Police say Ivory Black-Clark poisoned her 6-year old daughter, Sydney Black, with medications before she slit her own wrists and hanged herself with a hair-dryer cord from a ceiling fan.
Capt. Charlie Thomas with the Bristol Tennessee Police could not say what medications were with mixed with fruit juice and given to the girl, but he said empty prescription pill bottles were inside the residence.
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Maternal filicide is not uncommon in the United States. According to the American Anthropological Association, more than 200 women kill their children in the United States each year.
And while I understand mothers who commit these crimes are typically mad as f’ing hatters, how they can direct this madness toward their own offspring and, in some cases, consider it altruistic – I will simply never understand.
Only 200? There were 1.21 million in 2005 alone.
Deborah, where did you find that number? Even including cases of infanticide, that is incredibly high.
Angelia, when Amanda graduated college, she went to work at Woodridge but had to leave because she just couldn’t stand the heartbreak. Most of her young patients fortunately had failed at suicide attempts. She told me then that people attempt suicide when they feel they are in such a mess that there is no way out.
Extrapolating on that premise, i would imagine some of these women who kill their children feel there is no one on the earth who would take care of them if the mother were dead. Having had the wonderful of life of love and support i have experienced, i cannot imagine such a thing, and that must be one of the worst feelings in the world.
In our family, everyone loves the little ones and wants to care for them. But i hear young women who are my daughters’ and your peers saying their family is of no help to them. Maybe that is what happened here.
On some “cognitive, rational, thinking-person” level, I understand how these women are mentally ill and often believe they are saving their child or maybe think that by dying with the child they preserve the bond. As a thinking person, I realize this.
As a mother, the level of madness you must reach in order to kill your own child – one you have nurtured for six years and whom has developed her own personality and awareness of the world, it is unfathomable to me.
Then, I shift back to the thinking-person again and wonder how we, as a whole society, have become so self-absorbed we’ve lost our sense of community and as a result fail to provide the support network these women and children need.
I know. With our blessings, yours and mine with our families, we cannot even imagine feeling there was nowhere to turn.
I wish we had known her and could have helped.
I personally knew this family. My son was a class mate of Sydney and played together often. The level of mental illness here was unbelievable. There is so much more to this story.
Not only do I mourn the loss of a lovely little girl but I mourn for my sons loss of a friend. The hardest thing I have ever done was to tell my son his friend had passed away in a horrible accident. Keeping it from his was impossible. Television, Radio, and Talk at school made it necessary, unfortunately. Knowing the entire time that the truth was so much worse then anything even I wanted to accept or know.
How can a mother do this to her child. How can she possible think taking her childs life would be better then her to live and grow into a wonderful adult. Ivory was mentally ill – pure and simple- and this precious young girl was the victum of her mothers severe mental illness. No one will know the pain that Sydneys family will endure. No one knows but those in this area how confusing and painful this is to the community. This is something you see on TV, you arent supposed to acutally know people like this in person. No one should ever have to endure this- no child, family or friend. Mental Illness attacked this family – and the sad thing is none of us noticed it at first. No one ever thought it would ever take this turn. How can you fathom it- the thought of a mother taking her childs life. I knew this family and I cant bear to think it- what makes life so bad that you think taking your daughters life is your best choice. But as I have learned of Ivorys illness, poor Sydney must have had a strange life, possibly a sad and painful one. Taking Sydneys life along with her own was her last act of selfishness, her last attempt for attention. In their deaths Ivory finally got the attention she wanted . I am extremely mad and hurt. This has crumbled our community and our young children. Made us think, made us cry, and made us all hug and kiss our own children a little bit more this week.
I just wish someone had noticed Ivorys mental illness BEFORE it was too late. Sydney would still be with us if that had been possible.
My prayers are with Sydneys father and family. Unfortunely I am having a hard time forgiving Ivory- mental illness or not. God will decide her fate and will forgive her sins, and I hope in time he gives me strength to forgive her as well. But for now I remain angry- and mourn my my sons friend.
I am sorry for your son’s loss. This tragedy would be a very difficult thing to explain to any child, particularly when we do not fully understand it ourselves.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Sydney’s family, friends and community as you grieve the loss of one so young and full of promise.
I was Sydney’s Aunt. I would love to be able to talk to the mother of Sydney’s friend at Holsten View. Please tell me how I can contact you. There are so many questions that I have and it would be so nice to talk to someone about Sydney’s short time in school.
