Daryl Holton has dropped his appeals and is volunteering to be executed by the state of Tennessee on Sep. 19. In 1998, Holton was convicted of the premeditated murder of his four children, ages 4 through 12. At the time, he was living and working at his uncle’s automotive repair shop after an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army and a divorce from his wife. Holton received a call from his estranged ex-wife in late 1997, inviting him to spend time with his children as the holiday season approached. His children, separated from their father for some time, appeared excited and happy when they met on Nov. 30. Holton took his children to a McDonald’s for dinner, then to an arcade or amusement park. Afterwards, he took the children to his garage, where he lined his children up, facing away from him, and shot them multiple times in the back.
Immediately following the murders, Holton turned himself in to the authorities, expressing little to no emotion or remorse. During his trial, Holton refused to testify on his own behalf, but did agree to present testimony in support of a defense of insanity. In fact, a significant amount of evidence supports these claims of insanity.
Holton’s uncle, Gary Holton, described his relationship with and observations of his nephew, noting that he had changed after being separated from his children. Holton’s demeanor was observed by his uncle as being “withdrawn, unresponsive,” and “totally unlike him.” An examination by two mental health experts raised the possibility that Holton may have been exposed to carbon monoxide for a period of time prior to the murders. A toxicologist testified that carbon monoxide poisoning may “have marked effects on memory, concentration; [can cause] decrease in IQ, marked inability to think in the way one had thought before; as well as depression, psychosis, neurological deficit."
Dr. William D. Kenner, a psychiatrist, provided an assessment even more startling than possible carbon monoxide poisoning. Dr. Kenner explained that acts of filicide often correspond with major, agitated depression. Depression of this severity is associated with “psychotic features” or delusional thoughts, and the parent may believe that his or her own worthlessness is transcended onto their children. Thus, killing the children is considered an “altruistic murder,” in which the parent may actually believe that the children are being saved from the terrible fate of life. Dr. Kenner determined that Holton does indeed match the profile of such a severely depressed person, and notes that the possibility of carbon monoxide exposure only exacerbated the circumstances.
Other mental health experts who examined Holton agreed that he was severely depressed, adding that he exhibited signs of passive-aggressive personality disorder and schizoid personality disorder, as well as a history of depression documented in his medical and military case files. Some suggest that Holton suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his service in the Gulf War.
Holton’s military-style mass murder of his four children was pre-meditated and cruel. However, he is a deeply disturbed and mentally ill individual who should not be executed. Holton has expressed his desire to be executed by dropping his appeals and volunteering to be executed. He will be executed by the state of Tennessee on Sept. 19.
