Joseph Hagerman III Decapitated His Son
February 11, 2009 by Jaded
Virginia Beach, VA–Details are still emerging on this story, but one thing is known for sure…JoshuaJoshua reviews
D. Hagerman died on Tuesday. He was just 5-years-old. His father, 33-year-old Joseph Hagerman, stabbed him. Sources close to the investigation say that Joshua was decapitated.
Joseph Henry Hagerman III
Little Joshua’s body was found by authorities after they were called to the Hagerman home on a report of a stabbing. Joshua’s mother was at the scene, she had suffered severe lacerations to her hands. After stabbing his son and wife, Hagerman took off. Police located him a short distance away from the home. After putting up a bit of a fight, Hagerman was arrested and transported to Virginia Beach Correctional Facility.
In a jail-house interview with WVEC-TV Tuesday evening, Hagerman said he decapitated his son. ‘If I didn’t take my son’s life, he would have lost his eternal salvation,’ Hagerman said in the interview. ‘I know it’s a horrible thing.’ Looks like he might have been off his meds. His MyspaceMySpace is private, but this is his tagline…‘Schizophrenia can’t hold me down, Thank God for Jesus!’ Sad. Just fucking sad.
Hagerman’s wife underwent surgery at a hospital for lacerations to her hands. Her injuries were not considered life-threatening. She was more than likely injured while trying, in vain, to save her child.
Until now, Hagerman was employed as a night security guard for Virginia Beach Public Schools. He worked a 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. shift, monitoring a series of schools and responding to service calls.
Joseph Henry Hagerman III is now being held without bond on charges of felonious assault and murder. I will update this case as more information becomes available.
Kitty has this one posted over in the forums.
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5:51 am on February 11th, 2009
That’s terrible. His video of Joshua is just heartbreaking:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=50288155
6:04 am on February 11th, 2009
So, so sad! That adorable little boy dying at the hands of his own sick father. Beyond words, really.
RIP Joshua. I pray the mother can heal – not just physically but emotionally. What nightmares this is bound to bring. Damn.
6:48 am on February 11th, 2009
RIP little man.
Thank you for linking the video, he was so handsome, so happy, so full of life, what a beautiful laugh he had! Reminds me of my little guy and it breaks my heart that this “thing” could harm this little guy…….may the angels take you in their wings and keep you safe, Joshua!
6:56 am on February 11th, 2009
Most people with mental illiness are not violent and more likely to be victims of violent crime than the doers. But when they do get violent, as was the case here, look out. This is a sad story all the way around
7:53 am on February 11th, 2009
It is sad anytime a parent kills their child, but it just wrenches something inside of me when kids are decapitated. I, thank God, cannot fathom how someone could do that, especially to a child.
8:16 am on February 11th, 2009
This makes me ill. I can’t imagine the horror his mother was going through and the agony she must be in now. That video is beyond heartbreaking. Too bad dad is in it.
8:41 am on February 11th, 2009
Today…just can’t find the words…so sad!
8:53 am on February 11th, 2009
The father spent the morning hugging and kissing him and then murdered him later on?!? WTF? I cannot imagine the horror that poor kid went through before he died. This is horrible and my prayers are with the mother. RIP little one.
9:36 am on February 11th, 2009
I had to walk away. I was doing OK until I saw the video. Sorry everyone…I’m out.
10:05 am on February 11th, 2009
I hate this motherfucking sick bastard, and no excuses for his mental illness, he is a vile, miserable, murderous fuck.
10:44 am on February 11th, 2009
Looks like Jesus really dropped the ball on this one.
Couldn’t there be some kind of Norplant-type device that would deliver a daily dose of psych meds, so that the patient doesn’t ever have the chance to say, “Hey, I’m better–I don’t need the meds any more”? It’s easily removed if there are side-effects or if the dosage needs to be adjusted, so it’s not like advocating a return to forcible lobotomies or something. I wouldn’t necessarily advocate the wholesale ability of the government to medicate people however, whenever, for anything…but in cases like this, some reversible method like a lithium norplant (or whatever is used for schizophrenia) seems like a reasonable compromise between individual right vs. greater social good for someone who doesn’t want to live confined to a state institution.
11:01 am on February 11th, 2009
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11:10 am on February 11th, 2009
Nah, it wasn’t Jesus, just a very sick, mental fuck who made his own decision to kill his precious child. Sick or not, it was his hands that did it.
I watched the video, and with the distortion effect, frankly…its a bit disturbing to watch. Something of simile to his schizophrenia, or rather a foreboding look on how his mind would break. The decapitation of the child, it’s just beyond me…such a heinous and vicious act on such a innocent beautiful child. Along wit the video and child, the juxtaposition is a bit much for me.
This age is so amazing and memorable. My 5 year old is a blessing and perfect in every way that I could imagine. I hope, this poor child died quickly, and that even in death he knows not who killed him.
