Eventually, she surrendered on her own accord. Because the process (accountability, repentance, and restitution) requires it. The principal of the school, Burton Wragg, responded quickly and rushed to help the kids through the gates. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The sandbox, she thinks -- she will push them to the ground in the sandbox and shield them with her own scarred body. We talk about it all the time. He took a month-long training course to learn how to handle a weapon himself with more confidence. The Neeses could never get their girl back but they may live with the satisfaction of knowing that they may have saved the lives of others. Her father had given her the gun as a Christmas gift, and she was itching to use it. Thanks to the new Skylars Law, the procedures would happen differently. to guns and to stories of violence. He bizarrely married Brendas 17-year-old prison cellmate after her release, and they had a daughter together. While growing up Brenda demonstrated an inexplicable hatred of policemen. The defense did their best to paint thepicture of Brenda as a victim of abuse and mistreatment, yet their efforts failed. However, the raw reality of what happened at the school continues to haunt those that were impacted. A mental health treatment program may have helped Brenda, but instead, her father refused to give her permission to be admitted into a psych hospital. Standing 52 tall and weighing 89 pounds, Brenda Spencer was once described as too small to be scary., true stories behind Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. In the 19th century, shed have been hanged and buried in an unmarked grave!! Mary Neese said, She proceeded to tell me that her, Skylar, and Rachel snuck out the night before and they had driven around Star City, and getting high, and that the two girls dropped her back off at the house. From 2005 to 2017, it housed the Magnolia Science Academy,[26] a public charter middle school serving students in grades 68. Brenda Spencer, 59, who was just 16 at the time, remains in prison after waiving her right to parole last year. Brenda Spencer had a reputation for being a problem child who struggled with numerous health issues. One day the little girl announced to her: "My sister's in jail. Instead, he purchased the weapon that his daughter would later use to target the school. Spencer told the reporter she had shot at the school children and adults because, "I don't like Mondays. Chris Berry, who was the state trooper assigned to the case, assumed that the story would come out eventually, and the people responsible would come clean sooner or later. [27] In 2018, the school was demolished to construct a housing development, and the plaque was relocated to the former school's southern edge, at the corner of Lake Atlin Avenue and Lake Angela Drive. Whether these theories are true or not, Brenda Spencer was tried as an adult and pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and nine counts of assault. Brenda Spencer School Shooting: I Don't Like Mondays She attended Patrick Henry High School, where one teacher recalled frequently inquiring if she was awake in class. Thats right, 3 heavily armed gates you have to pass through to get to the prison. That shooting probably affected every person on that campus," says ProfessorRon Avi Astor,"It has a very strong ripple effect; even if youre not hit by a bullet, that stays with you forever. All that Mary remembers is a quick pain that subsided as she was rushed into the cafeteria and toward safety. Brenda Ann Spencer was born in San Diego, California, on April 3, 1962. She was not aware that Rachel came clean, and the police came up with the idea of wiretapping Shelia so they could get it from her lips that they actually killed Skylar. [25] In the ensuing decades, it was leased to several charter and private schools. When this part of the story was discovered, the thought that the girls had something to do with Skylars disappearance started to make more sense. He remembers his mother dropping him off that morning, and suddenly feeling something like an electric shock next to his heart. She hurt so many people and had so much to do with starting a deadly trend in America, said Richard Sachs, a San Diego County deputy district attorney, in an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune. Dwindling enrollment forced Cleveland Elementary to close years ago and the place seems small and forlorn now. Christy Buell, a survivor of the 1979 shooting, said that she was "shocked, saddened, horrified" by the headlines concerning the 1989 shooting. The police thought they would just get an elaboration of the overdose story that was much-rumored, but they were in for a totally different tale altogether. She was the most seriously hurt of the children shot, hit in the abdomen and buttocks; part of her intestine was removed and she had a colostomy bag for four months. From second grade onward, they were besties, and they stuck together through thick and thin. What if they got the idea from what I did?. Skylar stuck by her, though, knowing that change was a natural part of life, and she did not listen to those who felt that she should stay away from Shelia. Spencers hatred for the first day of the school week was later memorialized by Bob Geldof, the leader of the rock group The Boomtown Rats, in the song, I Dont Like Mondays.. Brenda's story and the story of her crime remind us that crime has no age limit. This livens up the day.With the shocking confession, Brenda was about to face justice. "I didn't talk about it. There may come a time when the shooting will be a blip in the memory of the neighborhood community in San Diego, yet that is a long time coming. He could hear the gunfire while he was taking his morning shower, and raced down to the school to see what was happening, crying out his daughter's name from behind the SWAT team cordon. In high school, Skylar and Shelia added a third person to their group, and that was Rachel. Police subsequently described the home as littered with beer and whiskey bottles. In Skylars case, there was nothing to suggest that she had been kidnapped, and by all appearances, it looked like she ran away, so there was a delay in the report being filed. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. The school custodian, a 56-year-old Navy veteran named Mike Suchar, also ran to the sounds of battle. Who is Brenda Ann Spencer, is she being released from prison - The Sun However, Spencers drug and alcohol tests were all negative. To this day, 60-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer remains locked up in prison at the California Institution for Women in Corona. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: January 29. At the time, she lived in a house across the street from the school. A Case of the Mondays: Brenda Spencer and the Cleveland Elementary While there, she spoke by telephone to a reporter from The San Diego Union-Tribune, who had been randomly calling telephone numbers in the neighborhood. She resembled Brenda.. What Shelia told Skylars parents sounded plausible, but a few things just didnt add up once more info came in. . I miss you more than you could ever know, and she was constantly checking in with Mary about any new information. In junior high, a neighbor went around telling people, `There's Cam, he's shot,' and I'd deny it." Blue was Brenda Spencer's favorite color, he later heard. brenda spencer father, wallace Brenda Spencer was only 16 years old at the time of the shooting, but the severity of her crimes led to her being tried as an adult. The number of young shooters whose first taste of a trigger was that of a 10/22 defies counting. The 9-acre site has been repurposed for housing, under the KB developer team, with units available starting at $700,000. This helps keep the gun affordable. Some found it strange that Rachel went to a two-week Catholic summer camp right when her best friend went missing. The 2006 British documentary I Don't Like Mondays also revisits the case. Whether these theories are true or not, Brenda Spencer was tried as an adult and pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and nine counts of assault. As of 2015, there had been more than seven million copies sold. At the same time, Brenda was skulking behind the window of her home, across the street. Why do we continue to house and feed these animals. In her hands, she held a Ruger 10/22 semi-automatic .22 caliber rifle. However, the one good thing that came from it was Skylars Law. Blank, empty stare. Shelia, however, was right by Mary Neeses side throughout the search process. . The preparations for the murder involved Shelia bringing kitchen knives and Rachel getting one of her dads shovels. Her next opportunity for a parole hearing will be in 2025.[21][22][23][24]. Please hurry.. In fact many inmates attempted suicide to escape the situation. Her parents were dealing with a shock they never expected, but they had someone with them to comfort them and be a part of their search, and that was Skylars best friend Shelia Eddy. Your email address will not be published. She was constantly posting on social media about her missing friend, with one of her posts saying rest easy, Skylar, youll ALWAYS be my best friend. Whenever anyone went missing, there would be an Amber Alert issued by the state for them, regardless of whether it looked like a kidnapping, a runaway, or anything else. He is married to his high school sweetheart, has three awesome adult children, and teaches Sunday School. Despite receiving counseling, Mary continued to suffer nightmares. According to her father, he was able to deal with Brendas suicidal thoughts and depression in his own capacity. Baseball Hall of Fame elects first members, German lieutenant Erwin Rommel leads daring mission in France, Peter, Paul and Mary sign their first recording contract. "I have often had visions of it happening there, and think about what I'd be doing if it did happen," she allows. 'I Don't Like Mondays' school shooter Brenda Ann Spencer to make bid . Thanks for another well written, informative article. Katie Serena is a New York City-based writer and a staff writer at All That's Interesting. She wrote, Too bad my friends are having lives without me. The threesome appeared to become lopsided, with Skylar feeling more like a third wheel than an essential member. He and his wife drove the hour and a half through the desert to the California Institution for Women, arriving much too early. Later, during tests while she was in custody, it was discovered Spencer had an injury to the temporal lobe of her brain. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Will Dabbs A native of the Mississippi Delta, Will is a mechanical engineer who flew UH1H, OH58A/C, CH47D, and AH1S aircraft as an Army Aviator. [33][34][35], The Investigation Discovery network portrayed Spencer's crimes in one of the three cases presented in the premiere episode of season 2 on the crime documentary series Deadly Women, titled "Thrill Killers", first air date: October 9, 2008.