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This Dad is such a strong man. I have no doubt his faith has given him his strength in this situation. I pray this Dad is able to find peace and Happiness in the future!
No. The father was & is a man of faith. He would have forgiven anyone. It being his son or not he was forgiving whomever it would have been from the moment it happened.
I’m sorry, but dad is in denial like most parents of children that do heinous things but he knows deep down inside and in his heart that his son was capable of it. He just chose to sweep it under the rug because he has unconditional love towards his child.
You say that as if it’s a fault on the father! What parent would ever want to think such henious thoughts about their child and how could they continue to show unconditional LOVE FOR THAT CHILD!
Forgiveness for the sake of my own peace of mind was something I had to learn in a hard way. I am glad I did because I have moved on and have reached on the better side of my life.
If more people took on this mindset, they’d be a lot less miserable. I’ve watched too many people destroy their own lives and become angry, bitter people who spend the rest of their lives blaming their own bad choices on one person for the rest of their lives because they refused to let go & move on. You don’t even necessarily have to forgive, but you need to make peace in SOME way, or you will carry that anger, and so many other negative, destructive feelings forever. It destroys people, families, relationships. Don’t ruin your own lives (and too often SO many other people in your lives, people you love) because somebody else did something terrible. Emotional maturity may seem like a hard thing to grasp & hold onto after experiencing a tragedy, but EVERYONE should be reaching for it. Too many people let one tragedy turn into years & years of needless suffering. Find a way to channel that anger & negativity into something positive.
This man is really strong and he decide from the point of love than hate & as a parent you will always love your child period because the bond is so strong blood is thicker than water ❤😢
People making statements like this, while perhaps not intentional, are making unnecessary judgements & shaming people that DO stay in their houses after violent crimes. A lot of people don’t even have the choice or ability to be able to leave/relocate and move somewhere else; that’s a LOT of expenses for the move alone, not to mention the $$ needed for funerals, having to likely already miss a bunch of work & wages because they’ve been dealing with whatever tragedy they are in the midst of, etc. This is not a financially possibility for many people who are victims and/or survivors of violent crimes. You say you couldn’t live in a house where something like this happened, but how do you actually know that? Most people who stay do NOT want to, they just don’t have a choice. Your circumstances at the time might not leave you any choice, as is the case with COUNTLESS people. Just think about how many people are left as single parents, raising children on their own now, after something terrible happens. They are the sole financial source, and moving alone is expensive. You have to actually consider the reality of the situation. We’d all like to think we’d be able to leave that pain behind, but in reality, everyone cannot make that happen. Also, moving is at the top of the list of the most stressful life situations that people go through, that’s been proven. Imagine how utterly exhausting that would be for people already drained from what they’re going through. Sometimes it’s better for people to stay in the homes they’ve known, so often, for a huge chunk of their lives, & they don’t want to start over in a new house, where they have NO memories anywhere of their now-deceased loved ones.
The term narcissist is so overused these days but my goodness this kid was a classic narcissist. They only see other people as obstacles to their success or as objects to get them satisfaction How awful for this family-Rest in Peace
Wow, he got a rolex and than he killed his parents!!!! How sad is that!!! How would a son and a brother could do such a thing ??? The devil clearly controlled his mind. I cannot imagine the sadness in his father’s heart! I can see the love he has for his family and how hard is for him to accept what his son did. I cannot imagine what would his mother say, had she lived to learn that her son killed her. So sad! May God protect parents of evil kids!
But mom is the one that said she absolutely did not believe the rumor about her son plotting to kill her family? Did she ignore her instincts? Both parents were in denial poor sweet souls
There’s a world of difference between denial and forgiveness. And you’re definitely mistaking them here. This comment is gross and super disrespectful to this very strong, good man. He chose forgiveness, and to not let the anger and bitterness ruin his life, like SO many others do. More people should follow suit in the face of tragedy - for their own well-being, and that of everyone close to them.
