This podcast contains adult themes and graphic violence.

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I'm Renee, and this is Beyond contempt, your crime.

Mental illness has touched most everyone's life, whether it's a coworker, friend, or family member.

Some of us have even dealt with a loved one with schizophrenia.

People with serious mental illness issues are usually not violent.

However, a tiny subset commit violent crimes, but we are uncertain how much mental illness plays into the violence versus other factors.

This is, unfortunately, one of those stories.

You're listening to Episode 27, Haddon Clark. Haddon Irving Clark entered the world on July 31st, 1952 in Troy, New York, and was one of four children in the Clark family.

His birth was not a simple one.

They pulled him out with a pair of forcips, which reportedly caused a head injury.

Hadden experienced problems with walking and often fell, hitting his head. Haddon's senior had his doctorate

and worked as an engineer at a gas company. He was a veteran of the Korean War. Haddon's mother,

Flavia, stayed home with the kids. The Clark household

was fraught with dysfunction. The family lived in a large two-story colonial house in Warren, New

Jersey, and one childhood friend recalled that yelling was heard constantly from the Clark family home.

Haddon's senior was manic-depressive and often got physical with his wife.

Flavia was a woman who was always mentally and physically on the go.

She drank heavily just so she could calm down and fall asleep.

One of the Clark children explained that their parents were functioning alcoholics.

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