Mary Ann Wittich

Case record: Mary Ann Wittich

Status / legal outcome

Mary Ann Wittich committed suicide by shooting herself the same day she drugged her children Jacob, 10, and Sydney, 7, painted black X’as over their hearts, and then shot them both twice in the chest at point blank range before killing herself.

The offence

Mary Ann Wittich killed her two youngest children, Jacob Scott Wittich, 10, and Sydney Elise Wittich, 7, in a murder-suicide. The children were drugged with Benadryl or a similar substance and then were shot twice in the chest at point-blank range. Each child had an X written with a black marker over their heart. After killing her children, Wittich shot herself in the heart.

All three bodies were found late Tuesday afternoon by Wittich’s 20-year-old daughter Lindsey. The bodies of both children were found in their mom’s bed, and Wittich’s body was nearby on the bedroom floor. The coroner described “little blood.” Owens also described the scene as “one of the worst scenes I’ve seen.”

Victims

• Jacob Scott Wittich, 10
• Sydney Elise Wittich, 7

Background

Neighbors said Wittich was distraught because her husband left the family, and that they never expected anything like this. Robert Satzger said: “My wife said it was our neighbor and I said, ‘No it can’t be.‘ I’m kind of still in shock,” and he added: “It would be the last thing I would think anybody would do, much less them.”

Wittich and her husband John Scott Wittich had been married 24 years and had been divorced; court records showed John Scott filed for divorce from Mary Ann Wittich. A divorce decree between Wittich and her husband was finalized June 7. The marriage began to unravel after Scott Wittich discovered Wittich was having an affair. The couple had two adult children, Kathryn Wittich, 24, and Lindsey Wittich, 20, and had recently agreed to share custody of the two younger children. The Wittiches had a fourth child: Kathryn, 25.

Investigation

Hamilton County coroner O’dell Owens said it appeared that Jacob Scott Wittich, 10, and Sydney Elise Wittich, 7, were drugged with Benadryl or a similar substance, then shot twice in the heart at point-blank range by their mother, Mary Ann Wittich. Owens said Wittich then shot herself in the heart.

Owens said Wittich used a stethoscope to find the exact location of the heart and then drew an “X” on the little girl’s chest. Owens also theorized that Wittich gave each child heavy doses of Benadryl on Monday night and put them into bed with her, leaving the children unconscious.

Owens said that on Tuesday morning, Wittich took out a small, black .25-caliber automatic handgun, Magic Marker and a stethoscope. Owens also said a nursing school graduate lifted her daughter’s shirt, used the stethoscope to find the exact location of her heart, and drew an “X” on her daughter’s chest to ensure death. Owens described Wittich pressing the gun to the X on her daughter’s skin and firing two shots; then Wittich lifted her son’s shirt, placed the gun on his chest, and fired two shots into the heart. Owens said Jacob’s body was found with the shirt still up. After that, Owens said Wittich fired one last shot “into her own heart.”

In addition to the five bullets used on the children and herself, Owens said the gun had two rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. An initial autopsy on Wittich revealed no alcohol or mind-altering drugs, and Owens said other, more detailed tests were being done.

Owens ruled the deaths of the children homicides and Wittich’s death a suicide, brought on by her recent divorce. Owens said tests on her hands were “very, very positive” for gunshot residue, meaning her hands were very close to a gun that had been fired.

Even though neighbors reported hearing gunshots after 5 p.m. Tuesday, based on rigor mortis and other signs from the bodies, Owens said he was sure the children were killed between 7 and 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Owens said Wittich left an envelope containing a suicide note that was placed atop a bedroom dresser, and he said: “Oftentimes, suicides are punishment,” and “You can read through the lines.” Owens also said: “These children were drugged and killed,” and later: “As a nurse ... she knew to shoot them in the heart when you want to kill somebody,” and he said: “To see these two children in that bed ... that is the most disturbing scene I have ever seen.”

Owens said Wittich also recently told family members of how depressed she was and made suggestions about death. Owens said: “I was told that people said she made some comments she was going to do this,” and he said he wondered: “Why didn’t you go and get her help then?” He added: “They’ve got to deal with that the rest of their lives.”

Police said they were going over some details of the notes. A report obtained by The Enquirer from the Delhi Township Police Department treated the tragedy as a double murder-suicide, stating there were no suspects and no persons of interest. The final ruling on the causes of death would come from the Hamilton County coroner, and results from coroner toxicological tests were pending. No suicide notes were in the report. During the two-week course of the investigation, many details emerged.

During the investigation, interviews with relatives and Wittich’s close friend Michael Klar included warning signs in retrospect. Delhi Township Police Chief John “Satch” Coletta said: “The report – a detailed timeline, lists of evidence at the scene and phone calls made, exhaustive summaries of interviews with relatives and a friend – treats the tragedy as a double murder-suicide.” Coletta also said: “is what it is. In reading it, you might see some things that look like warning signs. But these are after the fact. On the surface, at the time they were said, they might not have meant anything.”

Arrest

No arrest was described.

Trial

No trial was described.