@@Ladybird.21can u please preach this to the Parklands victims family....I get their anger and hatred(hell Im still hateful towards MJs Dr). But some of them are still hurting and hating,I wish they can heal Sooner.but this dad still has denial or some level of it
Denial is a coping mechanism after trauma. To admit to yourself that your own child did this would probably cripple anyone emotionally. But he also lives with that voice in his head telling him the truth. Every day. He just tunes it out to avoid the pain
We’re seeing this more often now. Kids who were enabled by loving parents but didn’t notice the lies & manipulations. Then they grow up with anger and lack empathy for others. Scott Peterson & Casey Anthony are examples. And even after their heinous crimes, the parents forgive them. It’s hard to break the trauma bond in these families.
No i disagree, some kids are just born with darkness in them and there’s nothing you as a parent can do to stop it. You could love them more, love them less, catch them out on the lies….that is just who they are. People have a hard time believing some people are just born with a bit dark in them
I agree with you bright blonde, but in the case of Casey Anthony, her parents have cut her from the family life. There was a documentary that Casey put out and that sealed the parents decision to disown her totally.
Is there a possibility that the dad knew from the start that his son was the killer and that is why he made that incredulous statement about forgiving the killer?? Just a thought...
I think that at some level the Dad knew that something wasn't right with their eldest son.I think that,as parents,we want to see and hope for the best with our children.
What's strange to me is, he claims he felt inadequate, he was angry and wanted revenge for being given a life that he felt he could never measure up to the expectations, so he wanted to take out his entire family, but if that was true... With him being the lone survivor, his burden of inadequacy would still have to be lived out.. so maybe he just wanted them to die to be the soul beneficiary of their assets, ins policies, etc.
U totally agree. He was blowing smoke.... He is clearly a manipulator. He honestly thought he wouldn't get caught. I assume his parents solely trusted him because I would have wanted to see some grades or something...
The father is too nice. He said he didn't have access to his kids college records bc he was 18yo? I know it is the law but aren't you still paying for his college expenses? Unless the kid is financially independent, you must ask or insist to have access. That could have change this outcome. I feel bad for everyone but particularly for the younger boy.
Maybe Dad’s enabling created this issue. I hope Dad isn’t monetarily supporting his son …. It would be like the Mother and son that were murdered died to support this monster.
I think he disrespects his dead wife and son by embracing their murderer. I don’t admire it, I find it disturbing. He is STILL being manipulated by his psychopath son. Sad.
WITH A SCHEDULE AS BUSY AS OPRAH. . SHE STILL MANAGE TO READ A BOOK. . . IMPRESSIVE DEDICATION!! GIVE KEN THE BENEFIT OF THE DDUBT. . . A GOOD HUSBAND, PROVIDER, FRIEND, CHRISTIAN, FATHER. . . . LET' PRAY FOR HIM TO HEAL!!1
Everyone thinks that. People surprise themselves in these circumstances every day. But not forgiving too often ends up destroying the person, and often everyone around them that’s close to them, because they can’t ever let go of their anger. And that anger can bleed into every faucet, every relationship, every work experience, etc. in their lives. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you still don’t hold onto some anger & a lot of other feelings, but you are choosing to let go of the destructive feelings that negatively affect your life - you’re choosing not to hurt yourself, moving forward. Because that’s what inevitably happens when you hold onto those deep, intense negative feelings. People need to stop thinking of forgiveness as some kind of weakness, and instead as an act of self-love. Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the person who did harm to your life, but instead you’re choosing yourself and not sacrificing your future happiness in order to hold onto anger that doesn’t actually affect or hurt the person who did something wrong to you or loved ones, it only hurts you.
I feel like the father is naïve and the mother questioned it when she found out that he wanted to kill his family but unfortunately she didn’t do with that information and this Unfortunately happened
He does not want to leave his house it’s full of memories people should not be cruel to the dad, he is doing his best he’s been through enough without reading. Horrible comments
Watch the movie "we have to talk about Kevin'. It is all about this. Left me haunted for a couple of days. BTW my parents lived in this same subdivision for 20 years. The movie was made from a novel about a kid who grew up as a sociopath who did it during his sophomore year of hs. I assumed he hated his happy family because he had zero feelings. His mother survived and had to love him in prison just like this poor man.
@@PhnxI3 yes, I didn't mean it was an account of the same case. It's just about the topic. As I said in my comment, the movie was made from a novel (fictional).
