Scott Kurtis, 38, son of legendary Chicago newsman Bill Kurtis was found dead
aadavid
The son of legendary Chicago newsman Bill Kurtis was found dead early
today on the Kansas cattle ranch owned by his father, family members
said.
Scott Kurtis, 38, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia since he was in
his mid-teens, said his stepmother Donna LaPietra.
He was last seen Sunday during the day and may have died late Sunday
or early Monday morning. He was found early today by his sister Mary
Kristin Kurtis, who also lives near the ranch.
An autopsy is scheduled this week to determine the cause of death.
Kurtis also suffered from heart and thyroid ailements as a result of
the schizophrenia, said LaPietra.
"It's a lonely life, it's a very sad illness,'' said LaPietra.
The results of the autopsy are expected to come back to the family by
Thursday, she said. At the time of Kurtis' death he was alone in his
home on his father's ranch, LaPietra said.
"Quite frankly, there's not very much anyone can do so he struggled
with that illness and various complications that arise from it," said
LaPietra. "Tragically Bill and I have known for a while that often ...
schizophrenics do not live past the age of 40. It was something we
always had in the back of our minds and Scott really struggled."
LaPietra said for the last 10 years Scott Kurtis had worked at his
father's cattle ranch in Sedan, Kan. A memorial service is scheduled
at the ranch for Wednesday, LaPietra said.
LaPietra first met Scott when he was 6-years-old after Bill Kurtis'
wife and Scott's mother died from breast cancer.
Scott attended Lincoln Park Elementary School and graduated from the
Chicago Academy for the Arts and was an avid guitar player, she said.
LaPietra said that ironically her stepson often said his dream job was
to be a truck driver so he could travel and see the country.
"He loved the road, it was always a battle for us to persuade him that
it was better to be on the land than on the road,'' LaPietra said. "It
was his obsession."
La N
> http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/07/the-son-of-legendary-newsman.html
>
> The son of legendary Chicago newsman Bill Kurtis was found dead early
> today on the Kansas cattle ranch owned by his father, family members
> said.
>
> Scott Kurtis, 38, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia since he was in
> his mid-teens, said his stepmother Donna LaPietra.
How sad. It's a terrible illness.
- nilita
kharr...@gmail.com
Although I am a fan of the true crime shows which Bill Kurtis
narrates, that is not what brought this news item to my attention.
The word that triggered the alert was "schizophrenia".
I am not a parent of someone with schizophrenia - I am the daughter.
Yes, people with schizophrenia have shorter-than-average lives. (My
mother did not - she lived to see 80.) One implication of a shortened
life expectancy is that it increases the chance that a parent will
outlive a child with schizophrenia. I have seen this quite a few
times.
I haven't lost a child, so I can't imagine that pain. However,
grieving the death (and life) of a person who suffered from
schizophrenia is, if there can be, a particularly wrenching kind of
grief. Yes, you say to yourself that the torment (of schizophrenia)
is finally over. No, it does not bring solace. The eulogies for
these loved ones are not your typical eulogies.
My condolences to the entire family on all of it!
Charlie
> http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/07/the-son-of-legendary-newsm...
Wonder if Snotsky aka gayport aka Grover Dill from a "Christmas Story"
suffers from the same ailment? Yep!
teleflora
"aadavid" <aad...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:893e32b4-63c6-4da3...@k20g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...
> An autopsy is scheduled this week to determine the cause of death.
> Kurtis also suffered from heart and thyroid ailements as a result of
> the schizophrenia, said LaPietra.
I've not heard this before. Is it from the medications used to treat the
condition or a direct effect of the illness itself?
Interesting.
I've also seen nothing of this on local news today and Sedan is about 90
miles from me.
Cindy
k.anders
>
> I've not heard this before. Is it from the medications used to treat the
> condition or a direct effect of the illness itself?
>
> Interesting.
>
> I've also seen nothing of this on local news today and Sedan is about 90
> miles from me.
>
> Cindy
Back in your neck of the woods, 90 miles is "just down the road a
piece". :'D
teleflora
"k.anders" <k.an...@gmx.com> wrote in message
news:h45nod$oh7$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Well, in my neck of the prairie, anyway. Kurtis' family owns the Laura
Ingalls Wilder homestead, they ran the museum for years, I think it's still
open.
I knew Bill's sister Jean, when I lived in Wichita, she was on the School
Board. Now, I think she's in the State Legislature.
Cindy
k.anders
> "k.anders" <k.an...@gmx.com> wrote in message
> news:h45nod$oh7$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>> teleflora wrote:
>>
>>> I've not heard this before. Is it from the medications used to treat the
>>> condition or a direct effect of the illness itself?
>>>
>>> Interesting.
>>>
>>> I've also seen nothing of this on local news today and Sedan is about 90
>>> miles from me.
>>>
>>> Cindy
>> Back in your neck of the woods, 90 miles is "just down the road a piece".
