MovieChat Forums > Fatal Vision (1984) Discussion > Why was his life spared?

Why was his life spared?

posted 7 years ago by lightville-1
8 replies | jump to latest

Reading all the comments pro and against Jeffrey MacDonald, and/or Joe McGuinnes for that manner, reminds me of the typical Divorce Court where the judge has to hear three versions of the case: the husband's version, the wife's version, and the truth. In Jeffrey MacDonald's case the truth may take years or even decades to finally emerge.

But there is one puzzle I believe no one will ever come up with an acceptable answer: why was his life spared?

In the Tate-La Bianca murders the Manson family killed everyone, nobody was left alive. On the other side, MacDonald claimed that the hippies knocked him unconscious and killed his family. But his wife and daughters were butchered to death while he had some injuries that were not life-threatening. In fact, he had enough energy to try to resuscitate his wife and daughters and make phone calls. So, does anybone has an explanation for that?

[–] ryan-anderson 7 years ago

If you believe his story (and I don't), you'd have to believe that since he was the most capable of fighting them......he was able to keep them from subduing him. (Although, by his own story, he was knocked out/passed out at one point.)

Another theory (that has gotten some corroboration from hearsay) is that they deliberately left him alive so that he could face the anguish of losing his family.

Ignoring: QuesterJonesV, MythicCDXX, Creeping Jesus/Judas, RonPaul_Lies, Digby (and aliases), ibestupid, Holiday_Hobo, sharon_18, TilaMoo, Okie-from-Muskogee/boo321, NorCalNik, Nullifidian

[–] lightville-1 7 years ago

I don't believe his story either. But his defenders claim he did not had a motive to kill his family. But what about the hippies? What were their motive?

I find it hard to believe that those "assassins" under drugs will come up with such a rationalization in the middle of the massacre.

[–] ryan-anderson 7 years ago

But what about the hippies? What were their motive?

Supposedly, it was because MacDonald had turned them in when they approached him (as a doctor) about their drug habits. A few of the assailants MacDonald's defenders have named were in the army (IIRC).

Ignoring: QuesterJonesV, MythicCDXX, Creeping Jesus/Judas, RonPaul_Lies, Digby (and aliases), ibestupid, Holiday_Hobo, sharon_18, TilaMoo, Okie-from-Muskogee/boo321, NorCalNik, Nullifidian

[–] lightville-1 7 years ago

So they met before. Funny the assailants left alive the only person who can identify them. But I still believe MacDonald created the murder story and using the Manson case as a reference.

[–] ryan-anderson 7 years ago

So they met before. Funny the assailants left alive the only person who can identify them. But I still believe MacDonald created the murder story and using the Manson case as a reference.

I agree. To me, one of the more suspicious aspects of it was the fact MacDonald's supporters couldn't name anyone until Helena Stoeckley turned up with her story. The people she named that she claimed was with her that night.....I'm not sure if MacDonald ever confirmed that those were the people.

Even more suspicious is his attitude about this. He once (falsely) claimed to Freddie Kassab that he (and some army buddies) tracked down one of the killers and killed him. Well, if it had been me, that claim wouldn't have been false. He has been in the same room with some of these people since that night.....and hasn't flashed that famous temper at all. If I was in the same room with someone who did that to my family......there had better be someone between me and them.

Ignoring: QuesterJonesV, MythicCDXX, Creeping Jesus/Judas, RonPaul_Lies, Digby (and aliases), ibestupid, Holiday_Hobo, sharon_18, TilaMoo, Okie-from-Muskogee/boo321, NorCalNik, Nullifidian

[–] lightville-1 7 years ago

He looks like a typical sociopath whose own sense of reality is the "absolute truth" and the rest of us who don't agree with him are "out of line."

And you and I will take the necessary measures to protect our families, especially when living in a neighborhood that had been having trouble with hippies and other derelicts. What I'm getting at is, (and maybe I missed it), how did the alleged assailants (hippies) got in? If the door was broken in, he could've been woken up by the noise. But since he claimed he saw 4 hippies next to him when he woke up, then we could assume he left the door unlocked, a very much "responsible" head of family, huh?

[–] ryan-anderson 7 years ago

....how did the alleged assailants (hippies) got in? If the door was broken in, he could've been woken up by the noise. But since he claimed he saw 4 hippies next to him when he woke up, then we could assume he left the door unlocked, a very much "responsible" head of family, huh?

IIRC, he told the army that he was "casual" about being sure the doors were locked. (Colette being much more careful.) I think he's said that he has never been sure if it was locked or not.

Although I don't believe his (overall) story.......it isn't that unbelievable. I'm about his age, and a lot of people were lax about that. (As odd as that may sound today.)

Ignoring: QuesterJonesV, MythicCDXX, Creeping Jesus/Judas, RonPaul_Lies, Digby (and aliases), ibestupid, Holiday_Hobo, sharon_18, TilaMoo, Okie-from-Muskogee/boo321, NorCalNik, Nullifidian

[–] lightville-1 7 years ago

I don't think I could ever live with myself thinking that my carelessness allowed this kind of tragedy to happen.

Sorry, but being "casual" doesn't pay. When I was young I was working in a small office and I got severely reprimanded, almost fired, because I did not lock the doors properly the night before when I went home. It was a hard lesson I never forgot.