In a harrowing string of domestic violence incidents a week before Christmas, two sons in St. Louis County are accused of killing their fathers on the same day. In Manchester, 41-year-old Jeffrey Goedde self-surrendered to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, confessing that he accidentally killed someone. According to FOX2Now, police discovered Jeffrey's father, 75-year-old Edward Goedde Jr., dead in his home with multiple puncture wounds.
Jeffrey Goedde, now facing charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, was denied bond. As reported by 5 On Your Side, an autopsy showed the elder Goedde had sustained about 50 stab wounds, broken bones, evidence of strangulation, and blunt force trauma. In Overland, a separate but equally tragic event unfolded when a 29-year-old man shot and killed his 66-year-old father during an argument. Authorities believe the shooting may have been in self-defense, leading to the son's release from jail.
The incidents point to a grim reality of domestic violence that often goes unreported until it escalates to tragedy, as suggested by Erin Pohl, director of development for the Crime Victim Center in St. Louis. "These parents just don't want to believe that their children would do these things to them, and so they oftentimes won't talk about it or report it until it's so bad, or they don't get to report it, because it's too far gone," Pohl told 5 On Your Side.
The unconnected cases have shocked communities mere miles apart. The Manchester Police Department continues their investigation into the incident involving Jeffrey Goedde, after he walked into the sheriff's office around 12:30 p.m., an event detailed by FOX2Now. In Overland, a domestic dispute much too deeply root grew violent early Wednesday, resulting in the fatal shooting in the 9700 block of Holtwood, as First Alert 4 reports.
