Although it doesn’t happen annually on October 31, murders on Halloween have not made a shy appearance over the years. Worries do have a sharp rise around the times of Halloween and are rightfully felt, considering the mourning that comes after the holiday.
In 1974, on October 31, Ronald Clark O’Brien found himself responsible for the death of his 8-year-old son. The consumption of a sugar-packed candy known as the “Pixy Stix” took the life of young Timothy O’Brien. A mix of sugar, citric acid and potassium-cyanide is what O’Brien consumed. On a night when a kid’s preference for a treat rather than a trick makes it rise. Timothy received a trick in disguise of the sweetest treat.
It is typical that when worries start to wander near Halloween, concern revolves a lot around children receiving treats that have been tampered with. Some useful tips for checking candy on Halloween would be checking for tears or rips in packaging and checking for discoloration. It’s also helpful to avoid any homemade treats that are offered unless the person offering them is someone you are familiar with and trust.
Not only is it important to check for the treats received on Halloween, but it is also important to monitor your surroundings. People use Halloween as an excuse to commit petty and tragic crimes just for the fun of it. Likewise, people also use the holiday as a way to release their emotions on others violently. This was seen in the Liske family murders.
On October 31, 2010, William “BJ” Liske let his anger and resentment get the best of him, which led to the deaths of the Liske family. After attending a church service, 16-year-old Devon Liske returned home on Halloween evening. Devon came home that day and was approached with what he initially thought was a cruel family prank. However, to his sorrowful surprise, Liske realized that he did not walk into a trick, but he was witnessing the harsh horrors of the loss of his family. Susan Liske, Bill Liske and Derek Liske (mother, father and brother), were all stripped of life due to gunshots fired by their abusive son and brother BJ.
Unfortunately, not only are people put at risk by strangers on Halloween, but they are put at risk in the hands of the family and peers who surround them. It’s important to seek out signs of worrying hostility in people and create distance if able to. Distance from all potential dangers is essential not only on Halloween but in general. If distance is a hard factor to make happen, then defense mechanisms such as pepper spray and window breakers are good things to carry around. Especially after dark, keeping trustworthy company around may be helpful and comforting to have on Halloween.
