Jennifer Berman Killed Herself And Her 2 Innocent Teenagers

[China]

Fucking cunt couldn't give up some of the luxuries she was used to so instead kills herself and her kids.

Jennifer Berman said she was going to "do harm" to herself or other family members in an e-mail sent Monday morning to her ex-husband, Richard Berman, and other relatives.

The ex-husband then called police as he headed to the woman's West Palm Beach home. He found the bodies of his son and daughter, Alexander and Jacqueline Berman, and his ex-wife, inside the home.

Fifteen-year-old Jacqueline was a violinist and straight-A student and 16-year-old Alexander played the cello. According to a neighbor, their father loved to hear his children play. "He was just very proud of them. They were very talented," neighbor Ali Amir said. "His son was very talented, student."

Neighbors said the couple divorced in December but assumed that both parties would move on. The home was also in the process of foreclosure since June 2010, according to Palm Beach County court records.

"Going through a divorce, foreclosure," Brian McManus, a friend of the family, said, "a lot of that stuff which, it's an upsetting thing when you're going through a divorce and having to sell the beautiful house in this neighborhood, and it's just she just seemed like she had been upset lately. You can't fathom, you can't understand what's going on in someone's head for things like that to happen."

"I see all the action this morning," said Jim Lowe, who works nearby the home. "Then to hear two kids, that was very upsetting."

The family previously lived in a home down the street, which was sold in 2010 for $1.2 million.

Some neighbors believe the divorce sent the ex-wife over the edge, though others saw her at a holiday party for the neighborhood and was told by the ex-wife that she was moving on with her life. "Very, very nice lady," Amir said. "She was very happy. "She said, 'I'm divorced and I'm going forward. Happy New Year, Merry Christmas.'"

Neighbor Maram Sklodowski said he had recently noticed a change in Jennifer's behavior. "Something missing, something disturbed in her mind," he said. "The conversation, the language, the eyes, something was missing."

Both children were students of Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Grief counselors have since arrived to help fellow classmates cope with the loss. "It's just hard to come to grips with," McManus said.

Both parents were well-known realtors in Palm Beach and only sold exclusive homes.

Jennifer's motive is still unknown and the case remains under investigation

Those in the El Cid neighborhood doubted their instincts Monday while they stared at the crime-scene tape and the police command center that suddenly overtook 212 Pershing Way.

No. It couldn’t be the Bermans.

Their fears, however, were proven true as small details trickled out as day turned into night.


“I can’t believe this could happen in our neighborhood, but I guess it could happen anywhere,” said Rod Tinson, a neighbor. “It’s a shame. It’s sickening to hear the teenage kids, too.”

The teens’ mother, Jennifer Berman, 48, sent emails to Richard Berman, her ex-husband and father of the children, and to other members of their family Monday morning, saying she was going to harm either herself or other family members, said Sgt. David Lefont, a city police spokesman.

Jennifer Berman held a real estate license and was also a nurse. She worked 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. caring for a 99-year-old man on Pershing Way. Gone throughout the night, Jennifer Berman worried about her kids’ safety but needed the money, said a friend who didn’t want to be identified.

In April, Jennifer Berman lost her divorce attorney because she couldn’t pay him. She also asked a judge to make Richard Berman, who is a Realtor, pay fees for attorneys and expert witnesses. In May she filed for temporary alimony, child support and other relief.

“The husband has not paid the mortgage on the former marital home during the entire time of the dissolution of marriage proceeding. He has not contributed to the support of the wife or of the minor children,” court documents read. “In fact, he has refused to pay for toilet paper, buys food and supplies for himself and keeps them where the wife and children cannot access them.”

She even had to sell her late father’s watch to buy gasoline, groceries, shoes and clothing, according to court records.

Richard and Jennifer Berman were married in Miami on Feb. 15, 1992. Richard Berman filed for divorce on Feb. 13, 2008, but it was never finalized. Jennifer Berman filed on Aug. 24, 2012, and the two remained living together for a while.

But about a year later, Jennifer Berman asked a judge to kick her ex-husband out because of “extreme emotional abuse and fighting (verbal) in home,” according to court documents. Records show he moved to the Northwood Historic District.

The parents agreed to share time equally with the children. Richard Berman spent Mondays, Tuesdays and every other weekend with Alexander and Jacqueline. They’d alternate holidays year by year and spend Christmas with mom and at least two nights of Hanukkah with dad. Birthdays would be spent with the parent who had custody on that particular day.

