In the quiet town of Kinston, Alabama, the life of 52-year-old Lisa Carol McLendon came to a tragic and violent end on March 10, 2009. A white female, Lisa was discovered deceased inside her home, the victim of a homicide perpetrated by her own son, Michael McLendon. The events of that day would unravel into a horrific rampage that would scar the community for years to come.
The initial discovery at Lisa's residence was grim. Firefighters responding to a blaze at the home found her body.
An investigation would later reveal that Michael had not only shot his mother but had also killed their three dogs before setting the house on fire. A letter found in a mailbox near the home, written by Michael, chillingly detailed his actions, stating he had put his mother, who he claimed had lung cancer, 'out of her misery.'
After murdering his mother, Michael McLendon, armed with multiple firearms including two assault rifles, embarked on a deadly shooting spree that terrorized two counties. He drove to the nearby town of Samson and opened fire on his relatives who were gathered on a porch, killing his uncle, grandmother, and two cousins, as well as a neighbor and her young daughter. Continuing his rampage, he shot and killed several other individuals at random as he drove through the area.
The violent spree concluded when law enforcement pursued Michael to the Reliable Products plant in Geneva. After a shootout with police, during which he wounded the Geneva Police Chief, Michael entered the building and took his own life. In total, Michael McLendon killed ten people before his suicide, leaving a trail of devastation and grief in his wake. The motive for his initial act of matricide and the subsequent massacre was not entirely clear, though a letter he left behind mentioned a dispute with his mother's family over a family Bible.
