Evil Lives Here

Kathy: I CAN HATE WHAT MICHAEL HAS DONE,

BUT I STILL LOVE HIM.

HE'S STILL MY SON.

"EVIL LIVES HERE"...

THAT MAY MAKE PEOPLE THINK THAT THIS IS AN EVIL PERSON.

SOME OF THE ACTIONS THAT HE TOOK ARE EVIL,

BUT HE IS NOT AN EVIL PERSON.

I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT THIS IS A STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD.

I TRIED TO PREVENT THIS.

I EXPLICITLY WARNED PEOPLE.

I FEEL LIKE I WAS JUMPING UP, WAVING RED FLAGS, HAIR ON FIRE,

"HELP ME, HELP ME."

HE'S A DANGER TO HIMSELF AND OTHERS!

I WAS AFRAID OF MY SON, BUT NOBODY WOULD LISTEN TO ME.

I PRAYED FOR GUIDANCE.

I PRAYED FOR A MIRACLE.

WHERE DO YOU GO WHEN NOBODY LISTENS?

[ THE PAPER CHASE'S "WHAT'S SO AMAZING ABOUT GRACE?" PLAYS ]

[ STRINGS CONTINUE PLAYING SINISTER TUNE ]

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THIS IS A PICTURE OF MICHAEL WHEN HE WAS FIRST BORN.

HE'S SO TINY, SO TINY, SO BRAND-NEW.

I HAD TWO BOYS -- 13 AND 6.

I WANTED A GIRL,

BUT BOB WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING ANOTHER BOY.

THE OTHER TWO BOYS, THEY WERE ALWAYS VERY SUPPORTIVE WITH HIM

AND TOOK THEIR DUTIES AS BIG BROTHER VERY SERIOUSLY.

AND WE WERE ALL VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HIM IN OUR LIVES.

HE WAS A BLESSING.

I NEVER EXPECTED TO HAVE ANY ISSUES.

I EXPECTED IT WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR TO THE EXPERIENCE

WE HAD WITH OUR OTHER TWO BOYS,

AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE SMOOTH SAILING.

THAT WAS NOT TO BE.

I NOTICED EARLY ON THAT THERE WAS SOME THINGS

A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ABOUT MICHAEL

THAN WHAT I HAD SEEN WITH MY OTHER TWO BOYS.

WHEN HE WAS ACTUALLY AT A DAY CARE,

AND I WAS WORKING, HE LIKED TO JUST SOMETIMES

HARASS THE OTHER CHILDREN AND THE DAY CARE PROVIDER

TO SEE HOW FAR HE COULD PUSH.

HE WOULD WANT TO ESCAPE THE HOUSE OR,

AT NAP TIME, HE WOULD GO AROUND, WAKE UP ALL THE CHILDREN,

AND THEN WHEN HE HAD ALL THE CHILDREN AWAKE,

THEN HE WOULD LAY DOWN AND TAKE A NAP.

I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WOULD BE BEST

IF I WERE TO GO OUT OF THE WORKFORCE,

OPEN MY OWN DAYCARE CENTER WHERE I WOULD STILL HAVE AN INCOME,

WHICH WE NEEDED TO HAVE,

BUT I WOULD BE ABLE TO BE THERE ALL DAY

AND KEEP AN EYE ON MICHAEL.

OH, HEY.

YOU NEED SOME MORE MILK?

CAN I GET YOU SOME MORE MILK, SWEETIE?

IT STARTED OUT FINE.

THEY WERE WONDERFUL LITTLE KIDS.

THEY WERE SO WELL-BEHAVED.

I HAD AN INFANT THAT I WATCHED.

IT WAS THE SWEETEST LITTLE BABY.

IT WAS MY OWN CHILD THAT I COULD NOT HANDLE.

THE MINUTE HE'S OUT OF MY SIGHT,

HE'S GONNA DO SOMETHING THAT HE SHOULDN'T.

