Sadly, it is not unheard of for one spouse to murder (or attempt to murder) the other spouse in an effort to avoid paying spousal support or child support. I have posted on more than a few such stories.

A strange variation on that theme comes out of India.

Indian Husband files a case for theft against his Wife.

After that, Wife files for divorce.

Somehow or another, Husband’s Uncle is served with the divorce, instead of Husband.

Uncle forgets to pass the papers on to Husband.

The divorce Court enters an order for Husband to pay Wife spousal support, since Husband doesn’t show up to oppose.

Husband finds out.

Husband attends hearing in his theft case.

Before leaving the courthouse, Husband and his mother take poison … to avoid the spousal support obligation.

Husband and his mother are taken to the hospital for treatment.

Read more in this Times of India article: Mother, son attempt suicide.

Brazilian Mother and Chinese Father have Child together in Brazil. They all live in Brazil.

Until Mother dies when Child is about 4 years old. Then Father takes Child with him back to China.

Then Father dies. Child’s Chinese uncle takes him in.

A year or two later, Child’s Grandmother in Brazil sues for custody of Child. Grandmother wins.

Child goes back to Brazil with elderly Grandmother in 2004. And now Grandmother dies.

And now the Brazilian child welfare agency has placed Child into foster care, presumably because he has no other living relatives in Brazil.

But he still has living relatives in China. They are considering seeking custody of Child again.

Read more in this Tapei Times article: Iruan Ergui Wu now in foster care.

A 22 year old Minnesota man has been convicted of strangling his 19 year old ex-girlfriend … in front of their 2 year old son.

For his murder weapon, the man constructed a noose from shoelaces – and allegedly killed her because the young woman was a half an hour late picking him up for a shopping excursion.

After she was dead, he set fire to her body in her car.

At the time of the murder, the man was in the process of finishing out his probation for a previous assault on the young woman.

Under the terms of his probation, he was required to attend anger management … and avoid contact with the young woman.

It is unclear whether he attended the anger management …

The man now faces multiple life sentences.

The couple’s baby boy is now staying with his mother’s mother and her husband. The boy’s maternal grandparents are pursuing custody of the child and hope to adopt him.

The poor toddler sees a psychologist for night terrors.

Read more in this Twin Cities [MN] Pioneer Press article: Man guilty of murder for strangling ex-girlfriend with shoelace.

Oregon’s Coquille Indian Tribe’s Tribal Council, the six person governing body for the Tribe, recently passsed an Ordinance allowing domestic partnerships and same sex marriages with a member of the Tribe.

Now, one Tribe member is challenging the approved Ordinance and petitioning to have the Ordinance put to a vote by all Tribe members, numbering approximately 600.

The Ordinance could extend Tribal financial benefits to more people.

The Ordinance would first require the passing of laws to unravel such domestic partnerships and same sex marriages by divorce and to determine child custody. That is expected to take months.

The Ordinance would also recognize domestic partnerships and same sex marriages validly entered in jurisdictions that permit them.

If 200 members of the Tribe join the petition, the Ordinance will be put to a general vote.

The activist cites as his primary concerns about the Ordinance that it imposes vital statistics record-keeping chores that the Tribe does not currently have and that the Ordinance is reportedly contrary to Oregon law as well as federal law

Read more in this Coos Bay Oregon World article: Tribe’s gay marriage law faces challenge.

Ohio Husband and Wife have Daughter together. Husband and Wife are divorced.

Wife is held by a court to be legally incompetent. Husband is awarded (what sounds like sole) custody of Daughter.

Husband lists Wife as Daughter’s other parent in school records and furnishes school information regarding Wife’s status as incompetent.

Wife appears at Daughter’s school to observe Daughter’s kindergarten class. The school allows.

Wife asks to take Daughter home before school is over. Daughter’s teacher consents, but instructs Wife to stop by the “office”.

Wife leaves school without advising the “office”. Husband arrives to pick Daughter up from school, only to discover that Daughter is not in school – and school doesn’t immediately know where or with whom Daughter is.

Police are summoned and an Amber Alert is issued for Daughter. Daughter is found safe at Library shortly thereafter.

Wife is expected to be charged with interference with custody under Ohio law.

The school states that it has done nothing wrong in permitting Daughter to leave with Wife – except perhaps for not having records of Wife’s incompetency in Daughter’s school’s files, as opposed to Daughter’s school district’s files.

Read more in this Columbus [OH] Dispatch article: Custody issue led to Amber Alert.<

Husband and Wife have twins together. Couple later divorces.

Wife remarries. Wife happy.

Husband leaves job, allegedly so he can’ t pay child support.

Husband seeks order of protection against Wife, claiming she threatened him. The judge doesn’t buy it.

Husband repeatedly accuses Wife and her new husband of abusing the twins. After investigating, the state finds no evidence to support his accusations.

A doctor opines that Husband is coaching the twins to say that Wife’s new husband abuses them.

On Wife’s birthday, Wife and new husband bring the twins to Husband’s home for his timesharing.

Husband explodes and shoots Wife’s new husband – six times – in front of the twins. Wife’s new husband dies.

Husband is charged with murder, and confesses to the crime. Wife claims that Husband routinely beat and abused her during their marriage.

Wife’s attorney comments that Husband was a “ticking time bomb” against whom Wife had filed about 10 emergency motions.

Yet Husband had equal timesharing with their twins… Despite the twins having a guardian ad litem to advocate for their best interests.

Read more in this Miami Herald article: Police: Rage against ex-wife led to killing.