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Rejection fueled church gunman's hatred, psychologist says

Long before Matthew Murray made headlines, he was a walking, talking red flag in about eight instances.

Jeff Kass and Sara Burnett

Published December 14, 2007 at 12:30 a.m.

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They were on to him.

They searched his room, according to one Web posting. They asked him to leave a religious conference. Sometimes, they offered help.

Long before Matthew Murray made headlines Sunday for killing four people at two religious sites, the 24-year-old was a walking, talking red flag in about eight instances.

But the help - and offers of help - appear to have been ineffective or rebuffed. The rejections also seemed to fuel Murray's hatred, said Lakewood police psychologist John Nicoletti, who has studied other mass shootings, such as Columbine.

"He engages first in behaviors that cause him to be rejected," Nicoletti said. "Then he uses this rejection to reinforce his perceived injustice."

It is no surprise, Nicoletti added. "It's the pattern of the avenger. You can look at (Virginia Tech killer) Seung-Hui Cho. You can look at (Columbine killers) Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold."

Not all of the online postings attributed to Murray have been confirmed, but a timeline is emerging of how people took notice of him before the deadly shootings.

Reaches out spiritually

Around age 17, Murray, whose family is deeply religious, started taking two antidepressants, The Associated Press reported.

"Everyone prayed, they laid hands on me, spoke in tongues over me," he wrote in one posting. "I sought out every kind of spiritual help I knew of in charismatic christianity."

But things hardly improved.

Murray was 18 the next year when he was involved in Youth With A Mission in 2002. Mission officials have confirmed they kicked him out in the weeks before he was to leave for a final two-month training session in Bosnia.

"They admitted that I hadn't done anything wrong, just that they had prayed and felt I wasn't popular/connected and talkative enough," Murray wrote in an Internet posting.

Two of the people Murray killed Sunday were shot at the mission's Arvada offices.

Two years later, in 2004, Murray said he was 20 and still living at home when he went to a "charismatic conference" at New Life Church with his mother.

Murray wrote that he "got into a debate with two prayer team staff members," who in turn told his mother "something along the lines of I 'wasn't walking with the lord and could be planning violence.' "

According to the AP, Murray's mother said through a spokeswoman "there was no such incident involving two church staff members." New Life Church pastor Brady Boyd said Wed nesday his staff had no record of an incident.

But Murray continued that story on a Web posting: "Two weeks later my mother brought over one of the pastors to search my room for 'anything evil' (which included my Xbox video game and DVD collection)."

Murray said he tried to move his video games and "a few non-christian books" to a friend's house. But the items apparently were found, and at least $900 worth were "basically destroyed."

Behavior rejected

In 2005, the Christian group King's Kids told Murray not to come to any more meetings after he wrote poetry "talking bad about christians," according to Murray's posting.

According to the AP, "Murray attended events held by the Denver-based occult group Ad Astra Oasis during the last two years but was turned down when he sought to become a member of the group. His involvement with them apparently ended in October."

Not everything was rejection.

More than a year ago, Murray began posting on a Web site for former Pentecostals, using the name nghtmrchld26.

His writing - filled with anger toward Christians and the benefits of suicide - prompted others on the forum to try to help him.

Joe Istre, president of the Association of Former Pentecostals, said moderators contacted a suicide hotline to reach out to Murray.

They also sought out a California-based counselor who specializes in helping people who are trying to leave fundamentalist religions.

The counselor, Marlene Winnell, said she sent Murray a message offering to help and telling him people cared.

Murray didn't reply directly but posted a message on the forum.

"It's so funny how many people want to help you and love you and counsel you . . . when there is money involved," Murray wrote.

That was standard practice for Murray, Istre said.

"Whenever we told him to try to get help, he generally laughed it off or dismissed it as being useless," he said.

Nicoletti noted that they could not force Murray into counseling.

"They can't mandate that he get help. That's what is scary."

Comments

  • December 14, 2007

    6:36 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diane writes:

    According to this Utah Newspaper, Murray joined the Mormon church a year ago. Another sign of his instability.

    Quote from the Deseret News:

    "Our records show that Matthew Murray, from Englewood, Colo., has been a member of the church for a little over a year," LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter said in a statement to the Deseret Morning News. "Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by this tragedy."

    http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,...

  • December 14, 2007

    8:49 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    rmnreader writes:

    Ok so he is shouting his hate from the rooftops, his instability is glaring but yet no one sees this coming?! Sounds like the church & the parents solution was to kick him out. Don't we know by now that avoiding & ignoring the mentally ill only makes the wrath they spew worse? Only when our society stops casting out and starts accepting & healing the mentally ill will these mass murders stop.

  • December 14, 2007

    9:47 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    blacksho89 writes:

    Nicoletti noted that they could not force Murray into counseling.

    "They can't mandate that he get help. That's what is scary."

    RTFA. Your screen name, rmnreader, is obviously wrong.

  • December 14, 2007

    11:27 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    rmnreader writes:

    The article also said he was a "walking, talking red flag". Could the parents have involved themselves more knowing this kid was troubled and found his guns since he was living under there roof? Yes. Could he have been reported as a threat by the people reading his posts so his actions could be monitored by the proper authorites - which would have resulted in them seeing his legal gun purchases? Yes. Could someone in physical contact with this kid have givin him more time & nurturing (instead of preaching) to make him feel he could open up thus knowing his intentions before he acted & stopping this tragedy? I think so.

    If you think forcing him into counseling was the only way to stop this kid you are showing the same ignorance as everyone else who touched this kids life.

  • December 14, 2007

    12:53 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    leibwss writes:

    Perhaps a motive for this tragedy is one your newspaper has not even mentioned. According to gay websites, Murray's rejection was based on the fact that he was gay or bisexual, something that stone age religions use to eternally condemn those born this way.

  • December 14, 2007

    1:15 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    LOUIE writes:

    Had he been adjudicated "mentally defective" or been committed to a mental institution, the A.T.F. transaction, and/or the over the counter sale, would have been illegal as stated on the A.T.F. Firearms Transaction Record, question "f". Sadly, he was allowed to go without treatment even when hearing voices, as noted by his friend at missionary school. If you hear voices, normally you're committed for observation I would think! It seems this poor kid just slipped through the cracks. Shame because he could have gotten help.