smirk feels.
I completely agree.
💯! Apples fall directly from the tree!
What an amazing ,balanced telling of the story...incredibly touching and tragic...mental health is a pandemic that pre-dates Covid and it rips through generations of families.Teenagers have been struggling,and yet when parents cry for help,there is none for them-and two families have lost everything and still have to live on...my prayers for all the families and the town,they seem like a close knit community.
pre dates Covid? It's first observed in the Bibles!
'Mental health' is as old as humanity which certainly pre-dates Covid.
He definitely needed long term care & should have been remanded. That agency should be held accountable for what happened, especially if the family & law enforcement weren't notified of his release...Lord have mercy.
Deadline Crime was one of the best and longest running series on ID. Tamron is a great interviewer and host. So happy to see her joining court tv!
She really is such a class act. So happy she’s with court tv now too!
Me too! She also has her own talk show! Very happy for her, she deserves everything she has worked hard for! 💕
Tamron Hall is the epitome of beauty, grace, and class
I’m pretty sure she is a vampire… look at her teeth
Nothing but sympathy to the coach’s family but this guy was clearly insane, even if it was calculated.
Agree with you, schizophrenia is not even fully understood. This guy shouldn't be in prison.
But if the illness has gone as far as killing, that means no one is safe. He is better in jail it's safer for everyone
@@isemaciamwase9804 He can be sentenced to life to a facility for the criminally mentally ill like Broadmoor Hospital. He'll be kept out of society, but also recieve the help he needs.
I think he incorporated sane activities in order to complete his completely insane belief that Coach Thomas was in his head/oppressing him. That kid was insane.
Exactly. He may have known what he was doing but he was acting based on a delusion created in his mind that told him the Coach was a danger to him. I would think acting under delusion would be the definition of insanity. Insanity doesn't mean you have no idea what's going on. The definition is having severe mental illness.
Personnel in the mental health unit failed MISERABLY in their duty to notify Mark’s parents of his discharge. Someone dropped the ball and the ramifications were literally deadly.
I have no idea but is it the law in all 50 states that the patient's family be notified?
@@bunnylover6481 No. If a patient is released from the hospital, they are no longer deemed a threat to self or others, and therefore there is no need to inform anyone. (I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the logic, but that's how it works.)
@@liminal_realms Thanks. I didn't think so. When his mom said he was released days before they thought he would be I thought maybe it was just a 72 hour hold.
That's kind of a moot point though. Because the parents figured it out and went and got him. He was in their care when he committed murder.
The bigger question is: Should he have been released in the first place? To me, the fact that they didn't notify next of kin doesn't play into what happened.
HIPPA.
He looked like a good man and enjoyed what he do and for somebody too take he’s life just heartbreaking 💔🥺
@ 14:48 “mom’s not gonna leave him on the street…we knew it wasn’t safe for me to be home alone with Mark,so I went to work…” and THEY LEFT HIM COMPLETELY UNATTENDED?!?!?
How is that ever a good idea?!?!
The parents just left for work- they should have called the authorities- AT THE VERY LEAST removed the weapons-PLURAL: guns upon guns upon guns (with a drug addicted/mentally unstable kid- f-ing brilliant) from the home.
How completely irresponsible - believing/knowing the mental instability of their kid.
Unbelievable- yet blame the hospital, blame not getting help-anything but take responsibility.
No shouldn’t have been left alone. The problem is what do you do with him because those qualified to help, mental health experts, hands don’t have baby sitting services. They should!!!
I think that they were just caught off guard because they weren't expecting him to be released and so that might have came into contention with the weapons not being completely secured or taken out. But your other question about them leaving him alone... Who was supposed to stay with him. He hadn't committed a new crime so there is no place for the police to be involved. I'm sure that they didn't fathom him doing what he did. At that point they had a fear of the "unknown" and I can't imagine being in such a helpless position.
You make a good point, the parents should have removed all guns from the house. They were in a locked gun drawer but apparently one pretty easy to break into.
