ABC tv "Final Witness" episode about Jehovah's Witness tonight.

[Blueyedchanel]

There has been a show airing for awhile now on the ID Channel (Investigation Discovery) about the Mary Jane Baker-Longo murders. I saw it probably a year ago and was horrified, and like this show, there wasn't any bad slant towards the religious aspect.

The show is called Deadly Sins on the ID Channel, that also has a Christian Longo story.

[steadfast]

Thanks Chanel. I find the ID channel rather addictive.

[rosieg]

wow how tragic ! I had never heard of this story before but then I don't have tv service. Its just amazing to me that he was that cold and calulating. Talk about a wolf in sheeps clothing he spent his life lying and deciving and to kill his own children these truly are critical times we live in.

[SacramentoBrother]

Here's a link to watch the entire episode online

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/final-witness/blog/all/episode-103-fatal-devotion

For some reason the video does work for me in Firefox or Chrome.

[NiKaylam]

I watched the deadly sins program regarding this family and I was also surprised and relieved that they didnt slant the story to seem that our faith was the reason for the sickness in this man. i was heartbroken by the deaths of this family but it really made me appreciate the brothers taking the lead over us. I couldnt imagine the pain her elders must have felt when they found out about this or the pain his family is going through knowing their son commited this unspeakable act. After watching I cried for the loss of our sister and her children but I couldnt spill any tears for her husband. I felt bad about that and wondered am I being heartless? I wondered what happened to him and if he would ever feel any remorse for what he did or was there any hope for him? I guess not. Thank for the update.

[MzT]

I feel bad for the families involved in this story because it's about to be in the news again with the release of the movie "True Story". I was reading the synopsis of the film and recognized the name Christian Longo. SMH

Evidently the slant of the movie will be on his bizarre connection to a reporter.

[kejedo]

i)A sister I knew from when I was coming in to The Truth (in MA, 1980s) had married against the elders' advice. I believe her new husband was baptized at the time. They were both in the same congregation. Many years later I heard on the news that he had murdered her (I believe in NH at a vacation home or rental).

ii) Another sister I know married against the elders' advice. She was in my congregation in NH at the time (although I lived in a Maine bordertown). The brother she married was from a different congregation, but his elders sent some words of caution to our local body. They are now divorced and he is a down right alcoholic. I am not sure of his status at the moment as she moved to a southern state and I believe he moved to the Cayman Islands.

iii) I heard of the Christian Longo story before. So sad.

[futurepromise]

 

Christian Michael Longo

Lincoln County

Born: 1/23/1974

Sentenced to death: 4/16/2003

Longo was convicted of killing his wife and three children on the Oregon Coast. The bodies of the four were recovered from two coastal inlets around Christmas 2001. Longo went on the lam. He landed on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list before he was captured in Mexico posing as a travel writer.

Noteworthy: Michael Finkel, the free lance writer Longo impersonated in Mexico, was later fired from the New York Times Magazine for fabricating a story about a young African worker. Since then, he wrote a book about his firing and the Longo case. "True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa" was published by HarperCollins in 2005.

[futurepromise]

Raised in Ypsilanti Township, Mich., by strict Jehovah's Witness parents, Longo told investigators that he had a happy childhood. Actively involved in his church, he received training at a young age to participate in the door-to-door ministry.

Though he didn't date until his late teens, he was married at 19 to a woman seven years older, Mary Jane Baker, whom he first met in the church parking lot.

Even before the wedding, Longo began to experience money problems when he bought Baker a three-and-a-half carat diamond engagement ring on a payment plan. One month, he didn't have enough money to cover both the rent and the ring payment, so he stole $108 from the camera store where he worked. When the employees were questioned about the missing money, Longo kept quiet.

But the next morning, he said, his conscience got to him and he left a check for the missing money on the counter along with a letter of resignation. Rent didn't get paid that month.

Longo's roommates, also Jehovah Witnesses, informed congregation elders of the incident and Longo was sanctioned, losing some of his responsibilities within the congregation. Mary Jane stood by him, but because of the sanctions the two were not able to get married in the Kingdom Hall. Longo says he was repentant, and felt he'd learned his lesson.

"I was determined that I would never do anything along those lines again; anything that was not only illegal, but immoral, unsavory."

But Longo's admitted addiction to new cars, nice clothes and tropical vacations tapped out most of his credit even before the birth of the couple's first child, Zachery.  Things only got harder financially since Mary Jane Longo stopped working to take care of the baby, and two more children came within the next two years. While the couple was thrilled about the kids, finances continued to deteriorate. Longo says he could not go to his parents for help, because of pride.

Christian Longo started a construction clean-up subcontracting business with another Jehovah's Witness. The business took off quickly, but despite a booming start was soon in debt because of a too rapid expansion.

The Longo family's credit cards were maxed out and nothing was coming in, but to their relatives and other church members, everything seemed fine. To keep up appearances, Longo exaggerated the success of his company — so convincingly that his own father invested tens of thousands of dollars in the business.

