The most horrifying incident in the 11K document

This is my first topic, so I hope you bear with me. I was looking at the police's interview with the Harris family in the 11k Columbine document. As you all know very well at this point, the Harris family were uncooperative with the police when they executed their search warrant at the Harris property. When the officers persisted in executing the warrant, Wayne Harris stated that he was going to call his attorney. When Officers Wheeldon and Miller attempted to search Eric's room, Kathy Harris exclaimed, "I don't want you to go in there." But because the noted officers persisted, she complied. The officers later found a plastic bag containing shot gun shells and a (rifle?) in clear view, possibly on Eric's dresser.

Because the smell of gas vapor coming from the Harris's garage was so pungent, everyone, including Officers Wheeldon and Miller evacuated the residence to await the bomb squad. When everyone was outside, Kathy Harris' twin sister told Officer Wheeldon that Wayne and Kathy were afraid of retaliation from the parents. At that moment, Officer Wheeldon noted Wayne and Kathy's calm, unsurprising demeanor.

But what really shocked me was Wayne and Kathy's calm reaction throughout of all of this. I can't explain why the Harris family was so uncooperative. As a psychologist, I have witnessed mothers defending their sons' or daughters' belligerent aggressive behavior as normal teenager rebellion or deny their sons' or daughters' involvement, but I have yet to see a family so uncooperative and so calm in the face of epic tragedy. It's horrifying.

That's pretty crazy perhaps they were looking for an easy way out too. I'm sure when such a tragedy involving your son had just occurred your not thinking clearly and ready to join him. I've read about Byron coming home to comfort his parents on 4/20, but i have not heard much on what Eric's brother did that day ?

VOD101 wrote:

That's pretty crazy perhaps they were looking for an easy way out too. I'm sure when such a tragedy involving your son had just occurred your not thinking clearly and ready to join him. I've read about Byron coming home to comfort his parents on 4/20, but i have not heard much on what Eric's brother did that day ?

Wasn't Kevin out of state, and arrived on 4/21 and helped the police in searching his car and belongings?

Well, his father was a military man after all. They're trained to be level-headed and calm in the face of danger and tragedy. But I don't deny that I also find their calm and composed demeanor strange, since they were aware of the fact that their own kid might be in great danger (his father also sounded quite composed during his 911 call to Columbine). But I don't think that they're cold people, honestly. Just private and naive. Eric had them wrapped around his finger and they seemed to think the best of him.

Didnt the cops show up at the house before anyone knew the shooters were dead? Was this when the cops first showed up at e&d's houses to see if they were hiding out there? Sorry I'm always rusty with my research.

Maybe being uncooperative with the police and Eric's mom telling them she didn't want them going in his room was their way of defending him without causing a scene... I wouldn't be surprised if they had already spoken with their lawyer before police arrived. I get the feeling almost all of their behavior from the shooting on was influenced by their lawyer's advice.

But I honestly think shock is the main reason they behaved that way; it might not have sank in yet when the cops were there. I mean come on imagine if that was your kid. Think about the weight and responsibility you would now be facing and the fact that you have no time to process it. Knowing that you're now going to be negatively judged and blamed by the whole world for what your son did. Having to accept the fact that your son took his own life, that he murdered innocent people before doing this, and wondering how you're supposed to grieve for him and not be judged even more so for it. Knowing you'll be associated with this for the rest of your life and will forever be plagued with "what if's". Coming to term with the fact that nothing will ever be the same, your lives are essentially ruined. That's an incredibly overwhelming situation to be in. I used to think the Harris's were cold and indifferent to their son's death. But when I Think about it on this level I don't blame them for their numb reactions.

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I think you are judging them way too harshly. The world caved in on them that day and nothing was ever the same.It must have took a long time to fully come to terms with Eric's death alone and deal with their grief,much less what he did.
Even Dylan's Mom said that even though they saw Dylan in the casket and had to help make his funeral arrangements it took them a long while to accept that he was truly gone and not ever coming back.And they actually saw Dylan's body, left the funeral home, never saw him again and got back an urn.And it was still that hard for them to accept the finality of his death.Eric's parent's didn't even have that comfort.
They must have felt like they were sleep walking through a nightmare that day and they really were.