If the police coming to your door and telling you your son is going to kill you. If that isn't a flag, I don't know what is. That father is in complete denial. His pride won't allow him to believe he raised a monster. It's like the wife and other son didn't matter. Even in the prison interview it's all about him.
Learn to listen. The son gave him a convincing lie. If you think that the police telling you your son is going to murder you, and he feeds you a convincing lie, and you believe THEM over your son, then you don't love your son. Most parents who love their children BELIEVE THEM. It's so easy in retrospect, with hindsight, but the lie he told him was a terrific one. You cannot deny that. But I know you didn't even catch that part and ran over here just to JUDGE, which says a lot about you.
"His pride won't allow him to believe he raised a monster" What the hell does this even mean? Raised a monster? So you're one of those, completely ignorant people who have no idea what turns people to sociopaths, but are so delighted in blaming the parents. You sound hateful, which again, is a YOU problem that I hope you fix. Because it's nasty to read. Can't imagine being in your head all day.
I was reading that they gave him the death penalty and then they retracted and gave them life I hate when they do that if you’re gonna get the death penalty Follow through I’m sick and tired of paying taxpayers money with these killers
I agree completely. I had heard on BBC / NPR, it costs $200k to keep those incarcerated per year. All I can think of is what good could be done with this money. I feel it's good money thrown after bad. A waste.
Oprah acts like she would've done something about it before hand from the first warning. She could never understand what it's like to be a parent. Even if you see signs of problems, you think it's not a big deal, and whether or not you help get them into therapy, we as parents would never see it escalate to something this horrific!
it's so easy as an outsider looking in to say "I would've done this" or "I would've suspected" etc. I hope just as a host she's trying to open him up by playing devils advocate, but in this case, the man's been through enough! does not need a non-parent questioning his past decisions.
I just don't understand, why a child will want to kill their parents. If the parents are abusive extremely abusive which some parents are. I might can understand still there is no excuse to kill your family 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
Kent actually petitioned the Governor of Texas to spare his son’s life. Kent Whitaker pleaded to the governor that Bart was all he had left. So in an unprecedented move the governor commuted Bart’s death sentence to LWOP. If I am telling something that was in the video just consider this reinforcement because I did t read all the comments or watch the whole video.
I don't condone what Bart did. It's horrible and there would have been other choices for him to deal differently with the situation. However, I think what Bart said in prison was truthful. It can be extremely painful for a child to not be "seen" truly. He said his parents loved their optimized version of him. That's typical for narcissistic parents. It doesn't matter how many excursions or presents the parents made and gave to their son, what matters is the true connection. Probably noone wanted to connect to Bart and his true feelings , the father is still in denial about his feelings as he probably was all his life. As a result Bart never developed a identity and was left with an inner emptiness. For that he had to create a "show identity" (which is what narcissism is). There are reasons in childhood for such behaviour, we should never pretend it all came out of the blue. The father is taking absolutely no responsibility. That's also typical. Now he can forgive his son and be again the "great dad".
Dad is not strong. He is oblivious...I'm sure his wife tried to confide in him before she went to her friends and he probably dismissed her. He knows what a narcissist is but he blew it off and umbrellaed it like he was "cocky" n arrogant... He is stronger than I am....I couldn't do it.
@@florinerhodes8543I thought the same thing. The father seems to be in some fog. This whole story seems contrived. What happened to the shooters? Did I miss something? How could the father not know the son was not in school. He couldn't have been paying tuition if the son was not enrolled? Where was he sending the $? I am very confused. The father can forgive his son but how can he not forget? That's a hard call for me. Maybe father is more God fearing than I.
Bart was the worst of the worst, I would not support him after murdering his family, I understand forgiveness but not talking & seeing him after the fact, I don’t get that at all!!!! He needs to be reminded of what he done everyday, the dad needs to leave him alone & let him face the consequences
Correct,this is what's up with the world today,kids are being excused or parents are to soft,if they do the crime they do the time it's as simple as that! My child knows this,I won't cover or excuse, they know right from wrong.
We feel in order to heal. Otherwise, how do we know we are healing? At one point, dad said, "This person..." when referring to his son. forgiveness is a process, not just a principle. We must be careful not to think because we have the ability to forgive, the feeling eventually goes away by itself. I hope dad continues to check in with himself from time to time. It can be surprising what can get buried in the mind and body. Peace and condolences.