I feel for both families, while I know it is hard to imagine that anyone could forgive Ivory or think anything other than she took her child’s life, you are correct that Ivory was mentally ill, I knew Ivory and meet Sydney a few times, she was a lovely little girl and I know many everyone will mourn her, I am sure she is in a better place and I pray for her family and friends. I would like to say however, that Ivory was not a horrible monster. She was a kind, loving, and compassionate person. I know that may be difficult to believe but it is true. Ivory had many, many, struggles in her life and as a result she suffered terribly with mental illness. I do not believe for one second that her last act was one of malice but was in her warped mind an act of compassion, as sick as that sounds to those of us that are “normal” I firmly believe it to be true. I implore everyone to pray for not only Sydney but for Ivory as well and for all of the people that this tragedy has effected. They will both be missed and again I am not trying to take away from the horrible act that Ivory committed, I just know that she was very sick and would never in her “right” mind have done something so cruel and heartbreaking. Her short life was troubled and it sickens me that she was never able to recieve the help she so obviously needed so that both she and Sydney would be here today, I have prayed over and over and find that I burst out into tears several times a day and pray that God will help me to make sense of this tragedy and I pray that he will guide me to help others that are suffering so. May God bless each and everyone of you…….
Tj – It takes a lot of audacity to post a comment like you did after Sydney’s life was taken. There is absolutely no excuse for the horrible act that Ivory committed and I can assure you that I will not be praying for her. Mentally ill or not, Ivory knew that there were many family members that would have taken Sydney into their home in a heartbeat if she wanted to end her own miserable life. This was a selfish and senseless crime that she committed and as a result the lives of many people will never be the same again. Instead of making excuses for Ivory you should be mourning the fact that a precious little girl never got the chance to grow up.
Missy ,
I am Tammy. I had the honor of being Sydney’s babysitter since Nov of last year
I loved her and my family and I miss her terribly. I also have a niece whom loved playing with Syd and I brought them together as often as possible.I would love to talk to you about Sydney. You may reach me at SKKandles@aol.com
I am sorry it sounded as if I were defending Ivory’s actions. You are very right in that she should have reached out and let Sydney go with her family and should never have done such a horrendous thing, I absolutely did not mean to offend you as I know you are suffering in wake of this tragedy, as far as praying I pray very hard for Sydney and what a tragic loss it is to the world, she was a very beautiful child and it is tragic that she will never be allowed to grow into the wonderful woman she would have become, again I am truly sorry for your loss and I pray for you and your family, I know first hand how special the bond is between an uncle/aunt and their nephew/niece, I am sure you feel as I do that you could not have loved Sydney more if you had given birth to her, that is how I feel about my nephew, Sydney was his age now when I first met her. Can not even imagine the pain you must be feeling and I am genuinely sorry if it sounded as if I was defending Ivory, I am at a loss for words, Ivory was special to me and it seems unfathomable that someone I knew and loved could do something so horrible and you are right it was a selfish and senseless crime, and I have to believe that her mind was so far gone with mental illness to have done such a thing, that is the only way I cannot be consumed with rage for the atrocity that was committed against your niece and your family and to all of those that will never get to see that beautiful little girl again, again my sympathies go out to you and your family, and I am praying with every fiber of my being that the Lord will help ease your suffering, may God bless you…….
My Friends, risking getting into a theological debate, let this old granny tell you there is no use praying for the dead. They are gone on to other places now.
We can pray for families currently in this same kind of distress, and we can pray for ourselves, that we will be alert and sensitive to the needs around us. Most likely people were aware of this situation and for one reason or another didn’t intervene. I think that usually is for fear of being wrong, or for fear of “butting in.”
Twice in my life i have made reports of children in distress—one in AR that i knew was being beaten, and one here at home. It was a little child being pummeled in a car right on Main Street in front of Rod Armstrong’s. However, in our stressed out society i have questioned and then failed to report situations which probably needed intervention.
Truly, all parents need prayer. Parenting isn’t for sissies.
Tj- I appreciate your apology. Emotions are running high right now and I cannot nor will not forgive Ivory. You are probably one of the MANY victims that Ivory lured in and made feel sorry for her. Trust me – she was not the nice person that you remember her as. Sydney was my family’s life and now we are struggling to find our purpose. We will however continue to live for each other as that is what life is all about – Family, friends and love. Ivory never could see that.
I truly appreciate your acceptance of my apology, I never intended to cause anyone any more stress at this horrible time, Sydeny was such a beautiful little girl and my heart goes out to you and your family. You are with out a doubt correct that life is about family, friends, and love……..
I know this is very late. I just found out. I am heartbroken that this has happened. I knew the family, not for a long time, but everyone was very nice to me. I remember Sydney’s long curly hair and how beautiful she was. I know her family is hurting and will for a long time. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and Tim.