[36][37][38]. Brenda Spencer pled guilty to the charges against her. To prove his perversion, Brendas father married her 17-year-old Juvenile Hall cellmate (and then later divorced her). Prison should be reserved for those guilty of minor or first time felonies, where there is a chance of rehabilitation. The sentence is a harsh one, but it is hard to argue for anything else after what she did. Cam Miller was wearing the down vest he had just gotten from Santa Claus. When queried concerning her motivations she said, I dont like Mondays. Where is Brenda Spencer now in 2021? She might secure - VoxBliss She was sentenced to 25 years to life on the day after her 18thbirthday. Things always get complicated among friends when one of them starts to change, and in high school, Skylars friends accused her of changing, and they blamed Shelia as the reason for it. This livens up the day. She informed him that she had chosen the kids across the street because they made easy targets. She had no problem accepting that their sexuality differed from hers, but it was still uncomfortable to watch them, and even worse, it made the two of them closer with each other than they were with her. This story was even told to the police, and Corporal Ronnie Gaskins was told that people there panicked, and they disposed of the body. While most people fell for this story, Jessica Colebank, an officer with the Star City Police, had a hunch something else happened. He wore T-shirts when swimming to cover his scar. Brenda alleged that her father Wallace both beat and sexually abused her. I am so glad that we outnumber you. The week had gotten off to an incredibly rocky start. He was wearing his brand-new blue down vest that day, he recalls, and a matching shirt. . It happened at a sleepover where they took some alcohol from the adults, and Shelia and Rachel started making out. Brendas former attorney, Michael McGlinn, had decades' worth of experience working with juvenile offenders. In 2016, he took his final breath at 87 years old. Aftermarket parts and accessories are so prolific that you can actually build a Ruger 10/22 nowadays that doesnt include a single Ruger part. Brenda repeatedly broke the windows at the Cleveland school by shooting them out with her BB gun. On April 4, 1980, a day after her 18th birthday, she was sentenced to 25 years to life. She continued, I would hear her on the phone giving Shelia all kinds of hell: Dont be stupid! Aftermarket dress-up kits span the spectrum. In her 2001 parole hearing, Brenda would claim, for the first time, that her father sexually molested her almost nightly from the time that she was nine years old until the shooting when she was 16. Spencer blazed away with rifle shots from her home directly across the street from the school. When Brenda's parents divorced, she and her siblings stayed with their father. Across the street, inside a cluttered one-story home, Brenda Spencer, a junior at Patrick Henry High School, was alone. As a voluntary member of the program, Brenda enjoys a front-of-line pass for meals and medication lines, and authorization to eat in a specific dining room. Shelia did not resist any longer, and in January 2014 she gave a guilty plea. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi, Will. Things got even worse for them when the police proved through surveillance footage that Shelia was the owner of the car in the security camera footage. Changing the day will navigate the page to that given day in history. She had a difficult childhood with an alcoholic father who refused to let her get inpatient treatment for depression. Since Brendas outburst, the school has been sold and the ground has been leveled. His name was Coach Smith. The judge sentenced Shelia to life with the possibility of parole after 15 years. All Local Sales are FREE! "We just kind of went on with life," she says. However, Rachel was too scared to go through with the wiretapping. Not long after Brenda Spencer went to jail, her father married his daughter's teenage cellmate. Brenda Ann Spencer (16 y.o) in Santa Ana, Ca, after pleading - Reddit No ones story is exactly the same unless its rehearsed. Echoes of a Different Schoolyard - The Washington Post She was always silly and doing crazy stuff.. This livens up the day.. Spencer pled guilty to two counts of 1st-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon. In reality its far more violent and brutal than your imagination or a TV documentary could ever possibly depict. Mentally she plots an escape route, how she will get the children to safety. We feel a life sentence is only fair for someone guilty of all those things. While society continued to condemn Brendas actions, she hasbeen inducted into the Golden Girls club. Bob Geldof, lead singer of the Boomtown Rats was inspired by the tragic shooting, and Brendas bizarre motivation, and wrote the songI Dont Like Mondays. School shooting in San Diego - History As one might expect, unfettered chaos ensued. Blue made him a target. As the children lined up outside of the gates, Spencer took out the .22 semiautomatic rifle that shed received as a Christmas gift from her father. For Christmas 1978 her father, Wallace, had given her a .22 rifle as a present. Empty beer and whiskey bottles were scattered around the room, and approximately 200 rounds of unused ammunition were in the home. Thanks, Will. According to History, they were waiting for their principal to open up the schools gates. Her memories of that morning form a terrible collage: the principal dying; doctors cutting off her bloody Winnie-the-Pooh shirt; nurses calling her name but Christy