Family Feud Turns Into Violent Crime

 Posted on December 15, 2012 in Personal Injury

A cousinly spat went horribly wrong when one cousin stabbed a man to death with a pair of scissors, incited by a shattered Marvel Comics drinking glass, according to the Chicago Tribune. Erik Jensen, 45, is being held on $800,000 bail and has been charged with the first-degree murder of Raymond Ogara, 43. Jensen, a married father, told the Chicago Sun-Times that he was play wrestling with his cousin before “things got out of hand.” Prosecutors stated that the cousins were drinking alcohol out of the collector glasses that the victim dropped, causing it to shatter. It was after the glass broke, the two had a verbal argument that then became physical. According to the Tribune, “when police arrived they found Ogara dead on the living room floor in a pool of blood with a pair of scissors next to his body.” He was pronounced dead on arrival due to multiple stab wounds in his neck.

Personal injury suits spike during the holidays, and it’s not rocket science to see why. With stress and tensions at a high—coupled with heavy alcohol use—the homicide rate also spikes during holiday seasons. According to a 2004 report issued by the University of West Florida, the rate of homicide on any given average day is 27.9. On Thanksgiving, the rate goes up to 28.6. On Christmas Day, this rate increases to 31.7. Data was collected from the National Center for Health Statistics from the period 1972 to 1993.

According to the Huffington Post, there are a slew of things you can do to avoid family fights during the holidays, even if you’re not worried about murder, like the Jensen case. One good point of advice is to play games instead of sitting around—when people sit around (especially if drinking is involved), incendiary things can come out.

If you or someone you know is considering a personal injury suit because of a family situation gone wrong—or any other reason—don’t go through it alone. Contact a dedicated Illinois personal injury attorney today.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net