Rest in peace Joshua D. Hagerman
11:22 am on February 11th, 2009
That was my first thought too Becca, just horrific.
Leemouse – I like your idea of an implant, I think it makes sense. Maybe it could help advert at least some tragedies like this.
11:53 am on February 11th, 2009
RIP Joshua
Rot in hell joseph
12:05 pm on February 11th, 2009
I’m not in favor school departments, hiring mental patients meds or not, even if it is the night shift. This The school department placed every kid in that area at risk. Kids get to school before 8:00, when this nut gets off. As sad as this is, it could of been worse if he had lost it at one of the schools.
12:05 pm on February 11th, 2009
This is so hard to read. How horrible for the mother of this precious child to see her child being murdered and she could not stop it. I can’t even begin to imagine how her live will be from this moment on.
It’s horrible to have to loose a child, but to see your child being ripped from you in that fashion has to make a person a bit unhinged after that. My heart goes out to her, she is the one that will carry this for the rest of her life.
Rest in peace Little Joshua, and God please help the mom. *sniff*
1:14 pm on February 11th, 2009
Is this guy a Muslim? I think the Bible tells you to stone your kids to death, but the Koran tells you to behead them. Do I have this right?
1:23 pm on February 11th, 2009
Thats sick! Im very very familiar with mental illnesses and I can attest to the fact the MEDS DONT MAKE YOU KILL PEOPLE….. Your sick and twisted intentions make you kill people. Cant blame this one on meds or his condition… and even if we could are we saying that we justify murder when your mentally incompetant? NOT SO MUCH!!!! He knew damn well what he was doing and he BETTER PAY FOR IT!!
Mmmm…employed in a school. Awesome! Sounds like a grea job for a psycho to work! Now, I know that 10 to 8 am no one is “in school” but guess what time school starts… 8am and what time to teachers and some kids arrive? Anywhere between 7 and 7:30 am. Sounds like we should be glad his rant only involved one child…. def could have been more. Not that only one is a sigh of relief… but ……you know what I mean.
1:42 pm on February 11th, 2009
My mind immediately wants to condemn organized religion for creating monsters like this, but then I have to remember- it is the mind that twisted the religion and not the other way ’round. By his own action, he has lost HIS eternal salvation, or does “THOU SHALT NOT KILL” no longer apply in todays society? “He who believith in me shall not perish but have eternal life.” Believing means following the teaching of Christ, and by killing his son he has opened his own private gate to HELL.
You will never see the shining face of your child again, Jospeh, for he shall be at the side of God and you shall languish for all eternity in the depths of the abyss.
BURN, JOSEPH, BURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2:41 pm on February 11th, 2009
Here’s a guy who loves God so much he takes it upon himself to destroy the most precious gift God can give to us, our children. Never mind about the mother’s point-of-view… this was all about Joe’s point-of-view and HIS delusions of getting special “Brownie Points” with God for playing Abraham and sacrificing his son. Did Joe hear voices ordering him to sacrifice his “Only Son”? Didn’t hear him say that. Maybe cause Joe ain’t no prophet…duh! Joe is so dumb they have to put a “Schizo” tag on him to make sense of him. Joe is an asshole! This was ALL ABOUT JOE from start to finish… listen to the guy!
3:15 pm on February 11th, 2009
I would like for this dad to know that he just killed the ONE person who seen him as a hero. The one person who looked to him with unconditional innocent love.
He doesn’t appear crazy to me…. just a sick fucking asshole that decided to kill his only son. Fucking idiot. I hope you ROT in hell. MORON!
3:48 pm on February 11th, 2009
Dneilz, I just mustered the strength to view the video, and I too got the same impression. He is not full out crazy where you can see this coming.
I have little Joshua’s laughter in my head now. He reminds me of my own boys at that sweet age. I wish that in lieu of tears, I could do smoething. But nothing will bring this gift from God back. It makes you crazy inside, and hopeless. Sad all around
3:54 pm on February 11th, 2009
I found the MYSPACE for the mom…has a sweet pic of little Joshua
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=30804973
4:12 pm on February 11th, 2009
TherE is a video of his jailhouse interview. I can’t view or link it from work because streaming media is block – Hell, so are message boards, but here I am. You can google it. I plan to watch from home later and link it unless someone beats me to it.
It breaks my heart. Really. I hope his death was quick and painless but I can’t help to imagine the horror and fear. Poor baby.
*sigh*
4:15 pm on February 11th, 2009
Fucking nutjob! He wanted to set him free. Here is another article:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-wtkr-interview-with-father.f11,0,4961577.story
I can already smell the insane defense. Fuck him!