The teens attended Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach and were talented musicians who played in the orchestra, Alexander playing the cello and Jacqueline the violin. Alex would have turned 17 at the end of the month.

Grief counselors were at the school Monday and will be there as long as the students need them, a Palm Beach County School District spokesman said.

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http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21012732654519/family-found-dead-in-alleged-murder-suicide/

 

[BostonBurns]

What a fucking whack - job. No wonder why he left.

 

[China]

Seriously, would it have killed her to tell him to go fuck himself, he can shove the money up his ass, rent an apartment and try it on her own, if she was an RN nurse the minimum she would be making is $30 an hour which at 40 hours a week, translates to $4800 a month.

Not excusing the husband not paying but sometimes you just have to pick yourself off the ground dust your self off and prove to yourself and to everyone else that you're trying.

 

[Krystal]

Neither of my douchebag ex-husbands have paid me one red cent EVER and all my children are still alive and I've added a stepson. It's called being a grown up and being grateful for what you have, like intelligent, talented, healthy children and saying "fuck it" to the extras.

 

[rebl1128]

So sad and so needless. If she felt desperate or hopeless, why not kill YOURSELF only, so your children have some stab at a halfway normal life (even though it will take years of therapy and nightmares)? So selfish.

 

[mybum62]

I was a battered wife many yrs ago...this man did every thing he could to win by hurting her as badly as he could...sounds like she was a pretty on top of things lady until she was faced with the stress of divorce...foreclosure...and mentally beat down by this man for every basic need for her children...this man intentionally drove her to the point he did. It doesn't excuse her response...but he is just as guilty IMHO!!

 

[Totemic]

I guess I can see it from her side too, she's feeling desperate, her thought patterns appear to be "it's obvious he doesn't care about the kids... he's not buying food or necessities or making sure they have a place to live". Do I condone what she did? No, I think they both are at blame here.

 

[Krystal]

I can't see her side. I'm not trying to be a total bitch but divorce sucks ass, I have done it twice, left everything both times, except my kids. You just suck it up and do what's best for the kids and what's best for the kids isn't murder. Boo-hoo, hubby wanted to be a giant asshole, it's kind of what exes do hence the reason they ended up our exes.

 

[Wolf_of_Mars]

I have the feeling that without an attorney, she had no real defense against what the husband's attorney set in motion. That's not to say he wasn't being a gigantic douche, but, a lot of what he did against his defenseless spouse may have been on the advice of counsel.
Divorce Law is a blood sport.

 

[BostonBurns]

The parents agreed to share time equally with the children. Richard Berman spent Mondays, Tuesdays and every other weekend with Alexander and Jacqueline.

Now I've never been divorced, but it sounds like a joint custody agreement to me. Did I miss where is said that he was court-ordered to pay her any support? A friend of mine here in Ct has joint custody and he doesn't pay the ex anything. The kid physically splits time between households. Maybe that was the case here.

 

[China]

Now I've never been divorced, but it sounds like a joint custody agreement to me. Did I miss where is said that he was court-ordered to pay her any support? A friend of mine here in Ct has joint custody and he doesn't pay the ex anything. The kid physically splits time between households. Maybe that was the case here.

i did the same with my ex, we alternated school years till he got into high school, after that he stayed with me and still no child support from his dad EVER, didn't bother to waste my time going to the child support office for several reasons

There are so many women that think because they have given birth, that gives them the right to never work again and have the ex pay for EVERYTHING, i'm not say that's what this woman did just saying i've seen this happen too many times.

 

[Lori Brandt Abell]

God I hate people. Just totally selfish bitch. She probably did it just to hurt the ex. ERRGH urge to kill rising....

 

[Dutchesse]

He has not contributed to the support of the wife or of the minor children,” court documents read. “In fact, he has refused to pay for toilet paper, buys food and supplies for himself and keeps them where the wife and children cannot access them.”

I'm going to place some some blame on the husband for being a complete douchebag. They were your kids too, asshole, pay for their damn food.

What mom did was inexcusable though, she could have done a myriad of other things. Like selling the house and getting a different job. Or killing the husband instead. Why don't these women ever attack the person they blame for their trouble?

 

[Loreena]

My fiancee has one of his daughter 50% of the time (more than that actually) and he still pays the mom $300 a month for child support. Also, she doesn't work but he still pays for his daughter to be in daycare before and after school on the days he picks her up and drops her off at school. He had the other child about 40% of the time (one or two nights a week til 8 and every other weekend) and paid her mother over $600 a month in child support. Then he still ends up paying for all their health care needs, all of their school clothes and school supplies, hair cuts, etc. These girls mothers didn't even have any christmas presents for their kids. I always wonder what the mothers do with the child support. But - that's what a good father does! We now have the daughter that he was paying $600 a month support for 100% of the time because unfortunately her mother passed away just before Christmas.

