A family featured on the ABC show Wife Swap found themselves at the center of a double murder and attempted suicide almost a decade after appearing on the reality series.
Kathryn "Kathy" Stockdale was the wife and mom at the center of the swap. She was married to Tim, and together they had four sons who had a family band. Viewers learned that the Stockdales lived a very secluded life so that Kathy could protect her sons from the evils of the world. Sadly, that was not enough.
The Stockdale family made headlines again in 2017 when Kathy and son James were found dead, each with gunshot wounds to their heads. The two were shot by another of Kathy's sons, 25-year-old Jacob, who then attempted to take his own life.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
In 2008, the world was introduced to the Stockdale family on Wife Swap. The family consisted of then 44-year-old Kathy, 48-year-old Tim, 19-year-old Calvin, 16-year-old Charles, 15-year-old Jacob, and 11-year-old James.
The couple explained they moved from the big city while growing their religious family to protect their four boys from evil influences. Although their oldest was an adult, none of the four boys were allowed to date, curse, or do many other activities typical of their peers.
Kathy swapped with Laurie Tonkovic, who had a liberal and relaxed family by comparison. Laurie seemed perplexed by Kathy's system, where her kids could earn tokens to use on candy or time listening to the radio (but no pop or rap music). She was also taken aback by the family's bluegrass band, which Kathy managed.
Still, Laurie never imagined she'd be contacted nearly a decade later and asked to comment on a tragedy in the Stockdale family. On June 15, 2017, Kathy and her youngest son, 21-year-old James, were found were shot in the head and killed by her second youngest son, 25-year-old Jacob. Jacob then turned the gun on himself, though he survived.
Laurie recalled her allowing the family to live by looser standards. While the other kids took advantage, she said Jacob worried his family would "burn in hell." She believes the strict living conditions may have contributed to the double murder.
"When I switched the rules and I was going to let them have fun, let them have a television and video games, and experience life a little bit, [Jacob] ran outside crying," she recalled.
"And when I went out after him, I asked him what was wrong, and he said that his mom and dad would tell him that he would 'burn in hell,'" she continued.
"God gives you free will — free will, they didn't have. They weren't allowed to make choices. I think it just caught up to him."
Jacob reportedly tried communicating with police officers who arrived on the scene, but they were unable to understand him because he had shot himself in the face. His father, Tim, was not home at the time of the shootings. He learned of the murders when he was stopped by police less than a mile from the family home.
Following his medical treatment, Jacob was arrested in September 2018 and charged with two counts of murder. Initially, he pleaded not guilty to the crimes.
In January 2019, Jacob's defense attorney requested a second psychological evaluation, since the first was given during Jacob's recovery from his injuries. Jacob was determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial. In April 2021, he pleaded guilty to killing his mother and brother.
Stark County Common Pleas Court Judge Frank Forchione then sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison. To this day, the motive behind the double shooting has yet to be revealed.