My name is Tara and I was Ivory’s sister. Her name was Crystal. She legally changed it after she had been diagnosed with munchausen syndrome and had her first child removed from her custody. Crystal and I share a father. Unfortunately Crystal spent most of her time with the other side of her family. As for Auntie Tammy and the rest of that half of the family- I hope that you can live with your choice to not bury Crystal. I too was very angry when I found out (via the news)what happened. Her father (which was her closest living relative) was left completely out of the information and the choice to send her body to the body farm. Crystal has been mentally unstable for a very long time. She kept most of us in the dark about where she was living. She moved a lot. She changed her name. She was married so many times! Her older sister Sabrina knew where she was but, no one ever thought she would go this far. Syd should have never been with her. Crystal and I were not very close the last few years. I had a hard time dealing with her mental illness. I saw her shortly before this. We talked briefly but, she seemed to be in a hurry. I wish that things could be different. I hope that my dad and I can obtain the ashes from the body farm to give Crystal a proper burial. It’s time for some closure-not hate.
Hi Tara – I am Syndey’s Aunt (Tim Black’s Sister). While I was very angry with Crystal (Ivory) in the beginning, I can assure you that I do not think that she is responsible for this tragedy now. I will do everything that I can to help you in providing a proper burial for Crystal (Ivory) as she certainly deserves one. Please send me an e-mail mcuster3@verizon.net.
There have been many comments and concerns expressed on behalf of this little girl and her mother, but I have not heard any comments by anyone who may have had a differing opinion. I, for one, do not believe that this was a suicide. I am also interested in knowing who authorized Ivory’s body to be sent to science. Did she have this in her will or on her driver’s license? Did her husband, Mr. Clark, make this decision?
For those of us who are related to either Sydney or Ivory, we should stay connected and focus on addressing some of these unclarified issues.
I can assure everyone that my family truly loved Sydney beyond imagination, and the holiday season is taking quite a toll on them. Sydney had a play room at her grandma and grandpa’s home where she loved to play music. Her grandpa was teaching her to play guitar and her dad was teaching her to play drums. She loved music so much that I truly believe she was going to be a musician! Last time I got to spend time with Sydney, we were at her great grandmother’s house and she and I went out to pick some blackberries and mulberries. Sydney liked the mullberries the most and ate quite a few of them! She was precious and there are so many special memories. My family was unable to gather for Thanksgiving and they are not having Christmas this year because they are unable to celebrate this close to little Sydney’s death.
My thoughts are with the family and friends of Ivory as well.
I know it will be tough for them to get through the holidays due to their loss. The right thing to do is to forgive and not point blame. None of us understood well enough what we really needed to know, and there is still much to be learned.
Aunt Rena, I had the pleasure of meeting with Aunt Missy not long ago and I too feel that there are many unanswered questions, I loved Ivory dearly and do not believe in my heart that she was capable of such an act, I will do WHATEVER I can to help out with this and if it’s the last thing I do I will see that her memory is not tarnished by those that did not know her………….my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family…………
Oh my…………I did not expect to find these writing’s about Crystal and Sydney but I am glad I have found this. For those of you who may want to know… Sydney has a half-sister. Crystal was married for the first time to my brother-in-law, James Patterson (Jimmy). I never got to know Crystal but I heard of plenty of bad things about her,etc…. how crazy she was and that she had multiple personalities, etc, etc. The reason I am doing some searching is because tonight I was told Sydney’s half sister (Lia) had found Crystal on a web-site and it had upset her. I do not know what site, etc. All of this is horrible, horrible for Crystal and Sydney both! I did not even know Crystal but I heard no one in her immediate family had talked to her in a couple or few weeks before her death. That is so sad to me. I have one sister I call or she calls me almost daily! If family and friends knew of Crystal’s illness, shame on you if you did not encourage Crystal to get help or if you did not call to see how she was, etc.
It is very late and I must get to bed. I will try to contact some of you maybe or check this site very soon.
AH
I just want to say one more thing, it is awful that even now in 2008/2009 people still call people crazy that are mentally ill!………… ignore it and walk a way because that is easier……….
Alicia,
I am Sydney’s Aunt. My brother (Sydney’s father) and I had the opportunity to meet James and Lia at Sydney’s funeral. We had talked on the phone several times prior to this. James is a wonderful person and his support during this tragedy meant the world to me and my family. Please know that we made every effort to contact Ivory and there is way more to this story than I care to share on a public website. My family is absolutely torn apart and I can assure you that we did not ignore the situation. Please feel free to contact me – mcuster3@verizon.net
Hi! Auntie Missy,
First I want to say I am very sorry that I implied anyone had ignored Ivory’s condition. I had so many thoughts going on in my mind the other night after I stumbled onto this site. I feel very sad that this happened and I was venting my anger toward people who don’t understand mental illness and the only things I have heard about Crystal (Ivory) came from her first husband’s side of the family…….like you I don’t want to discuss certain things on this public website. I read where Tara said Ivory had been diagnosed with munchausen syndrome and I have not heard of any of this from Jimmy’s side of the family. There is way more we all don’t know from several sides of each family. I hope time will ease your pain and I wish I could comfort you and your family in some way. We all have tragedy’s in life that turn our whole world upside down so remember you are not alone. If I can do anything for your family or you…… just to talk sometime or have someone listen can be a great help. I might send you an email soon. Alicia