The Castleton Massacre - by Sharon Anne Cook & Margaret Carson (Paperback)

About the Book

"A former United Church minister massacres his family. What led to this act of femicide and why were his victims forgotten? On May 2, 1963, Robert Killins, a former United Church minister, slaughtered every woman in his family but one. Two child survivors lived to tell the story of what motivated a talented man who had been widely admired, a scholar and graduate from Queen's University, to stalk and terrorize the women in his family for almost twenty years and then murder them. Through extensive oral histories, Cook and Carson painstakingly trace the causes of a femicide in which four women and two unborn babies were murdered over the course of one blood-spattered evening. While they situate this murderous rampage in the literature on domestic abuse and mass murders, they also explore the perspective and journey of the two traumatized children. Told through vivid first-person accounts, this memoir recounts the story of one family's resilience after enduring years of relentless cruelty."--

Book Synopsis

A GLOBE AND MAIL TOP 100 BEST BOOKS OF 2022 - WINNER -- ONTARIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY ALISON PRENTICE AWARD - BRASS KNUCKLES AWARD FOR BEST NONFICTION CRIME BOOK 2023 FINALIST

A former United Church minister massacres his family. What led to this act of femicide, and why were his victims forgotten?

On May 2, 1963, Robert Killins, a former United Church minister, slaughtered every woman in his family but one. She (and her brother) lived to tell the story of what motivated a talented man who had been widely admired, a scholar and graduate from Queen's University, to stalk and terrorize the women in his family for almost twenty years and then murder them.

Through extensive oral histories, Cook and Carson painstakingly trace the causes of a femicide in which four women and two unborn babies were murdered over the course of one bloody evening. While they situate this murderous rampage in the literature on domestic abuse and mass murders, they also explore how the two traumatized child survivors found their way back to health and happiness. Told through vivid first-person accounts, this family memoir explores how a murderer was created.

Review Quotes

A gripping true tale of a man's spiral into murderous rage and a woman's vulnerability -- but it also explores the power of oral history and asks how childhood traumas can ever be alleviated.-- "Charlotte Gray, historian and bestselling author"

The Castleton Massacre is a compelling memoir that delves deeply into the family dynamics that preceded and followed an unthinkable tragedy: the slaughter of three women, a young child and two unborn babies in one dreadful evening of mayhem and murder in a small Ontario town.-- "Adele Matsalla"

Living with this story for sixty years, Cook and Carson have restored a voice to those silenced through horrendous violence. The authors separate fact from fiction and rumour from reality as they narrate the chilling descent of a killer from jealousy and rage to madness and murder. The Castleton Massacre will resonate in contemporary Canada where still too many women are killed by their partners. This is a story you will not soon forget.-- "Tim Cook, author of The Fight for History: 75 Years of Forgetting, Remembering, and Remaking Canada's Second World War"

This book makes an important and timely contribution. Detailed and sustained historical research combined with a willingness to consider the larger Canadian context in all its complexity, makes this horrifying account a must-read. Following a pandemic that led to a distressing increase in domestic violence cases, this story from many decades ago allows the reader to consider both this singular family drama and the sadly perennial aspect of domestic abuse.-- "Marie-Hélène Brunet, Associate Professor, University of Ottawa"

The Castleton Massacre is a compelling, and meticulously researched, examination of an appalling Ontario tragedy. It is also a fascinating social history of settler families in the first half of the 20th century, and, most important, an urgent call for action regarding the many Canadian women and children who are still living with violent domestic abuse.-- "Jane Urquhart, award-winning author"

Cook and Carson's account of the massacre committed by Robert Killins...illuminates the lack of supports for abused rural women and the social beliefs about men's entitlements and women's duties that bind women to abusers.-- "Elizabeth Sheehy, Professor Emerita, University of Ottawa"

About the Author

Sharon Anne Cook is a distinguished professor emerita at the University of Ottawa. She is the author and editor of twelve books on Canadian women's history. The recipient of many teaching awards, she teaches graduate courses in the history of education. She lives in Ottawa.
Margaret Carson is the eldest of two children who survived the Castleton massacre. A retired college instructor, she is accomplished in creating and adapting workplace programs as well as classroom delivery. She lives in Mississippi Mills, Ontario.