My little story is not negating what this terrible woman did at all - if you want to kill yourself so be it but don't hurt the children!

 

[pagalalia]

It's totally fucked up that she killed her kids. I've been through the ringer and didn't kill anyone. Like others have said, you just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on. I don't have kids and am not married, but wanted to point out that sometimes it is impossible to sell your house - no buyers. If you're getting foreclosed, it's cheaper just to stay in the place you aren't paying on than to move into a smaller place that you'd have to pay for. This happened to me, I would've had to pay for an apt, and was losing my condo anyway, so just stayed put till they took it. Plus they're in real estate so if their house could have been sold they probably would have sold it.

 

[billy madatchu]

okay, lets be scientific about this.... she was obviously possessed by a demon and it wasn't her fault. you people are so judgmental! for all you know that dad was molesting them all! those kids might have been little assholes and tried to kill her... you don't know. i feel bad for the neighbors because this is gonna lower their property value now.

 

[Mata Hari]

I can't see her side. I'm not trying to be a total bitch but divorce sucks ass, I have done it twice, left everything both times, except my kids. You just suck it up and do what's best for the kids and what's best for the kids isn't murder. Boo-hoo, hubby wanted to be a giant asshole, it's kind of what exes do hence the reason they ended up our exes.

Krystal, I feel like you ALWAYS go back to comparing women in shit situations to YOU. Not everyone is YOU. I would think that after all you have been through you would have some empathy and compassion for women who suffer abuse or mental disorders.

Aside from that, I absolutely hate what this woman did - but I try to understand that she felt it was the only choice left.

 

[Illamina]

Never willingly give up your ability to make your own money, and become dependent on someone else to provide it.

 

[Krystal]

Krystal, I feel like you ALWAYS go back to comparing women in shit situations to YOU. Not everyone is YOU. I would think that after all you have been through you would have some empathy and compassion for women who suffer abuse or mental disorders.

Aside from that, I absolutely hate what this woman did - but I try to understand that she felt it was the only choice left.

I don't ever feel that killing your children is an option and unless it's some sort of mercy killing to spare your child from a short but horrific existence of pain and disease I don't find any excuse for offing your own children something I can wrap my head around.

She was educated and possessed the ability to go on with her life and allow her children to go on with theirs. And worse yet her education is in the medical field which implies that she should have seen that she was reaching the end of her rope and reached out for help.

I'm sorry but not having the same standard of living that you were once used to is not an excuse to kill your children and I have no sympathy that she seems to have choose to try to make it one. I have a tremendous amount of respect and compassion for strong women but what she did was a coward's way out and for that reason my sympathy, empathy and compassion went out the window.

 

[mybum62]

Some of us women have the inner strength and support systems...or at least the knowledge of where to begin to start over... to help us through being beat down over and over...some women DON'T...sounds like this woman internalized a lot of her fears for her self and her kids. Just trying to share what could be another side to it.

 

[Sevens My Charm]

Seriously, would it have killed her to tell him to go fuck himself, he can shove the money up his ass, rent an apartment and try it on her own, if she was an RN nurse the minimum she would be making is $30 an hour which at 40 hours a week, translates to $4800 a month.

Not excusing the husband not paying but sometimes you just have to pick yourself off the ground dust your self off and prove to yourself and to everyone else that you're trying.

When I left my ex I took as many things of my kids stuff I could shove in the jeep and the clothes on my back.. I never looked back!

 

[yvross]

Am I the only one who thinks she likley killed the kids as a way to get back at the asshole husband?
"My ending is not the one you expected? Now he should be embarrassed because their deaths will bring out all the details of his pettiness"; which no one was likely to ever know about or think much of if she hadn't killed them all.
She was a nurse and a realtor...she had a regular (substantial income - 12 hour workdays, during kids sleeping hours) and the ability to get ahead of the crunch with commissions or at the very least find a nice property and get it with little effort and problems. MAYBE if she had focused on solutions instead of what she felt was a loss, she would have been able to see that her life was improving with the loss of her childish, selfish and petty partner! I feel sorry for the extended family, who has lost so much and over a lack of foresight and inability to accept and welcome change!

 

[Pete Bondurant]

Three less members of The Tribe. Of course, in Florida, this will barely be noticed.