I can't blame the son though. He was in the grip of extreme mental illness, completely delusional. He showed no signs of being an evil person before the schizophrenia.
@@Chauna30 It’s a terrible situation to deal with but in the end if I’m afraid to be home alone with this family member, they cannot be left alone.
@@kenziemaureen175 Understandable. So what is the solution?
The fact that they failed to warn the coach they supposed loved so much .. unbelievable. If he wasn’t safe for the mother .. he wasn’t safe for no body .
So glad Tamron is back ! Class!
Love tamron hall she's awesome she has emotions you don't see on reporters
Is this about Tamron hall or the sick boy ?
THANKS FOR THIS NEW SHOW CT REALLY LOVING IT, I HOPE THERE'S MORE SHOWS LIKE THIS TO COME XXX
Thanks CourtTV, not only for these episodes but for allowing Tamron Hall to Host! She's an amazing, well-spoken beautiful person! I love her hair style 💯
My mother and my grandmother And my aunt and uncle suffered with massive mental illness and I'm not perfect but by the grace of God I was born without being afflicted with the schizophrenia that destroyed their minds and a day doesn't go bye without me praising and thanking God for blessing me. Since I watched what schizophrenia does to people and other people I'm here to inform you that it's a problem that causes so much pain and suffering that anyone you know of with the disease should be handled with extreme care and lots and lots of medication!!! Of course God and prayers can help so don't ever stop praying!!!!
Coach Thomas will always be remembered😇😇
I cried watching this. It was such a tragic case for the Becker's and the Thomas's families. I agree with the sentence, although I can empathize with Mark Becker's family. The end, where Aaron Thomas is now the school principal and coach of the team and his boys are quarterbacks, just gave me chills! The tragedy came full circle. We always here about the stoic, solid citizens of the Midwestern United States, and this is an excellent example of how they have faced the awful circumstances, but have gone on with their lives to honor the man that Ed Thomas was. Much respect for all involved - I know I would never be able to forgive Mark Becker.
I agree and Mark doesn't deserve a second chance. If you can do what he did you shouldn't be out in society!
@@22lyric you're mad at a guy like he made remotely sane choices.
i beg people to stop acting like serious mental illness is like bad day. we put a guy who tried to kill the president to impress jodie foster in a mental facility...
OMG the son made me cry at the end. RIP ED
Very good show. Extremely sad story, prayers for the victims. The delivery of the content was impecable!
Heartbreaking story. 💔 We need to help anyone with mental illness the moment it is noticed.
I was isolated with a mentally ill mother in the 60s and 70s but I could always get her help in a mental institution. In the 80s the federal government cut funding for mental illnesses and the ppl in institutions were put on the streets. Now it's almost impossible to get emergency mental health care to stop deluded ppl who may commit crimes. So terrible for society and their communities.
The cops won't help, just act on emotions and political extremism
I went through a similar situation with my Mother and what you say is true.
@@boggo7831 because it isn't their jobs. That would be social services job. Police recommend to SS a person/family and it then falls into the experts hands. At some point we need to stop expecting Police to be everything to everyone.
You are so right. We tried to get help for a family member a few yrs ago and went to the mental health dept to have him committed and they told us unless they have proof of that person hurting themselves or someone else they could not do anything. Today he is in prison on gun charges. It's a damn shame and you can thank our screwed up government for this. 95 percent of homeless or drug addicts and mentally ill people. Look at California and New York for example....
Yes, the entire country can thank President Reagan for shutting down the mental facilities and making it so difficult to get quality help. Ironic that he suffered from Alzheimer's at the end of his life.
What a good family, coach and man. We need more like that family. God bless them RIP Coach.
No judgements here. My prayers goes out to all. Thank you for having the strength and courage to share it.
