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To Whom It May Concern: I have just taken my mother's life. I am very upset over having done it. However, I feel that if there is a heaven she is definitely there now... I am truly sorry... Let there be no doubt in your mind that I loved this woman with all my heart." ___________________________________________________________ I Returned home, stabbed my wife to death in her sleep, leaving another note: ___________________________________________________________S unday July 31, 1966 6:45 p.m. ---I don't quite understand what it is that compels me to type this letter. Perhaps it is to leave some vague reason for the actions I have recently performed. I don't really understand myself these days. I am supposed to be an average reasonable and intelligent young man. However, lately (I can't recall when it started) I have been a victim of many unusual and irrational thoughts. These thoughts constantly recur and it requires a tremendous mental effort to concentrate on useful and progressive tasks. In March when my parents made a physical break I noticed a great deal of stress. I consulted a Dr. Cochrum at the University Health Center and asked him to recommend someone that I could consult with about some psychiatric disorders I felt I had. I talked with a Doctor once for about two hours and tried to convey to him my fears that I felt come overwhelming violent impulses. After one session I never saw the Doctor again, and since then I have been fighting my mental turmoil alone, and seemingly to no avail. After my death I wish that an autopsy would be performed on me to see if there is any visible physical disorder. I have had some tremendous headaches in the past and have consumed two large bottles of Excedrin in the past three months.It was after much thought that I decided to kill my wife, Kathy, tonight after I pick her up from work at the telephone company. I love her dearly, and she has been as fine a wife to me as any man could ever hope to have. I cannot rationally pinpoint any specific reason for doing this. I don't know whether it is selfishness, or if I don't want her to have to face the embarrassment my actions would surely cause her. At this time, though, the prominent reason in my mind is that I truly do not consider this world worth living in, and am prepared to die, and I do not want to leave her to suffer alone in it. I intend to kill her as painlessly as possible.Similar reasons provoked me to take my mother's life also. I don't think the poor woman has ever enjoyed life as she is entitled to. She was a simple young woman who married a very possessive and dominating man. All my life as a boy until I ran away from home to join the Marine Corps ___________________________________________________________I stopped typing my letter here and later continued by handwriting the following words: ___________________________________________________________ friends interrupted 8-1-66 Mon. 3:00 A.M. Both DeadI was a witness to her being beaten at least one a month. Then when she took enough my father wanted to fight to keep her below her usual standard of living.I imagine it appears that I bruttaly [sic] kill [sic] both of my loved ones. I was only trying to do a quick thorough job.If my life insurance policy is valid, please see that all the worthless checks I wrote this weekend are made good. Please pay off my debts. I am 25 years old and have been financially independent.Donate the rest anonymously to a mental health foundation. Maybe research can prevent further tragedies of this type.--Charles J. Whitman ___________________________________________________________ The above letter I left lying next to Kathy's body. I stabbed her five times in her chest with a hunting knife while she slept. ___________________________________________________________I then hauled my specially prepared locker chest with all my sniper shit into the Bell Tower at the University of Texas. Over the span of 99 minutes, I killed 16 people and wounded 30 more. The shooting ended when police stormed the tower, shooting me twice in the head with a 12 gauge shotgun at 1:24 pm. My headache was finally over.