 

[TKaz]

My ex never paid. My father never paid. Both were never in their child's lives though & they were messed up enough that I was thankful for the trade-off. Sad, but sometimes you have to be thankful for the little things.
We were broke a lot, but we made do.

But I get it. The desperation, I mean. If my husband divorced me or died...I'd be FUCKED. No education, my photog business is no where off the ground & I'd be struggling in a month I bet. First thing I'd do is talk to the school about any kind of aid (it's an Arts school, after all) & then get into something smaller & cheaper to live in. But that's me.
My aunt on the other hand, was ground into the ground so many times by her exes, adult sons, etc....she'll never get up again. She just retreats to her room with a book & hopes it all goes away. She'd never kill...but she'll never fight either.

I can't get on this site and get angry (well, usually). Almost every time it becomes some impromptu sociology/psychology project for me. WHY?? Why did she kill, he molest or they commit this or that crime. Anger's never there, just total curiosity.

 

[Whisper]

Florida mom shot dead her two children in their beds as they lay sleeping, only to have the children's father discover the grisly scene, newly released autopsy report reveals

• Jennifer Berman wrote ex-husband Richard an email threatening to harm herself and children Alexander 16, and Jacqueline, 15 on January 13
• An autopsy report reveals what was long suspected, that she killed the two children befor killing herself
• A 911 tape details the tense moments before and after Berman discovered the bloodied bodies of his children
• 'It looks like she's laid in bed but she doesn't have a face,' neighbor says on another 911 call
• Mrs Berman and her husband had divorced in December and their home had been sold; the mother and her children were to move out in February
• Richard Berman is a well-known realtor in West Palm Beach, Florida
• His estranged wife 'petitioned a judge to ask her husband for grocery money in April after he was forced to pawn her late father's watch'

[...]
shot them in the backs of their heads as they slept in their West Palm Beach home before turning the gun on herself, a newly released autopsy report reveals.

Additionally, after killing her two children, 15-year-old Jacqueline and 16-year-old Alexander, Jennifer Berman left a suicide note on the counter in the kitchen, next to two open bottles of wine.

'I am so sorry to those that are hurting because they loved us...,' a portion of the note,
[..]
The rest of the note was not released along with the autopsy report.
[...]

Despite the dispatcher's repeated warnings, he went inside and encountered an unimaginably grisly scene.

'He’s not moving, there’s blood on his ear,' the luxury realtor manages to sputter after finding the body of his 16-year-old son. 'I can’t believe this is happening.'
[...]
tense moments before it became all too clear that 15-year-old daughter Jacqueline and son Alexander were shot dead by their own mother, Berman told the 911 operator he was terrified to enter the house.
[...]
But then a neighbor decided to enter the home in his stead and moments later came back screaming,
'There's blood on the walls,' the shocked neighbor yelled.
[...]
'It looks like she's laid in bed but she doesn’t have a face,' the neighbor added. 'I think the girl's up in bed with her but when I saw what was upstairs I had to run back downstairs.'

That's when, in the frenzy of the moment, Berman entered the home and saw the horror for himself.

'I was just all touching his head and he wasn’t waking up. His alarm was on and there was blood in his ear,'
[...]
his voice cracking.

Police then arrived and confirmed the worst.
[...]
The mother and her two children were due to move out of their home in the exclusive, historically-protected El Cid neighborhood next month.
[...]
Last year, Mrs Berman had also petitioned a judge to remove her husband from the home because of 'emotional abuse'.
[...]
The home in which the murder suicide took place had previously belonged to Jennifer Berman's mother. The property had been in foreclosure since 2010 but was recently sold. The mother and her two children were due to move out in February.

Mrs Berman had been working 12-hour shifts as a night nurse for an elderly man because she needed the money, a friend, who refused to be identified
[...]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ne-newly-released-autopsy-report-reveals.html

 

[Robynne]

Good thing those kids didn't know what was happening. They went to bed and never woke up. The best thing you can hear in this totally fucked up deal.

 

[Dutchesse]

Poor kids. They really must have been living in hell.

On top of all of this, the guy was a realtor and was still going to let his kids be evicted from the home they grew up in?
I understand hating your wife during the divorce but it seems this dad was intending to hurt his kids too. Guess mom was right about the emotional abuse. I have no pity for him at all.

 

[Dutchesse]

@Concept2complex

I'm not giving the wife a pass, but I do object to the husband playing murdered innocence. He is just as guilty as she was, imo. They were both utterly selfish parents.