Timeline

• June 7 — A divorce decree between Wittich and her husband John was finalized.
• Dec. 12, 2006 — Wittich bought a handgun.
• 4 days before the deaths — Klar told police Wittich took her first target practice at a gun club in Kentucky.
• Monday night — Owens believed Wittich gave each child heavy doses of Benadryl and put them into bed with her.
• Tuesday morning — Owens said Wittich took out a small, black .25-caliber automatic handgun, Magic Marker, and a stethoscope.
• Tuesday — Owens said the children were killed between 7 and 9 a.m.
• 11 a.m. — Wittich’s father stopped by the house, saw Jacob’s arm hanging over the bed, assumed the family was napping, and left.
• 11:28 a.m. — Scott Wittich called the Francisridge home; there was no answer.
• Just after 5 p.m. — Scott Wittich headed for the house; he drove by and saw his daughter Lindsey opening the garage door.
• about 3:30 p.m. — Scott Wittich arrived at the home to pick up the children.
• late Tuesday afternoon — The bodies were found by Lindsey.

Aftermath

Neighbors said they heard gunfire Tuesday afternoon. Scott Wittich called the Francisridge home at 11:28 a.m. and then called again and again throughout the day, eight times in all, with no answer. Just after 5 p.m., he headed for the house. He drove by the tri-level with the blue wading pool out back and saw his daughter Lindsey opening the garage door to go inside. Scott kept driving because he wanted to avoid seeing his former wife. When his phone rang, it was Lindsey, and she cried: “They are dead!” and said: “Come here!”

One of the couple’s older daughters came home to find the children and her mother dead. She later was joined by Scott Wittich, who had moved to Highland Park and arrived shortly after at about 3:30 p.m. to pick up the children.

The Hamilton County Coroner ruled the deaths of the children homicides and Wittich’s death a suicide.

Other details

Mary Ann “Mimi” Wittich shopped and prepared for the day before the killings: she went to Wendy’s to buy chicken nuggets and fries for her two little kids and one medium Vault energy drink, and then drove home. A Sony PlayStation game “Jake’s Locker Room” was playing, television had been tuned to the Disney Channel, and a bowl of popcorn sat on the family room floor. Mary Ann Wittich and her children, Jacob, 10, and daughter Sydney, 7, ate lunch at the Francisridge Drive home. Soon after, she shot each of them twice in the chest and then turned the gun on herself.

According to Owens, Wittich bought a handgun on Dec. 12, 2006. Klar told police she took her first target practice at a gun club in Kentucky just four days before the deaths. Klar told police that about a year ago, Wittich threatened to jump off the Brent Spence Bridge.

Klar told police about a July 23-24 Gatlinburg trip, which was cut short by the death of Scott Wittich’s father. Klar said: “talked about getting married” and “looked at wedding rings.” Klar said Wittich told him: “she would like to get married in the woods.” Klar also described Wittich as calm and said: “Mimi was like a hurricane,” adding: “Either a good one or a bad one, but always a hurricane.”

Klar recalled that early on the day of the deaths, Wittich paid him an unexpected visit at his home in Crescent Springs. Klar said she woke him up between 5:30 and 6 a.m., and when he got up to get ready for work, Wittich left.

Back in Delhi, she saw her two older daughters start their day. As Lindsey got ready for work, Wittich stood by her bedroom door and joked: “ever going to leave for work.” Lindsey left for her job at bigg’s just before 10 a.m. As she left, Wittich saw Jacob at the computer in the family room, and Sydney watched him over his shoulder; Jacob was dressed and Sydney still wore her pajamas.

After her daughters were gone, Wittich went to the PNC Bank on Anderson Ferry Road and deposited $10,690.69 into Klar’s account, described as mostly a transfer from her account to his. Her next stop was Wendy’s, and she went not once but twice within 10 minutes.

Owens said Wittich’s father stopped by about 11 a.m. to drop something off and called out; when he saw Jacob’s arm hanging over the bed, he assumed the family was napping and left.

Owens said there were no evidence described of any medication in relation to bipolar disorder; police found no evidence of any specific medication Mimi Wittich was taking to treat the disorder. Katie Wittich stated: “had mood swings where she would be on top of the world one day and then depressed and angry the next.” Katie told police the only medication she saw her take regularly was “prescription-strength Ibuprofen,” and Katie said she “ate them like candy to treat her headaches.”

Police found no evidence of any medication being taken to treat bipolar disorder.

Wittich’s sister and father noted that Wittich did not want her ex-husband John Scott Wittich to raise their two younger children. One older daughter later came home and found the children and their mother dead; Scott Wittich arrived shortly after.

Wittich’s friend Michael Klar said her letter began, “Michael – I love you! So sorry!” Owens also described family communications: a call Wittich made to her brother Jim Beckenhaupt Jr. mentioned where money from her share of the sale of a family farm should go, and notes to her parents and siblings were described as “more of a ‘thank you for all you have done for me over the years,' than a suicide letter.”

Wittich was described by neighbors and others as a nurturing, loving mom and soccer coach, and a recent nursing school graduate looking forward to taking her certification tests in a month and making plans to re-marry.