finding it impossible to open her eyes until she hears her father's voice. The Spencers were divorced, with Brenda and her older brother living with their father. The day after that tweet, Skylar came home from work and kissed her parents Mary and David goodnight. When you get past the grotesque actions of the two girls, you are left with a grieving family who not just lost their daughter but took their daughters killers in and gave them love and hospitality. Mass murderer up for parole 40 years after she opened fire on school to After an emotionally intense trial, Brenda Spencer was found guilty of two counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 25 years to life. Stress still got to her, though, perhaps because of her job working at Wendys, not to mention the general conflicts that come with being a teenager. I did this because its a way to cheer up the day. Despite the lack of a body to be found, Rachels confession gave the police enough evidence for a murder charge. This event would cost two adults their lives and leave several othersmost of them childreninjured and scarred for life. CAPTION: Brenda Spencer said she opened fire at the school because "I hate Mondays.". Teen school shooter Brenda Spencer who 'didn't like Mondays' and This was west of Morgantown and Star City, but Shelia and Rachel both made the claim that they went east. I felt really scared like shed come after me. The reason murder rises to the level of a capital crime is because you cant restore what you have stolenanothers life. Though she damaged the windows, she didnt hurt anyone that time around. It seems the woke western world cares more about the rights of criminals than the rights of victims and society. Early Life Brenda's parents divorced when she was young and lived with her father. One week after that, the police were able to find a body out in the forest. To this day, Cam Miller hesitates before dressing in blue. Brenda Spencer was sixteen years old when she shot and killed two people at a school in California. She grew up relatively poor and spent most of her early life with her father, Wallace Spencer, with whom she had a turbulent relationship. [5] A 28-year-old police officer, Robert Robb, had responded to a call for assistance during the incident, where he was wounded in the neck as he arrived. However, there was yet to be enough evidence to charge the girls for any crime. Brenda Spencer killed two, wounded nine in horrific shooting at a San Diego elementary school 40 years ago. One woman is forced to take drastic measures, while another is in for a big shock plus, Felicia delivers bad news, Laura is horrified, and Dex is thrown for a loop! The Neeses stood up for their daughter's friends, though. In the aftermath of the attack, it was revealed that Brenda Spencer had shot at the school one year earlier with a BB gun. Required fields are marked *. The Spencer family made a concerted effort to keep the song off the air on this side of the pond, but it received fairly extensive airplay regardless. ". No! A few years later, in 1976, an adult male shooter killed seven people and wounded two after shooting at Cal State Fullerton. Therefore, the murderer must be held fully accountable. "When I saw her, the look she gave me -- her whole appearance was very evil and scary. I felt like he wanted me to kill myself., Bettmann/Contributor/Getty ImagesStanding 52 tall and weighing 89 pounds, Brenda Spencer was once described as too small to be scary.. After six long hours, Brenda threw in the towel and surrendered herself. The reveal of this information was just the tip of the iceberg pertaining to her fathers role in the situation. When I was growing up kids brought guns to school all the time. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. A 16-year-old girl's deadly attack on a San Diego elementary school ended two lives and changed others. He has seen Spencer a few times. There is a memorial to Skylar at a tree in Pennsylvania that David Neese visits to mourn, and even if it may bring him some peace, the sadness never goes away. When she left, she went for a police interview where the truth of what happened to Skylar was finally revealed. With a confession and a body, there were only a few things left to wrap everything up, such as blood samples found on Shelias trunk that matched Skylars DNA. On Monday, January 29, 1979, a journalist from The San Diego Union-Tribune got the quote of a lifetime from 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer. One thing they found out was that Shelias outgoing nature was in contrast to Rachels shy, restrained personality. Skylar and Shelia had a friendship that went back to when they were young kids. This might be why she put out a tweet on July 4th, 2012 saying Stress will be the death of me. Little did she or her parents know that she would soon be gone, and stress would have nothing to do with it. I felt like letting this person out of her cage would harm my family members even more. However, she refused to stay silent. Why do you think you should deserve a second chance when the principal and the custodian had none? According to acquaintances who knew Brenda Spencer, she also dabbled in drug use and petty theft as a teenager. This is known as restitutiongiving back what was taken unlawfully. She has thus far been before a parole board four times and has been denied each time. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) On the morning of January 29, 1979, teenager Brenda Spencer took a break from shooting people through her window to answer the phone.