Someone claimed to be Kevin's neighbour
He/she said that Kevin was mentally not right after the massacre . Described him as weird (I've read that on Tumblr comment section under pic of Kevin harris ) there were also crazy claimings that Wayne was abusive towards Eric like the hell??

Thinking about Eric's parents' makes me a sad panda. I can't really say they didn't care about their son, but to not even have a private funeral? That's pretty messed up.

Well did u see how Eric looked like after their suicide? idk if they wanted to see him at that time..
Eric wished to be cremated as he tells on the survey (he was cremated and given to his parents)
E&D had crosses also a tree in memory of them and guess what guess what happened to them?

They were in shock.

They were uncooperative because their instinct was to protect their son. They didn't know if Eric was dead at this point, if he was really involved, etc.

Rebbie556 wrote:

Well did u see how Eric looked like after their suicide? idk if they wanted to see him at that time..
Eric wished to be cremated as he tells on the survey  (he was cremated and given to his parents)
E&D  had crosses also a tree in memory of them and guess what  guess what happened to them?

I'm not talking about a grave, or even seeing how he looked after the fact.

I'm talking about a private funeral, you know, just like the ones held every day?....For people that have died violently, by their own hand, after killing others? ...Like the one for Dylan Klebold?

I'm just saying. It makes me sad.

I think it is important to point out that we don't know if Eric ever had any kind of a service or not.
Information has apparently emerged that he didn't have a traditional one at the funeral home but his parents could have had some kind of private service for him later at their home once everything settled down. If that happened, that's all that matters.
Its hard for me to picture his parents never doing anything at all for him as he was their son.

Pages 020570-020571:

Dylan Klebold's body was released to Horan & McConaty Funeral Home (303) 477-1625
*http://www.horancares.com/about-us/located-near-you/7-convenient-locations/  (Central Denver 3020 Federal Blvd @ Speer as (303) 477-1625).

Dylan Klebold's services on 4/24/99 @ 1:30 PM. 8-10 people (family) and friend (Zach Heckler).
*http://www.horancares.com/about-us/located-near-you/central-denver/ (includes pictures)


Eric Harris' body was released to Aspen Funeral Home (303) 232-0985 contact: Bill Black
*Aspen Mortuaries 1350 Simms Street Lakewood, CO, 80401, US Phone: (303) 232-0985.
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No services for Eric Harris per power of attorney to private investigator - Ellis Armistead - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
*http://www.aspenmortuaries.com/Lakewood_788254.html (includes pictures)

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Yes, thank you.That's what I was talking about.But we still don't know if his family later had some kind of private service of their own.

I said this in another thread exactly like this one. Military handle tragedy with more composure and are able to keep their emotions in check. This does not mean they didn't hurt, they were not devastated or that it didn't hit hard, it just means they don't show it the way most do. The fact that they were pushing back on the cops trying to keep them from seeing the obvious evidence in the house, shows that they cared about Eric, they were trying to protect him. Their whole world changed that day, I can't even imagine the hell they have gone through, to lose a son and your stable life all in one day...I can't even fathom the shit that would be going on in my head if my son did that. Either way, I'm sure they had a private service at some point for him. They obviously loved their son, they constantly defended him, Wayne's journal about Eric is evidence of that alone. He is constantly trying to take the blame off of Eric. It hurts my heart when I think about what the Harris and Klebold families must have gone through, they were not even allowed to grieve the death of their youngest kids or the lash back would have been batshit. They lost their kids too and however they dealt with it afterwards shouldn't be scrutinized. There is no wrong to grieve, they handled it the way they thought was best. I lost my train of thought so I'll leave it at that.

I heard also that Kathy sent letters to the victims and their families unfortunately the letters never arrived .jeffco caught them up.