AND I WENT, I THINK, IN THE KITCHEN

TO HEAT UP A BOTTLE,

AND MICHAEL CLIMBED UP IN OUR ARMCHAIR,

AND HE WAS STANDING ON THE ARM OF THE CHAIR,

AND I THOUGHT, "HE'S GONNA JUMP ON THIS BABY."

I THINK HIS INTENT WAS, "I'M GOING TO DISRUPT THIS

AND GET THE ATTENTION OF MY MOM."

MICHAEL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

GET DOWN FROM THERE.

MY THOUGHT WAS, "THIS IS TOO DANGEROUS."

THERE WAS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. THE BABY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HURT,

AND I COULD NOT TAKE THAT RISK.

HONEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

NOTHING.

WELL, WHY DID YOU CLIMB UP THERE?

WERE YOU GONNA JUMP? NO.

I HAD TO CLOSE THAT DAY CARE

BECAUSE I COULD NOT HANDLE MICHAEL.

WHY DON'T YOU GO UPSTAIRS AND PLAY BY YOURSELF

FOR A LITTLE WHILE, OKAY?

I COULD NEVER LET MY GUARD DOWN WITH MICHAEL, EVER.

I HAD TO TRAVEL FOR WORK AT ONE TIME.

I GOT A CALL FROM BOB THAT MICHAEL HAD BEEN AT THE PARK,

AND HE SAID THAT SOMEBODY HAD STOLEN MICHAEL'S BIKE

AND PUNCHED MICHAEL IN THE NOSE AND GAVE HIM A BLOODY NOSE,

BUT THEN MICHAEL HAD COME HOME AGAIN

THE NEXT DAY WITH ANOTHER BLOODY NOSE,

AND THEN HE'D GET ANOTHER BLOODY NOSE.

SOMETHING JUST WASN'T RIGHT.

THERE WAS SOMETHING THERE THAT JUST WASN'T RIGHT.

IT SEEMS A LITTLE ODD TO ME

THAT HE'D POP UP WITH THESE BLOODY NOSES.

SO I ASKED HIM ABOUT IT.

WHEN I GOT HOME, I SAID, "YOU KNOW,

I DON'T REALLY BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE GETTING HIT

AND GETTING THESE BLOODY NOSES."

MICHAEL, WHAT IS GOING ON?

YOU CAN TELL ME.

AND HE ADMITTED TO ME THAT, YEAH,

THAT HE HAD NEVER GOTTEN HIT.

BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS AT WORK,

AND I NEVER GET TO SEE YOU ANYMORE.

I WAS OUT OF TOWN, AND SO HE WAS UPSET THAT I WAS GONE,

AND MICHAEL HAD LEARNED THAT, "IF I GIVE MYSELF A BLOODY NOSE,

THEN I GET SOME SYMPATHY."

I HAVE TO TRAVEL FOR MY JOB.

IT'S NOT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE.

WELL, I JUST DON'T LIKE IT.

I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS VERY ODD THAT HE WOULD...

DO THAT KIND OF A BEHAVIOR TO GET ATTENTION,

BUT I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT IT, AND IT NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN.

SO I DIDN'T SEE THAT AS A RED FLAG.

THESE DREAMS WERE NOT NORMAL CHILDHOOD NIGHTMARES.

MICHAEL WOULD HAVE THEM, I MEAN, NIGHT AFTER NIGHT AFTER NIGHT.

HE WOULD WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT,

AND HE WOULD COME INTO OUR ROOM.

IT WAS ALWAYS THAT PEOPLE WERE AFTER HIM.

PEOPLE WERE GONNA GET HIM.

PEOPLE WERE GONNA HURT HIM.

OH, MICHAEL.

ARE YOU OKAY?

CAN I SLEEP WITH YOU?

AND THIS KID IS TERRIFIED.

MADE ME FEEL REALLY SAD THAT THIS LITTLE BOY

IS HAVING THESE HORRIBLE, SCARY DREAMS.

DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER NIGHTMARE?

THEY WERE TRYING TO GET ME.

WHO'S "THEY"?

OKAY, GET IN.

HE'D COME IN AND JUST CRAWL IN AND SLEEP NEXT TO ME.

BUT THERE SEEMED TO BE MORE TO THIS.

IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME HE STARTED DRAWING PICTURES.

HE WOULD SIT IN THE LIVING ROOM, AND HE WOULD COLOR.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

YOU'VE BEEN DRAWING FOR A WHILE.

I'D ASK HIM, "OH, WHAT IS THIS THAT YOU'RE DRAWING?"

THEY WERE PEOPLE WITH KNIVES, AND THE KNIVES WOULD BE,

LIKE, DRIPPING BLOOD, AND THEY WERE GONNA GET HIM.

THEY WERE AFTER HIM.

WHAT ARE THESE SUPPOSED TO BE?

AND HE'D TELL ME, "WELL, THIS IS WHAT I DREAMT ABOUT LAST NIGHT.

THIS IS THE PERSON THAT'S CHASING ME."

ARE ALL THESE PICTURES FROM YOUR DREAMS, TOO?

AND HE HAD TO DO THINGS TO PROTECT HIMSELF.

WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM

FROM THIS LITTLE,

RATHER INNOCENT CHILD?

I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH VIOLENT DRAWINGS.

IT JUST WAS UNREAL.

HE WOULD CONTINUE THE DRAWINGS FOR YEARS,

AND THE NIGHTMARES CONTINUED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS,

BUT I HAD TALKED TO THE DOCTORS ABOUT IT,

AND THEY SAID, "WELL, YOU KNOW, SOME KIDS JUST HAVE NIGHTMARES."

SO WE TRIED NOT TO MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT IT...

...BUT I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHERE THE VIOLENCE CAME FROM.

Rick: DAD! MOM! HELP ME!

Kathy: MICHAEL HAD COME IN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

WITH A KNIFE...

GET AWAY FROM ME!

...AND HELD THAT KNIFE ABOVE MY SON'S HEAD.

I NEVER SLEPT VERY WELL.

I BECAME A VERY LIGHT SLEEPER. LITTLE NOISES --

SOMETIMES IT WAS JUST CREAKING OF THE HOUSE,

SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE MICHAEL.

WE HAD TROUBLE KEEPING HIM IN THE BED, AND HE'D GET UP,

AND HE'D WANDER AROUND THE HOUSE AND DO THINGS,

AND HE WAS GETTING MORE ATTRACTED TO KNIVES.

THERE WAS ONE NIGHT I HEARD A NOISE IN MY ROOM,

AND WHEN I WOKE UP, THERE WAS MICHAEL

SITTING ON MY BEDROOM FLOOR WITH A BAR OF SOAP,

AND HE WAS CUTTING UP THIS BAR OF SOAP WITH A KNIFE.

Kathy: MICHAEL!

IT SCARED ME THAT HE'S GOT A KNIFE,

AND HE'S DOING THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

PLAYING.

I JUST KIND OF SLOWLY GOT OUT OF BED AND WALKED OVER TO HIM.

HONEY...

MICHAEL.

GIVE MOMMY THE KNIFE.

SWEETIE.

TOOK THE KNIFE AWAY AND EXPLAINED TO HIM,

YOU KNOW, "YOU SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS."

KNIVES AREN'T TOYS.

YOU COULD REALLY HURT YOURSELF.

OKAY.

AND I TOOK HIS HAND, AND I PUT HIM BACK INTO BED.

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE MORNING I WOKE UP,

AND ALL THE KITCHEN CHAIRS HAD A PLASTIC COVERING ON THEM...

...AND HE HAD TAKEN A KNIFE

AND JUST POKED HOLES ALL OVER THESE CHAIRS.

YOU COULD SEE LITTLE SLICES IN ALL THE SEATS.

HONEY!