My son has severe schizophrenia like this young man. I am super shocked at the lack of knowledge of this brain disorder. Dear Lord! Why cant a person be smart and have schizophrenia. Their thought process is disorganized... yes, but my son knows if he goes to the doctors on thursdays, he can get his money.. he never missed a Thursday. But, he forget to take a shower for 2 weeks. Another example.. he used to call ppl spiders ... now we are all working for the mob... so, their delusions can change. This young man is in for a lot of danger in prison, I am scared for him.
Rip Coach
You are so absolutely correct. Its not mental.retardation he suffers from, its schizophrenia, i think its deliberate ignorance these lawmakers feign just to get a conviction. I have swen it happen again and again
I hope you know better than to have guns and ammunition in your home.
Thank you once again and Tamron Hall. ♥️
This is tragic. A good man who contributed so much to society was gunned down by one of his own former players. Mental illness is something that needs to be dealt with and treated. He killed a good man and all because his mind was messing with him. I do think mentally ill people who commit murder should be sent to the criminally insane mental institution or a prison with a mental institution for the criminals who needed mental treatment and keep the their for life. They need to be monitored to take their medications as some don't when they are released and commit another horrendous crime. While I understand mental illness, it doesn't remove what he did to an innocent man. Being crazy is not a get-out-of-jail free card. He still needs to be accountable for his crime. Lock him up for life and treat his mental illness there.
This series is amazing. Tamron is in her element and the show reflects tht.
Very tragic story. My opinion is, it wasn't weed, it was a stimulant..like meth.
prayers to the family💔💟💔🖤💜💙🧡
What do you mean?
Weed is no good for relatives of paranoid schizophrenics but aside from those cases, it's unlikely that weed did this. It could've been laced with bath salts, meth, crack, PCP or formeldahyde too.
It was schizophrenia. He had stopped taking any drugs a while ago.
Marijuana CAN cause psychosis. That's a fact
@@Ghost80 the damage was already done even though they said he stopped
When someone comes home from a mental hospital, they need to be watched the same way a person that comes home from a medical hospital. Because if the person is showing signs of illness, then you need to return them to the hospital.
This is an excellent series, really bringing forward the questions of moral responsibility and social ethics.
Mark's mother seemed a little bit too perky at the start of this vid but then I realized she truly, truly did not understand anything at all about paranoid schizophrenia at that point, even though her son was displaying classic signs of the illness. By the end, i felt she was completely "detached" from all reality of what happened. Other than blaming others for Mark not receiving treatment, she seems oddly emotionless. Second, it seems perfectly clear to me by just looking at Mark that he is ill. In the pics in court, he looks like he's living on a whole other planet. Third, the whole thing is just 100% tragic and heartbreaking. Just awful.
And by reading your comment, you can't read a person.
I totally disagree with your assessment of this mother. She was struggling to get help for her then 19 yr.old son, who was considered a legal adult. He was old enough to get drafted, serve his country, die for his country, vote, get married, etc. but they did not keep him in the medical facility to get continued help? The parents were no longer legally responsible for him at that point. They released him without notice to the community or his family. They knew his diagnosis, yet his insurance probably ran out? They released him back into society when they knew he wasn’t better. Remember in court he was medicated! Therefore not able to display his true behaviors. Meaning that the true nature of his illness was not apparent to the jurors & people in the gallery. Of course, his parents were in shock at all that happened with their son. No one knows, including the doctors, what causes these changes within these people’s minds. They don’t cure them. They only treat their symptoms, so the problem never really goes away. All of this being said, we as outsiders cannot imagine the horror of having to deal with a loved one who was previously considered “normal”, now having turned into someone who now perceives that everyone & everything around them are demons. “Don’t judge others, lest you be judged!”. It’s easy to sit back & point fingers, but the reality is that no one knows how another will react to such a situation. They tried to get him help, the night before the incident, but no one helped them. What more could they do at that point? You can’t have someone committed or arrested for something they “might do”. The police will tell you that there is nothing they can do if a crime has not been committed yet. There inlays the problem. It’s a lot to deal with. I’m sure his parents feel bad enough about what their son has done, how their lives have changed, & they are mourning the loss of their friend, as well as the loss of their son as they once knew him to be when he was still mentally healthy. The parents need to sue the insurance company & the facility that failed their son. They got him into treatment, but the system then failed him & society at large. The family of the victim should join them in the lawsuit themselves, for the loss of their loved one, due to their actions. I pray Mark is getting the help that he needs & that he is able to live some semblance of a life while incarcerated for the remainder of his life. It’s just tragic all the way around.
