In 1954, a woman illustrated just how dire mental issues can get when mismanaged. Constance Fischer, a mentally ill woman, became one of the most infamous killers in Oakland history after she killed her three kids and, after being forgiven by her husband, killed their next three children.
Constance grew up in a foster family after her mother abandoned her soon after giving birth. When she turned 17, she married war veteran Carl Fischer, 24. The two went on to have three kids and make a home for themselves in Waterville. Constance’s demeanor started to change — what is now described as anxiety and depression was then understood as general paranoia.
Constance started fussing about finances and their children. It’s now believed that at this point, Constance attempted suicide at least once. This story is starting to sound like something Ryan Murphy would adapt for his Monster series on Netflix, but it quickly becomes a story that’s too dark even for the entertainment industry. Constance becomes yet another mother who goes on to kill her children.
The first incident saw Carl coming home and finding the door locked. Because by that time Constance was already clearly battling mental issues, Carl first called his physician. The two entered the home to find a massacre — Constance had killed their three children.
Constance was arrested but not tried for murder because she showed signs of mental illness. She was instead treated for her condition using injections of hormones and insulin. You might think that’s just a sign of the times, but what’s the actual difference between that and using bleach to “cure” autism?
Regardless, soon enough Constance was believed to have gotten better and was released to Carl’s custody. Carl found it in himself to forgive her and attempt to restart their lives. They went on to have three more children.
You know where this is going. Soon enough, Constance killed them too. Except this time, she took pills in an attempt to end her own life. But she soon found herself waking up after being nursed back to health. This time, the legal system decided she was less of a risk to society when inside a prison. Still, Carl continued to visit her. However, it soon became too much, even for a loving, loyal husband, and he too stopped visiting. That’s apparently when Constance started going off the rails.
Constance reportedly became uncontrollable at the prison hospital after Carl stopped visiting. This all culminated in her attempting an escape. The attempt ended up being fatal. All that now remains of Constance and Carl is a blurry monochromatic photograph that goes viral on Reddit every time a new generation learns about her story.
Oddly, this is something that could hopefully be redeemed if we simply opted for the right and well-studied remedies for mental health issues. Because we’ll never know what could have happened if Constance hadn’t been given insulin to “cure” her depression.
Constance was eventually buried in a family plot with her six children and her loving, loyal husband, Carl.