4:23 pm on February 11th, 2009
As someone who has a family member with mental illness, I see both sides of this case. I feel the rage and anger everybody else does that this boy was so viciously murdered. On the other hand, the biggest challange we have with our relative is making sure she takes her meds. When a person gets better, it’s hard for them to believe (no matter how many people tell them otherwise) that they’re dangerous if they aren’t on them. That and the side effects make it hard for complience. And when they go downhill, it’s FAST.
As for God directly speaking to them, that’s part of his disorder (if he has it). They believe God is speaking directly to them, no matter how crazy or selfish the request seems.
As for many of the comments here, sadly they’re from rational people. With my experience, rational thinking goes out the window.
Of course, this could be premature and he could be a cold blooded killer. BUt I’ll reserve my judgement on this one
4:25 pm on February 11th, 2009
Actually, based on these comments, you clearly do NOT have any familiarity with mental illness at the level of schizophrenia and other reality-shattering diseases. MOST people here don’t. Either that, or you’re all some cold SOBs.
Assuming he is schizophrenic and went off his meds (or the meds neglected to work for him, which happens), he’s going to be suffering terribly when he gets treated. Imagine, for a second, the sheer nightmare that would be waking up after a blackout, for example, only to realize that you had killed your own child in some unconscionable way. Perhaps you can even recall the event, but it feels like some horrible dream or a memory or a movie you watched. After all, you loved your child like life itself.
It’s like something out of the fucking Twilight Zone and, due to the tragedy and circumstance, while we do not *justify* murders like this, we often find the murderers not guilty by reason of insanity because, how can you consciously punish someone for a crime they committed while they were scientifically out of their mind?
5:13 pm on February 11th, 2009
I don’t usually comment because I never have the time, and frankly, it doesn’t help these lil babies. Reading about these incidents and then doing something in your power to make something better, or preventing something worse, does, tho. But I just had to comment on this. These people who do murder their children to “save their soul” or to “get the demons out” murder in the cruelest ways. Stabbing? Drowning? Beating? Suffocation? I’m too sickened to go on, but if honest-to-God you believe it is your mission from God to “save” your child from a worse fate than death(like living for years with these sick fucks), and you’re doing it out of severe “love” and “duty” and “selflessness”, wouldn’t you do it in the most peaceful, painless way possible? Rest peacefully, all you little angels in heaven. Now I must go clean up all of the pea soup off of the walls once my sweet lil changelings’ heads stop spinning around. Reading all of these reports(every single one) has made me realize that in a different home, my babies could be on here. It has reminded me that even tho I may not have anything else in this world, I got my 2 little girls that need nurturing n love n patience n understanding n sacrifice, and they’ve got a mommy and daddy that are all too eager make sure they get their share, and extra, for all the lil ones that didn’t and don’t.
8:44 pm on February 11th, 2009
I can’t bring myself to watch the video. What this man did is disgusting and vile! I hope big John gets ahold of him in prison and beats the shit out of him so bad no one would even recognize him. I just can’t comprehend how someone can do this to their own child. How helpless this mother must have felt… I can’t imagine what she is going through, that poor woman. Rest in peace little Joshua….
10:29 pm on February 11th, 2009
Some of you can see a man who’s just decapitated his own son, the one he says was indirectly telling him the antichrist was going to kill him, talk earnestly about how it was the right thing because he loved his son and didn’t want him to suffer, even though other people won’t understand and he’ll be in prison for it – and you *still* don’t get a clear picture of what it means to have a psychotic break with reality? Killing the son he adores in order to rescue him from the antichrist and eternal torture is all making perfect sense to the guy you see being interviewed. Really. And that’s the nightmare of this kind of mental illness.
10:55 pm on February 11th, 2009
How scary this asshole worked for a public school! So sad he did this to his own family, and thank God he didn’t hurt anyone else. He needs to be in a mental ward so we can figure out wtf happened and then stabbed in the throat repeatedly.
11:12 pm on February 11th, 2009
Yup you pretty much summed up exactly what I feel about this. It is repulsive to us – 100% vile, unthinkable, insert adjective…but to this man he did it because he loved his son enough to sacrifice him.
I had a friend that was schizophrenic and on his meds he was a prince of a guy. Off his meds he would have full-fledged screaming matches with voices that no one else could hear. If you got close enough he’d get so worked up that he’s tart flailing his arms because the voices were talking crap to him about you.
My heart breaks for this family – the mother especially. Her heart must have shattered in the wake of this madness.
11:21 pm on February 11th, 2009
i hope this dad never *ever* gets mentally well again, how could anyone live with this?
11:36 pm on February 11th, 2009
This guy is going to plead insanity and get sentenced to a mental hospital. He will be put on meds until he’s stable. Released at which point he will decide he doesn’t need the meds anymore. Need I continue?
Honestly is there someway that something can be placed into the brain to administer medicine? simular to what they use in parkinson’s patients? This is so sad.