It’s the family’s responsibility to seek help for Mark. It was the family’s responsibility to ensure that the guns are not accessible to their paranoid schizophrenic son. Now an entire family has lost their loved one, the students who loved coach Thomas are badly affected. And she had the audacity to expect that her son would be scot free on an insanity plea. Lady please 🙄
What parents leave the weapons and car keys in the house with their son who has been having episodes of mental illness? This isn't rocket science. Smh Some people need to wake the hell up. IMHO
And then blame the lack of understanding of mental health. Why can’t she start the initiative
Snail 🐌- agreed.
Exactly
They needed to wake up out of their dream of denial. Their egos wouldn't allow them to acknowledge his scary behavior. "That couldn't be MY son!" Instead of saying, "He's sick. He needs help now and we won't stop until we get it but we are not unleashing him on society."
Shouldn't have they moved the case elsewhere since the coach was well known in that town? How many in the jury knew the coach? I feel like this case was judged on emotions and not very fair that's just my opinion and the family of coach Ed should sue the the facility that let the boy out in the 1st place
Definitely Mrs Somalia. I agree 100%.
@@dancer49lives6 thanks love
You mean he didn't murder the coach?
@@lemardyc he did, but being a small town and everyone knowing him, the the killer was already guilty before trial and even during trial he was so heavily medicated that he wouldn't even have known what was going on
Mom of Mark - I've been where you have been
I too am the Mamma of a boy with Schizophrenia
Their Police Dept is exceptional I wish there were more like you - keep understanding when possible
I'm so sorry to the Coach and his family this is horrendous
Your child have demons, they a real, they enter your child trugh your family sins, his sins. The door is open to satan and demons. You need to close that door by repenting from your sins and asking God Jesus Christ to deliver him from demons and generational curses. Only Jesus Christ can help you. If your child have episode tell him to call name of Jesus Christ and demons will flee, also ask him to pray to God Jesus Christ and repent from his sins. No amount understanding or pills will help your child, only Jesus Christ can.
Mark killed his teacher because demons knew he was trying to lead him out in to the light, the problem is, his teacher did not know God Jesus Christ he had no protection from the Lord. Seek Jesus Christ with all of your heart and you will find him. He is your only unswer, dont wait till your child hurt you or others. Call on the name of Jesus Christ today ask him to save you from eternal hell and your child.
What a tragedy for both families. Heartbreaking.
Sad story all the way round. Eds wife n John's mum, strong woman with class🌻
Aww man! Love what he had to offer, his time and effort, support and guidance 😢 anyone who takes time out for kids to point them in the right direction is awesome ❤ I am so sorry to his family.! Great purpose he served ❤
Putting him, as a paranoid schizophrenia in a hospital for life, getting meds he needs and help he needs, but if ever stops any of that, he will maybe do the same again. He could kill again, hurt others, so even if found guilty he needs care. I find this a very sad situation, for everyone.
Severely mentally ill ppl should not be imprisoned. Life sentence with no parole in a mental hospital.
The are called J-cats in prison: Category J: Mentally Unstable. And they don't belong there, creating even more chaos in a chaotic environment.
In regards to parents getting mental health for their children, you’d all be amazed how many rights are given to minor children versus their parents “forcing” their children to get help. My youngest went through a drug phase and I couldn’t force anything on him since he didn’t “want” help. I know it’s a very different circumstance but parents can feel very alone and helpless.