It begs to question , what was their parenting like? I’m not blaming them , I am questioning them. Narcissists are made. You can have a genetic predisposition but something has to trigger it.
I feel like young people are bombarded with narcissistic role models from reality TV and just media in general. Parents need to make sure their kids don’t get corrupted by it.
11:10 this so familiar! Casey Anthony lying compulsively to her parents George and Cindy who believed the most ridiculous lies out of her - Kent and Tricia automatically believing Bart’s academic probation was actually due to scheduling problems??? No school is going to ruin a student’s academic record due to a scheduling conflict!! The ability a parent has to blind themselves from the truth about their kids is unbelievable! I’m trying to put myself in Kent’s place - cops come to my door and tell me my daughter tried to have me killed? It all depends on that child’s behavior leading up to that .., were there issues and concerns before that ?
I don't like how Oprah is so short with people her demeanor is just odd it's like this man's family was murdered by his only living son left and she shows no sympathy
This son is clearly a sociopath and narcissist and like a classic narcissist, he NEVER gives straightforward answers and says what he thinks people want to hear in that moment to evoke a certain emotion from the person they’re looking to manipulate. Being in denial is a choice, and it’s clear his father has been in denial about his son for many years prior to the tragedy. He’s gaslighting the hell out of everybody in this interview. Look at how careful he’s being with his words when he speaks.
@@Potsticker2They’re stating that the dad isn’t giving straightforward answers while Oprah is interviewing him which is correct. Rewatch how he answers everything as if he’s trying to protect something.
@@Potsticker2it was the son that was being referred to as not giving straight forward answers…the dad is just being a dad irrespective of the son’s personality
I’ll pray that Kent moves on yes forgiveness but also don’t keep on going to the jail and gets stuck with visiting him all the time and then you can’t move on and start another life with him being in the way
Obviously not??? lol??? It’s his son and he did it to his own mother and brother. That man is living in a constant nightmare. Y’all really don’t seem to get it still???
Oprah’s behaviour as interviewer is bizarrely clinical and cold to me. I understand her frustration with the father but my god show some empathy, this man has lost everything! Not even a ‘sorry for your loss’ was uttered.
The son that wanted his father dead. The father that saved his son from death. Later, the Gov commutes his sentence because of his father’s persistence to save him. That man is indeed, Christ-like and is an absolute example of Christianity. 🙏
Terrifying! Appears to be a sociopath and a psychopath. He didn't experience abuse, but a lot of love and is still incapable of feeling anything himself including remorse. He will only get worse in prison when it's the survival of the most evil.
This son is the height of any parent's nightmare... it's frightening to understand that your own blood has the capacity to do this... it's beyond... something to remember, - a mother's intuition...
He didn’t complete his freshman year?.. so the parents were still paying tuition for years. The college didn’t send notice your son dropped out ? Makes no sense?
This father is the epitome of Unconditional LOVE from a parent! He fought so hard to keep his son from the DP! He didn’t and doesn’t want to lose his only child to the DP. I do understand that. To think he will lose everything from a marriage of 27 yrs. What will this father be left with? For the Fathers sake, I wish the son wasn’t given the DP!
The parents took part in creating this situation. They were enabling their son every single day. The way the father is, shows exactly why his son was allowed to get away with everything.
Sounds like the dad is in denial. I would have never allow him to live in the home. Son or not. I don't think I could ever forgive him. He killed his mother a brother
My heart goes out to the dad. The Son that did the killing I think maybe is a psychopath. Your mother your brother your dad how could you do this to your family 😢
what i am thinking is that mb of greedy and thinking that he get everything when he wipe up his family,it so anoying that he recruit these young man to do his horrible thing,
I can’t wrap my brain around how you wouldn’t have known your child wasn’t attending College for 4 years? Did they ever visit him at school? Parents weekend? Help move him in to dorm? Was he that good of a manipulator?!
