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As Joseph Palcyznski neared the violent end he had
predicted, two women loomed largest in his life: the
one he asked to marry him and the one who gave him
birth.
Tracy Whitehead was 20 when she met the man she knew
as "Joby." She was older than his previous
girlfriends, and their relationship would last the longest,
18 months. By the time his violent jealousy finally
drove her away, Tracy had suffered his abuse but had
not forgotten his generosity. Joby was the one who helped
her find a better life, Joby was the one who believed
in her.
And Pat Long was the one who believed in him.
Before Joby met Tracy, his mother often packed his
lunch and left it in his mailbox. She helped him buy
the flashy cars, Jet Skis, designer label clothes - "the
finer things"- that attracted people to him. And
when trouble started, as it often did, she tried her
best to make things right between her son and his girlfriends.
Whoever Joseph loves, I love, she would say.
More than anyone, Pat knew her son's moods. When his
yelling and belittling progressed to a slap or a punch,
her instinct was to defend him. Over the years, he had
been convicted three times for beating teen-age girlfriends.
Pat blamed the behavior on mental illness. Joseph was "bipolar," she'd
say - but something had to trigger him. A girl's half-serious
kick, throwing a pillow at him - even little things
could "make them kind of people snap."
Tracy knew Joby had mental problems. She knew he had
gone to jail for assault. But she believed him when
he said he would never hurt her.
And she believed him when he said he would never hurt
her again.
When Tracy finally left him last March, Joby's pursuit
of her triggered a rampage in which he killed four people
and took her family hostage. His life would reach the
tragic ending he had long predicted - and that his mother
had spent years trying to prevent.
The day her son was arrested for beating his girlfriend,
Pat Long had begged Tracy to change her story and warned
police: If you charge him, you're going to read about
him in the paper!
Both women knew Joe Palcyznski's temper was explosive.
They knew he would do almost anything to stay out of
jail. And they knew how much he hated to be alone.
But one had to leave him.
The other would never let go.
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