Soon after, Longo was showing off a boat and two jet skis he told friends he'd won in a contest and bought two cars.  But the Longo's money problems were far from over. One morning, Longo said, he was awoken to the noise of a tow truck in his driveway, repossessing his Ford Taurus. When their other car broke down, he made himself a fake driver's license, presented it to take a  Pontiac Montana for a test drive and never returned the car to the dealership lot.

When his wife began asking him why they hadn't received any billing statements in the mail for the new vehicle, Longo created bogus ones on his computer and mailed them to their address. 

Things were not going well in the Longo marriage either. In May 2000, Mary Jane Longo called her sister, saying she had discovered e-mails from her husband to another woman. When she confronted him about them, he allegedly told her that she hadn't been any fun since having children and that he didn't love her anymore. In spite of the troubles, Mary Jane Longo stayed with her husband. She did, however, tell the elders in the congregation about the situation. Though there is no indication that Longo had a physical relationship with another woman, Longo was sanctioned by his church once again. 

Soon, the cash-strapped Longo put his computer to more use. He printed false checks from companies that owed his business money and cashed them. Before long, the companies contacted police, and Longo found himself in a courtroom for the first time in September 2000.

He pleaded guilty and received three years' probation, but because he exaggerated his income out of his persistent concern for appearances, he was ordered to pay restitution payments far greater than he could handle. When elders from the congregation read about Longo's check forgeries in a local newspaper, Longo was finally disfellowshipped from the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Longo claimed the incident led to a "watershed moment" with his wife, in which he promised her he would be truthful and that they'd straighten out their finances, but not before giving "one last present to each other" — corrective eye surgery for Mary Jane and scuba diving lessons for Longo.

With their finances in shambles and their credit run out, Longo obtained a credit card in his father's name. He amassed nearly $100,000 in debt in Joseph Longo's name without his knowledge.

 

http://murderpedia.org/male.L/l/longo-christian.htm

[futurepromise]

http://www.cultjer.com/who-is-christian-longo-new-true-story-featurette-explores

[futurepromise]

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-pretender-christian-longo-and-michael-finkel/

[LRJW]

Great.  Now James Franco is playing a murdering DF'd JW.  

 

Ugh.

 

Why can't we just have more Amy Adams's playing nice modest JW's?

Edited April 15, 2015 by hansolo8004

[futurepromise]

I spoke with the Elder that works for the Prison legal department tonight at the meeting.  Because he is on death row he is not allowed to attend any of the meeting or Bible studies held in the prison.

 

Is this just for Oregon? In other areas ones on death row are studying and attending meetings.

[Josho]

How can someone be so irresponsible with money when they have people depending on them? It's a real shame of a story. At the same time, there were red flags. If the person you're planning to marry isn't allowed to get married in a kingdom hall, maybe marrying them isn't the best idea... And judging by his age, it doesn't seem like they spent a lot of time getting to know each other before deciding to marry. He clearly had a deadly case of materialism. Just more evidence that it's best to follow bible principles, Jehovah knows best.

[Raindrop]

So if I understand correctly: he impersonated a journalist while on the run or hiding in Mexico.

Then the journalist got in touch with him (after losing his job for lying about an article he wrote)

Then the journalist writes a book (True Story)

Now the book is made into a film?

Always goes back to money ... 

That poor sister and the kids. It is horrifying how even with a good upbringing you can go to the very extreme and be this bad.

[Roberto Flores]

someone knows  as to get this video?

[rocket]

I spoke with the Elder that works for the Prison legal department tonight at the meeting. According to him Christian is a "real piece of work." He has been a pain in the kiester ever since he arrived. Because he is on death row he is not allowed to attend any of the meeting or Bible studies held in the prison. He has ventured to start and pursue a nation wide campaign to use prisoners as organ donors. He hasn't gotten very far with the idea as people just consider the source. "He is very arrogant, self serving and absolutely no evidence of repentance for the crimes he has committed." This Elder said that he has spoken to Christian many times over the years. It must really pain his father of whom I understand is also an Elder in a MI congregation. I cannot even imagine the pain this family endures every time this mans name is brought up.

 

On April 19, 2015 I again spoke with this same Elder regarding Christian Longo. There are no changes as to his attitude. He does not request the literature or show any signs of repentance. His campaign to use prisoners as organ donors died out as it is obvious that the drugs used to kill someone would render the donor organs to not be viable for transplant. His main goal in life is to keep his name alive and in the limelight. Like Satan, I wish his name would be forgotten and never spoken.

Edited April 20, 2015 by lynn

[2EVES]

someone knows  as to get this video?

I've watched  a video on youtube about this sickening murder

 

Edited April 20, 2015 by YTONEY93

[Ryan88]

Has anyone seen the film? Is it suitable to watch?