Have you walked in this man's shoes!!!How should he be acting!!!..What h has been through is absolutely shocking...your own child trying to kill you,killed his mother and brother!!! What is a correct way to act after that!!easy to judge and comment when your watching the story,and not part of that story
He wanted revenge for being alive? Then why kill THEM?? Why not take yourself away if you hated being alive?? Manipulator 100% what a wonderful father he’s got! Mine is terrible! If I could trade fathers I would ask for this amazing man. ☹️💔
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No thank you
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😂 Oh yeah, I’d love to support Oprah in the same way she did in Maui 🙄
This Dad is such a strong man. I have no doubt his faith has given him his strength in this situation. I pray this Dad is able to find peace and Happiness in the future!
Forgiveness isn’t for the person who hurt you, it’s for yourself so you can move on.
I agree wholeheartedly
Forgiveness is like releasing the prisoner and finding the prisoner is you.
Father even identified, the killer Son,was very much like him.When he was Young.
LEARNED BEHAVIOR FROM HIS MALE ROLE MODELS AROUND HIM.
Who's the real Christian...?
This man lost his entire family in a span of a minute. Thats so traumatic. What a strong man.
You can tell that he's a kind man. What a terrible thing to have happened to him 😔
How is he strong just because he survived?
He didn’t do anything
@@lilli1259 Hes able to talk about it without breaking down, thats a low in life. Dont be dense.
When the eyes are dead like that you know you are in trouble
Evil dead eyes.. I’ve never seen eyes like his. It’s disturbing like nothings there.
I think the reason the father said he would forgive the killer whoever it is is because deep down he knew it was his son!
Sad, but true. 😢
Metallica!!!!
Yep!
Yes, my thoughts also.
No. The father was & is a man of faith. He would have forgiven anyone. It being his son or not he was forgiving whomever it would have been from the moment it happened.
Imagine having such a loving family and that’s how you reward them, he broke his father’s heart.
I’m sorry, but dad is in denial like most parents of children that do heinous things but he knows deep down inside and in his heart that his son was capable of it. He just chose to sweep it under the rug because he has unconditional love towards his child.
You say that as if it’s a fault on the father! What parent would ever want to think such henious thoughts about their child and how could they continue to show unconditional LOVE FOR THAT CHILD!
@@lisajeter9511 Reading is fundamental !!!
They love their kids but hate what they did.
He's having to cope with so so much. None of us know how we would react. I have n idea how he's still upright and functioning..
No loving parent would believe their child is capable of murder. He’s acting like a normal father would act
Forgiveness for the sake of my own peace of mind was something I had to learn in a hard way. I am glad I did because I have moved on and have reached on the better side of my life.
I disagree
@@Astrid-jt8cd🙄thanks for adding nothing to the conversation.
If more people took on this mindset, they’d be a lot less miserable. I’ve watched too many people destroy their own lives and become angry, bitter people who spend the rest of their lives blaming their own bad choices on one person for the rest of their lives because they refused to let go & move on.
You don’t even necessarily have to forgive, but you need to make peace in SOME way, or you will carry that anger, and so many other negative, destructive feelings forever.
It destroys people, families, relationships.
Don’t ruin your own lives (and too often SO many other people in your lives, people you love) because somebody else did something terrible.
Emotional maturity may seem like a hard thing to grasp & hold onto after experiencing a tragedy, but EVERYONE should be reaching for it.
Too many people let one tragedy turn into years & years of needless suffering.
Find a way to channel that anger & negativity into something positive.
Forgiveness for the sake OF MY OWN PEACE OF MIND. Right. That's why you forgive.
Hiw do you forgive?
This man is strong. There's no way I could live in the same house my family was slaughtered. No way.
This man is really strong and he decide from the point of love than hate & as a parent you will always love your child period because the bond is so strong blood is thicker than water ❤😢
But what if both the son and father planned it?!?!?!?!?!? 🧐
Keep in mind the father suffered superficial wounds.
I know right. Too creepy.
Jjjjjjjhhx vxxxhhxxjj
@@youuuknooow7699
People making statements like this, while perhaps not intentional, are making unnecessary judgements & shaming people that DO stay in their houses after violent crimes.
A lot of people don’t even have the choice or ability to be able to leave/relocate and move somewhere else; that’s a LOT of expenses for the move alone, not to mention the $$ needed for funerals, having to likely already miss a bunch of work & wages because they’ve been dealing with whatever tragedy they are in the midst of, etc.