One of the most beautiful ladies on tv period ,personality,looks, and wholesome.Congradulations to her ,husband and kids if they have any.Tamron Hall your the essence of total black beauty, keep representing .
I'm wondering why it took his family so long to get him help... I wouldn't be sitting around waiting for something tragic to happen. This kid was struggling and suffering and needed help. I personally don't feel they did enough to prevent this.
The fact that the parents couldn't get their son treatment put a heavier burden on them to make their home safe. They needed to get those guns and ammo out of their home. Saying that "our son would never have taken anybody life if he were not insane" ... yeah, well, he'd have less of a chance of taking a life if he didn't have easy access to guns, ammo and a car. The parents are for sure just as responsible for Mr. Thomas' death.
If you watch enough true crime, you will see that rarely with parents (or children) of murderers believe their "angels" would do such a thing--even when they are caught red-handed. It's deeply set denial and saving face because they can't deal with the implications.
I am so happy that Tamron Hall enjoy court TV. She is a great reporter.
That was the worst outcome I've ever seen. Shame. How could the person be guilty if he actually thought he was helping by killing the Devil!!
This young man's case is a perfect case of NGRI. Ridiculous to argue. I know it when I see it...I specialize in Forensic Psychiatry. Worked with many NGRI. This case is a tragedy all the way around. My thoughts to all involved.
NGRI?
@@TariAkpodiete not guilty by reason of insanity
Agreed, so sad.
@@kco9189 > ah, thanks. i do prefer "guilty but insane" as a finding. it's much clearer, and also fairer, especially for victims.
Guilty but insane. Psychiatric prison for life.
I think Tamron Hall is a great host
The final outcome is one good example of what is wrong with our world
Those who let him out without notifying the parents should be held accountable. He’s sick. He needs HELP
This is such a mess of an area in our law. It doesn’t seem to be understanding of compulsions in the mentally ill so strong that the person who commits the crime can’t seem to stop them selves even though they know right from wrong. The fault lies with a system that values personal freedom of the ill over the safety of the public. It’s partly a problem that private insurance doesn’t want to pay for safety of the public. Should Mark go free? No not for many years he’s shown he can’t be trusted but I don’t think he and those like him should be considered the same as someone who kills for drugs etc. The illness is enough of a burden.
I have deep sympathy for both families. I currently have a son who is prison for a choice he made, while not in his right mind, which resulted in a death of one young man and a crippling lifelong handicap for another. I recieved alot of hateful comments about my son and they were very hurtful. Of course we wanted justice for the victims and their families (both were very loving to us). Believe me when I say the Becker Family has hurt too and are ashamed of what their son did. Going out in public after such a horrible event is very hard for the offenders family.
*hugs* ❤
Yikes! I hope your son is in prison for life
My younger brother has paranoid schizophrenia and I've lived with this very up close and personal… but once my Mom and Dad saw what it was doing to his mind they had to have him committed for a while and by the time he was released they had a court give them Power of Attorney over him ( because by the time the real bizarre behaviors started he was over 18 ) which gave them legal rights over his care.
My parents didn't just allow him to roam on his own… and damn sure not have access to firearms!!! They knew it was their obligation to make sure, us, him and the public was safe from his delusions.
*"I believe his parents should've been held responsible for at least part of the blame"* because trust me when I say a delusional mind can't separate what's real and what's not when NOT medicated!
It’s very tragic that this innocent, generous and gentle man lost his life. I think that the perpetrator needed help mentally and should be in a mental hospital for life instead of prison for life. But I’m not a professional. 🤷♀️ I just think life in prison for a man who was suffering and most likely still is suffering tremendously with schizophrenia needs a mental health facility. A lot schizophrenic people turn to the drug use to cope with their tragic disease and attempt to feel normal or numb the voices, audible hallucinations and/or visual hallucinations , which in turn worsens it. I also think the facility who initially let him out and didn’t inform Mark’s parents or family should be held accountable.