1:07 am on February 12th, 2009
I think it’s really sad when people demonize individuals and say that they’re “sick” and “assholes” instead of asking why these things happen. It makes it easier for us, because then we don’t have to face the real problem. We don’t have to take any responsibility or take a look at ourselves. Does a society that supports execution and war and death and hatred really have no blame for this? Does a religion that tells people that they have no need for medications, that science isn’t real, that all they need is to believe in Jesus really have no responsibility for this sad event?
It’s a good thing he had Jesus. Without Jesus he would have needed his medications. Without Jesus he wouldn’t have people telling him he had a personal relationship to God. Without Jesus he wouldn’t have known about the anti-Christ or damnation or eternal salvation. He wouldn’t have been able to talk to God. And then he wouldn’t have believed that he needed to decapitate his son to save him from hell.
3:29 am on February 12th, 2009
I cannot imagine seeing a perfect stranger be decapitated, let alone my own son… How do you deal with that? How could you possibly recover? My guess is you couldn’t… ever… your life would be a black hole…
7:06 am on February 12th, 2009
decapitated… god, few things make me cringe like that awful word. So, so sad, for everyone involved. I hope this family can find some peace.
Castille, what you said was a great reflection of how I feel.
Mental illness can be so devastating.
RIP Joshua D. Hagerman
8:36 am on February 12th, 2009
Yay god!
9:45 am on February 12th, 2009
Some of you can see a man who’s just decapitated his own son, the one he says was indirectly telling him the antichrist was going to kill him, talk earnestly about how it was the right thing because he loved his son and didn’t want him to suffer, even though other people won’t understand and he’ll be in prison for it – and you *still* don’t get a clear picture of what it means to have a psychotic break with reality? Killing the son he adores in order to rescue him from the antichrist and eternal torture is all making perfect sense to the guy you see being interviewed. Really. And that’s the nightmare of this kind of mental illness.
Well said. With mental illiness, even the most absurd things make sense to the person who is suffering from it. I don’t see an evil person like many of the monsters on here but someone who is suffering from a mental disorder. In a way, I almost hope he doesn’t get better. I couldn’t imagine living with the knowledge I had done what he did.
8:44 pm on February 12th, 2009
Here is a picture of the mother, father and son
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/02/mental-illness-evaluation-requested-father-charged-sons-death
Both myspaces including the video have been deleted. Wish I had see the video.
My sister has this same illness. She went from being the kindest and most amazing person to someone I don’t know. I always knew she would make the best mother she was so gentle now I am thankful she doesn’t have children. She used to be the ONLY person I trusted with my daughter. Now I would never leave my kids with her.
1:20 am on February 13th, 2009
video: witness describes what he saw …
http://hamptonroads.tv/hrtv.php?id=3106907
——————-
2:27 am on February 14th, 2009
So sad! RIP little guy, your in a better place now!
9:01 pm on February 16th, 2009
Some of you on here “get it” … most of you just don’t. Thank god you don’t get what mental illness is, what it can do to your loved ones, to your family. I personally know the Hagerman family. I have known them for years. Joe was an absolute loving, adoring father. Joshua was not living in an abusive home, where the abuse just got carried away… he lived in a loving home with a father who was suffering from a horrible mental illness. Joe had JUST had his meds changed a week prior to this horrible event. Apparently the new meds weren’t working! He didn’t decide to stop taking his meds – he wanted to find meds that would work the best for him and his family. Where was the doctor who should have been very closely monitoring how this was effecting him? I am beyond heartbroken for this family. I can’t imagine the day that Joe regains his right mind, the reality of what he has done – I don’t know how he will live with it. I don’t know how any of this family will live with it. How does a mother ever recover from seeing her only child decapitated by her husband – the husband she chose? This is beyond tragic in so many ways. I will pray for this family that they some how find the strength and the courage to live happy lives, as Joshua would have wanted for them. For all you that feel the need to bash this family – I will pray for you too. Pray that you never understand the depths of this demon.
10:11 am on February 17th, 2009
LMMFAO!!!!!!!!!! That is classic. Just simply classic.
11:39 pm on February 21st, 2009
Wow….. I just heard about this today because I live out of state. I grew with Joe and went to school with him from Elementary to High School. He never came across to ANYONE as violent. I saw his confession video, and to be truthful, he spoke in the tone that he spoke to everyone in. He was always compassionate and concerned with the health and well-being of everyone. We even wrested together in High School. I am sure his poor wife, family, and community cannot sort things out either. This is crazy. I pray for everyone, even him. I can honestly say that I think that he has seriously lost his mind. The Joe I knew is gone. It’s just horrible.
5:42 am on May 21st, 2009
Not guilty by reason of insanity… =(
http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_052009_hagerman_eval_vb_.2000b24f.html
6:28 am on May 21st, 2009
Thanks for the update, Kitty.
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