This is not a financially possibility for many people who are victims and/or survivors of violent crimes.
You say you couldn’t live in a house where something like this happened, but how do you actually know that?
Most people who stay do NOT want to, they just don’t have a choice.
Your circumstances at the time might not leave you any choice, as is the case with COUNTLESS people.
Just think about how many people are left as single parents, raising children on their own now, after something terrible happens. They are the sole financial source, and moving alone is expensive.
You have to actually consider the reality of the situation.
We’d all like to think we’d be able to leave that pain behind, but in reality, everyone cannot make that happen.
Also, moving is at the top of the list of the most stressful life situations that people go through, that’s been proven.
Imagine how utterly exhausting that would be for people already drained from what they’re going through.
Sometimes it’s better for people to stay in the homes they’ve known, so often, for a huge chunk of their lives, & they don’t want to start over in a new house, where they have NO memories anywhere of their now-deceased loved ones.
The term narcissist is so overused these days but my goodness this kid was a classic narcissist. They only see other people as obstacles to their success or as objects to get them satisfaction
How awful for this family-Rest in Peace
Wow, he got a rolex and than he killed his parents!!!! How sad is that!!! How would a son and a brother could do such a thing ??? The devil clearly controlled his mind. I cannot imagine the sadness in his father’s heart! I can see the love he has for his family and how hard is for him to accept what his son did. I cannot imagine what would his mother say, had she lived to learn that her son killed her. So sad! May God protect parents of evil kids!
In another docu it said that he wanted rid of them for the inheritance ...
@@simoneu.nathaus7292 did you watch the same show I did? I don't think he's evil, I think he has a mental illness, that needs to be treated!
Awesome lesson for all of us going into this holiday season.
😢 Thank you for this wonderful interview oprah
I remember this HORRIFIC story! Such a family tragedy over something so senseless!
I really believe a mother has more of an instinct about their kids than the dad.
Clearly not in this case!
But mom is the one that said she absolutely did not believe the rumor about her son plotting to kill her family? Did she ignore her instincts? Both parents were in denial poor sweet souls
This man is and will stay in Denial to get through.
There’s a world of difference between denial and forgiveness. And you’re definitely mistaking them here.
This comment is gross and super disrespectful to this very strong, good man.
He chose forgiveness, and to not let the anger and bitterness ruin his life, like SO many others do. More people should follow suit in the face of tragedy - for their own well-being, and that of everyone close to them.
He’s way in too much denial where it’s not helping the psychopath son of his
He’s way in too much denial where it’s not helping the psychopath son of his
@@Ladybird.21can u please preach this to the Parklands victims family....I get their anger and hatred(hell Im still hateful towards MJs Dr).
But some of them are still hurting and hating,I wish they can heal Sooner.but this dad still has denial or some level of it
Denial is a coping mechanism after trauma. To admit to yourself that your own child did this would probably cripple anyone emotionally. But he also lives with that voice in his head telling him the truth. Every day. He just tunes it out to avoid the pain
He’s got them dark lifeless eyes
yep I noticed that too!
He knew his son did it.... Which is why he said he forgives whoever did it....
the father is sick in his own way. horrible.
Grieving is a process. Kent is a beautiful Christian he had to climb a mountain most don’t know or can relate too. Blessings on Kent’s life. 🙏❤️
I lost six friends and relatives in 2018 - thus grief has no time limit.
The father is a whimp. Why did he not look at his son's records of college. This makes no sense to me. Son is nuts. Father is the major problem
Dad had his head in the sand.
Keeping up appearances is priority number one for many.
Poor mother, poor younger brother, and poor surviving father.
We’re seeing this more often now. Kids who were enabled by loving parents but didn’t notice the lies & manipulations. Then they grow up with anger and lack empathy for others. Scott Peterson & Casey Anthony are examples. And even after their heinous crimes, the parents forgive them. It’s hard to break the trauma bond in these families.
No i disagree, some kids are just born with darkness in them and there’s nothing you as a parent can do to stop it. You could love them more, love them less, catch them out on the lies….that is just who they are. People have a hard time believing some people are just born with a bit dark in them
I have met a lot of peers & friends at school who were classic narcissists and their parents always supported and protected their kids .