I agree, however, hospitals for mental illness are not well funded. They are quick to medicate the person until they feel they are better and then release them. This is allowed even in murder cases. The problem with schizophrenia is that the person stops taking the medication when they are not closely watched. The schizophrenic distrusts all medication. This causes more psychosis and a repeat of the crime. As much as I would love all mentally ill people to be treated in the right place, unfortunately it’s safer for others sometimes to have them in prison. It’s a system problem that needs changing.
100% agree with you. He needs mental help that he will not receive in prison. It's very sad.
Yes, often the mental ill criminal is dumped on jail for them to cope with
It’s unbelievable the way we treat the mentally I’ll in this country. Everything’s about revenge… when 1/2 the blame goes on our system
@@MimiB1974 It’s not just your country. England is just as bad. A few years ago most mental health places were defunded. Personally, I think it’s a worldwide problem due to a huge lack of understanding about mental health issues.
Love watching theses series there amazing
Loving the new show! Thanks Tamron ❤️
9:25 he was NOT detoxing from weed. Had to be pills.
They insinuated at that point it was methamphetamine and/or other substances. I thought it was pretty clear he was thought to be detoxing off hard drugs. It was mentioned it began with weed not ended there.
Thanks for posting these episodes!
Wow…he’s parents knew how crazy he was and left him to himself in the home and to go places. He even mentioned this coach in a rage before he killed him. It’s not solely the hospital’s fault bc if he was of age he can leave AMA whenever he wanted. The parents should’ve done more
😐
That's not quite true, is it? When you are committed involuntary, you can't just leave whenever you like.
Utilizing the descriptor “crazy” only serves to propagate the stigma surrounding mental illness; which then leads to the continuous failure by society (writ-large) to itself suffer when people have disease/s of the ORGAN that is the brain, as Coach T. did. Please refrain from contributing (in ignorance) to an issue that needs compassion, not judgement. Lastly, pray that the 100 hundred BILLION neurons that are currently residing in your brain, and those you love, never malfunction. The most minuscule shift of them would put the aforesaid people in a very devastating position.
What a great job he (coach)did raising his son . He had to be proud of him
"He knew that a gun could be used to take a person's life" Well... That's the only purpose of your beloved bloody guns 🙄
Tamron is one of my all time favorite host!
My husband has a crush on her
Lori Vallow needs to face her charges and stop faking her insanity
There’s no denying what mark did was wrong. There’s no denying the nightmares these teens must have. There’s no denying the pain both families feel. But UNTIL you’ve had a family member with schizophrenia you won’t understand the demons they fight. A doctor explained it to me as wearing headphones with loud music you are never able to take off. The emptiness in mark eyes I’ve seen before and it breaks your heart. This boy was truly sick . This isn’t ‘justifying’ this is ‘understanding’ that although he knew what he was doing he did not act within his right mind.
Feeling sorry for them and protecting society and two different things. We can still contain them and show compassion. But if left out on the streets, as they are in the cities, is not kindness and it benefits no one, including the children who witness their antics and the adults who are distressed by aberrant behavior.
I don't agree. Mental illness is not an excuse to kill. It was planned. He knew it was wrong, and he didn't care. Mental illness does not equal insanity. Paranoid schizophrenics should not be allowed in the community they are way too dangerous. Non Paranoid schizophrenics are OK. They are more likely to hurt themselves.
@@junemarshall-kingsley566Totally agree with you. Paranoid schizophrenics should be in a locked facility for their own safety as well as the community.
I really hope the family sued the hospital that let him out.
I wish they would have asked why they left him home with guns?
The keys to the car also.
He was calculating, insane people don't plan and calculate.
I don’t know what it was like to deal with a son going thru such craziness but damn what more of a sign do you need to get rid of your damn guns at least during the ordeal. Afraid to be home with him but have guns.
I was thinking the exact same thing. I was about to comment this when I seen your comment. Very flimsy gun cabinet. If anyone was to argue that they were locked up. Should not have been in the house.