>> :'D
>
> Well, in my neck of the prairie, anyway.
I was going to say "wide open spaces" and that didn't sound right. I
couldn't think of "prairie". I've been gone from Wisconsin, too long. ;')
Kurtis' family owns the Laura
> Ingalls Wilder homestead, they ran the museum for years, I think it's still
> open.
There's a website but I just glanced at it to confirm it was in
Missouri. It sure appears to be open:
http://www.lauraingallswilderhome.com/
>
> I knew Bill's sister Jean, when I lived in Wichita, she was on the School
> Board. Now, I think she's in the State Legislature.
Wichita? Were you there during the time the BTK killer was active?
Dennis Rader, the dog catcher and church elder?
Brad Ferguson
<tele...@hotmail.com> wrote:
And I used to write for Bill. It's a small world after all.
Kris Baker
news:210720092144392139%thir...@frXOXed.net...
And I can see Sedan, Kansas from my porch (when I'm driving
down hwy 99 from Climax).
Kris
La N
"Kris Baker" <paralle...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7cnbb9F...@mid.individual.net...
And I get a big kick out of watching Bill Kurtis in the AT&T Laptop Connect
Card commercials.
- nilita
k.anders
> "Brad Ferguson" <thir...@frXOXed.net> wrote:
>>
>> And I used to write for Bill. It's a small world after all.
>
>
> And I can see Sedan, Kansas from my porch (when I'm driving
> down hwy 99 from Climax).
>
> Kris
Sedan? Climax? Naaah...too easy.
teleflora
> teleflora wrote:
>> "k.anders" <k.an...@gmx.com> wrote in message
>> news:h45nod$oh7$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>>> teleflora wrote:
>>>
>>>> I've not heard this before. Is it from the medications used to treat
>>>> the condition or a direct effect of the illness itself?
>>>>
>>>> Interesting.
>>>>
>>>> I've also seen nothing of this on local news today and Sedan is about
>>>> 90 miles from me.
>>>>
>>>> Cindy
>>> Back in your neck of the woods, 90 miles is "just down the road a
>>> piece". :'D
>>
>> Well, in my neck of the prairie, anyway.
>
>
>
> I was going to say "wide open spaces" and that didn't sound right. I
> couldn't think of "prairie". I've been gone from Wisconsin, too long.
> ;')
>
>
> Kurtis' family owns the Laura
>> Ingalls Wilder homestead, they ran the museum for years, I think it's
>> still open.
>
> There's a website but I just glanced at it to confirm it was in Missouri.
> It sure appears to be open:
Nope, that's Marshall, MO. LIW lived there when she was older.
Cindy
teleflora
>
> Wichita? Were you there during the time the BTK killer was active? Dennis
> Rader, the dog catcher and church elder?
I was there all through the 90's, but he wasn't active. He was always
"there" though. I knew cops and reporters who worked the cases and covered
them. I left in 97.
Rader was, in fact, born here in Pittsburg Kansas and still has family here.
He and I were both, from what I'm told, present at his aunt and uncle's
anniversary party. His cousin is a friend of mine. I don't remember
anything about him although I'm assuming we were introduced. This would
have been in 98 or 99.
Cindy
k.anders
{{shudder}} He'd already killed and killed after that...? What did
your friend (his cousin) have to say after BTK was revealed? Were the
aunt/uncle still living to know about this?
Guys like him just don't go around with a sign around their neck and
just because someone is considered to be a "nice guy" doesn't mean
that's more than superficial.
teleflora
"Brad Ferguson" <thir...@frXOXed.net> wrote in message
news:210720092144392139%thir...@frXOXed.net...
6 degrees.
;-)
Cindy
teleflora
His aunt is still alive, his cousins are alive and well. Everyone was
completely horrified and befuddled. Everyone who knows him says he
absolutely adored his wife and children.
I understand that he bullied people he came in contact with in his daily
job. I think it's strange if there was no hint of this in his home and
family life, but to all outward appearances, there wasn't.
Cindy
k.anders
There was no mistake about his guilt. He was glad to reveal lots of
details about who and what he did to each victim.
Everyone who knows him says he
> absolutely adored his wife and children.
He put on a convincing act that he did. That helped him for a long time
to continue with his activities and even those closest to him would
never suspect. Yet he taunted the police to catch him.
>
> I understand that he bullied people he came in contact with in his daily
> job. I think it's strange if there was no hint of this in his home and
> family life, but to all outward appearances, there wasn't.
He was VERY good at what he did. That's what scares me about
psychopaths and sociopaths....they are very convincing and believable.
It's all an act, but they are good at pretending they care and feel the
emotions other normal people do. It's just a facade. Being a bully, he
was letting some of his need to control issues show themselves.
He not only victimized the people he killed; he victimized his family as
well. He used them for his purposes. Look what they are left with
now...he doesn't REALLY care about anybody but HIMself.
Thanks for this exchange. Certain serial killers really fascinate me.
Rader is one of them.