His parents don't hold themselves accountable I see. Always something or someone else to blame
THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY SAD ON SO MANY
LEVELS😞😞😞😞😞😞
Heartbreaking. We are failing in the area of mental wellness for all humanity
Those parents are as guilty as their son. Crazy to leave a guy who is soo dangerous alone with guns at hands!! Unacceptable that they didn’t brought their son back to the mental facility as soon as the morning hit. Truly infuriating that they allowed their son to savagely kill a great man
I agree with Mark’s Mother on this one.Her son was not ever going to do this act if he was of sound mind. I grew up with a father who was in and out of a mental hospital and it was very traumatic experience.
It is true that the system does not take mental illness seriously.
You are so right. I feel for everyone in this case, and do feel that Mark was let down by the mental health and judicial systems. Prosecutors are so focused on the goal of guilty that they refuse to recognize the obvious, untreated madness. May coach Rest In Peace. No winners here
I agree
why wasn't he on medication?
I can’t get past the “F you, old man” statement.
That’s not insanity, that’s someone who knew what he had done and was proud of it.
And that mother…no words.
The mother enabled his behavior.
If he was so dangerous, then lock him up. Never leave him alone. No gun should be in their home. Make Ed family aware that they may be in danger. The overkill is not insanity. Its planned murder out of hatred.
he probably actually liked the coach, he has literal schizophrenia bro...
@@anthonyrowland9072 he shouldn't been using drugs from the start
@@GrimReaper1971 It's literally just the severe schizophrenia...
Weed doesn't cause this. Meth does. Two totally different things.
🖖👽
Nope, there's a small percentage of people (those who have a familial predisposition to develop schizophrenia and/or to possibly experience psychosis) that are more sensitive to thc than the average person and for them a bad experience with being high can trigger the mental issues and they can actually experience psychosis because of it.
Meth is more likely to cause severe psychosis (specifically meth psychosis) I believe, also because it makes you not eat/it's a massively intense amfetamine but most of all YOU DONT SLEEP and a lack of sleep makes the a person become unhinged and confused way faster than when they're actually well rested.
Not nitpicking, just saying there's a small group of people who actually would be smart to be careful with weed as they are more sensitive to it and it can cause them real issues.
Although it doesn’t to the majority, there are people that react different than the majority as there are with any medication, legal or illegal.
Actually, research has shown that weed smoking in young people with a predisposition to schizophrenia can precipitate onset of the disease, particularly in young men. Well established fact.
@Bridget Smith not legal for teenagers
Coach Thomas. Great man. Sad, sad story. Thank you for sharing. Its always sad, and unforgivable really, that in situations, someone's always got to get seriously hurt or die before such situations are paid any attention to & resources are brought available. Of course, not immediately, if brought at all.
I “lived” what a schizophrenic behavior is. One of my brothers tried to kill me three times, accusing me of trying to harm him. He believed, for instance, that I could walk through walls in the middle of the night with the purpose of scaring him. Of course, he said I was the devil and I could change my body in monstrous beings. When he looked at me, his eyes would almost burst away from his orbits, and would start shaking as if having a seizure. Anyway, the man suffered enormously. Schizophrenics live a mental life that’s unreal BUT, they don’t know that. In this case, the coach was the object to which Mark pointed his false ideas, but he didn’t know that Mark was mentally incapacitated. In my case, I took my precautions. Rest In Peace Coach.
I am glad that this type of program is airing. That's because it gives my new research data a chance to prove it's validity.
Any Victim of Homicide ,anywhere in the world has an inborn way to let the living know whether or whether not to have known who murdered them.
This is rather simple for being so complex.
Since there are two sides to the face, left and right sides.
If the larger eye is on the smaller side or the smaller eye is on the larger side on the faces of homicide victims, they were not familiar with the killer. If the eye sizes match the perspective sides, they knew who killed them.
Which brings up a very interesting development in the case of Adam Walsh.
Adam's eyes matched the correct positioning. So. How did Adam know Any of the suspects that were accused of his murder? Answer in short is that he didn't, because they did not murder him. Adam knew who murdered him.
This is so tragic and heartbreaking. I just wonder, if he was showing signs of mental illness in september-october, to the point that his parents witnessed his hallucinations, WHY didn't they seek help sooner? Hindsight is 20/20, and there but by the grace of God go I.
Mark's mother said it got worse and increased in intensity. The night before his parents did try to get help and was told to call back at 8:15. This was stated at the beginning. A week before the police arrested Mark and Mark was to be in the hospital's custody until that Friday but they released him without informing anyone including the police. Am I watching the same vid lol, a few people didn't catch all of this.
A week before, the night before is too late!! He had been having problems before that!! Even his own brother didn’t want him in his house and all the parents did was just move him back home with them. If the mom can’t even be alone with her OWN son because she’s not safe there is a SERIOUS problem!!! I’m not blaming the parents but I will say they waited a little bit too long to get him professional help
I also think that his mom was in denial and hoped he was detoxing from drugs and not mentally ill. She knew he was dangerous.
Schizophrenia is not a person forgetting and walking around like a zombie! It’s living in fear, suspension, think they can read people minds, stress, an unbalance of mental coordination with thoughts running you wild. My best friend remembers everything but is ran by dark thoughts uncontrollably and she got this way in our late 20’s and before was intelligent and such a sweetheart
The one thing that stands out is when she stated she knew she couldn't be alone with Mark. She knew he was dangerous! Marks parents could have had him committed.
I have watched this case 3 times. It is so sad, my goodness. I have worked for 43 years with psychiatric patients. And I have seen what can happen when patients are not treated in time. I know that having a child with mental health problems is tough and draining. And I have seen family blame the facility or doctors and nurses for not doing enough or releasing patients to early. I have witnessed the tragedy of what happened in those awful cases. I have also seen some family fight back to seek help for the family member who they believe need help. They have asked for second opinions, literally made people listen and they succeeded. But it's difficult. I do believe that Mark was sick. But he was sick for a long time and this is what happens.... So sad....
Omg I'm from Iowa. First time I heard about this. My deepest sympathy for his love ones.. believe it or not Iowa has alot of murders, my 28 year old son was murdered.
Condolences
Sorry Barbara, that is hard to lose someone that way, I wish you the best and hope you continue to have the love and support you need.
I feel really, really bad for those kids who had to witness the shooting. They will have to live with those scars for the rest of their lives now.
Omg what are the chances... Ed's wife just happened to be one of the EMTs on the ambulance that transferred him to the hospital. How terrible, I feel so bad for her. He seemed like such a good person, father, coach, husband, friend etc., and didn't deserve to die the way he did. RIP, Ed.
Court TV you're doing a great job with these videos keep up the good work
Small towns should know by now, you live with humans, you are not immune to violence, drugs and crime. Not as much as cities but it happens.
These parents are not taking responsibility but blaming everyone else!!!! Y'all are just as guilty!! This Coach who helped everyone and his family paid the ultimate sacrifice. How sad all the way around!!!!
I have a family member that was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. It was a scary road leading up to finally getting her the help she needed. Once the medicine really started working she was better than ever!! About a week ago she decided she was better & no longer needed her medicine. We’re all on pins & needles day to day not knowing when she’ll stop taking it & fall into another psychotic break it’s so sad & scary!! People with mental illness especially those with schizophrenia NEED HELP!!!!
Oh dear god not the whole “I’m all better now” bit 🤦🏻♀️ it’s the equivalent to stopping insulin or albuterol 😩
stay away from her...
I’m sorry to hear that but I wouldn’t be around her
Just about 8 months after he exhibited signs of mental Illness he already murdered someone? The mother did say he mention the coach why didn’t she tell someone about it? If he really suffered from mental illness how come the psychiatrist that examined him when he first hospitalized didn’t warn the coach or the school? He obviously had some form of animosity toward the coach and he didn’t hide it.