I agree with you bright blonde, but in the case of Casey Anthony, her parents have cut her from the family life. There was a documentary that Casey put out and that sealed the parents decision to disown her totally.
This is a very sad tragedy, but I commend Kent. He is a man with a good heart, and God will 🙌 and heal him.
That's unconditional love because that is his dad . He did the ultimate betrayal and his dad still loves him
Gosh, how tragic but what a special man to embrace forgiveness like this. God bless him 🙏🏾 ❤ 🙏🏾
God bless this man! I love him!!! Such an ambassador for Christ!
🙏🙏🙏 A Great Lesson On Forgiveness. A Remarkable Man
Profound Wisdom To Healing
Thank You.
Is there a possibility that the dad knew from the start that his son was the killer and that is why he made that incredulous statement about forgiving the killer?? Just a thought...
No.He is a strong believer in Christ .
I think that at some level the Dad knew that something wasn't right with their eldest son.I think that,as parents,we want to see and hope for the best with our children.
Exactly 💯
What's strange to me is, he claims he felt inadequate, he was angry and wanted revenge for being given a life that he felt he could never measure up to the expectations, so he wanted to take out his entire family, but if that was true... With him being the lone survivor, his burden of inadequacy would still have to be lived out.. so maybe he just wanted them to die to be the soul beneficiary of their assets, ins policies, etc.
U totally agree. He was blowing smoke.... He is clearly a manipulator. He honestly thought he wouldn't get caught. I assume his parents solely trusted him because I would have wanted to see some grades or something...
Yup, that's what I thought too. If he REALLY felt inadequate, he would have taken HIMSELF out, not others. He's a lying POS.
I think he’s just an evil person…that is it. Just pure evil
Kevin was such a handsome kid…he’d be in his late 30’s today.
The father is too nice. He said he didn't have access to his kids college records bc he was 18yo? I know it is the law but aren't you still paying for his college expenses? Unless the kid is financially independent, you must ask or insist to have access. That could have change this outcome. I feel bad for everyone but particularly for the younger boy.
Some people want to have children but not do the hard work of parenting and being involved. I have someone in my life who is like that.
@@jaykay3839it feels great to judge people from the outside right?🙄
You can’t access though…
He’s still in denial! Poor man!
My thoughts exactly. It’s still so hard for him to even talk negative about his son
Maybe Dad’s enabling created this issue. I hope Dad isn’t monetarily supporting his son …. It would be like the Mother and son that were murdered died to support this monster.
He may be in denial, but it's hard to fathom that your child would do this to his family. Also, he still loves his son.
I don't think it's denial..I honestly believe it's shock.
This young man needs to ask God for forgiveness and live the rest of of his life in prayer
He says he doesn't make excuses, yet he's doing nothing but make excuses
I think he disrespects his dead wife and son by embracing their murderer. I don’t admire it, I find it disturbing. He is STILL being manipulated by his psychopath son. Sad.
I agree! This Dad is part of the problem.
@@theresaterry164 Part of what problem?
@@QuadriviumNumbers ok’ing everything that boy has done…..
Yes! Google has spoiled he was!!!
I agree - he is over-empathizing which is toxic
Somehow both father and son appear cut off from their emotions. A core identity seems to be missing.
100%
Yeah the son killed it, literally.
Overly religious…Deny your emotions and blindly forgive the unforgivable.
WITH A SCHEDULE AS BUSY AS OPRAH. . SHE STILL MANAGE TO READ A BOOK. . . IMPRESSIVE DEDICATION!! GIVE KEN THE BENEFIT OF THE DDUBT. . . A GOOD HUSBAND, PROVIDER, FRIEND, CHRISTIAN, FATHER. . . . LET' PRAY FOR HIM TO HEAL!!1
You know her schedule? Grow up!
@@QuadriviumNumbers ARE YOU STUPID?? YOU MUST BE. . NOW FIGURE OUT WHY ??
This is what happens when u give you're children Everything they want !!!!!!!!!
This is so crazy , that he still lives in the house
He doesn’t anymore.he married again and moved out
@@pamc7307where did you hear that?
@@Bobjenner1787 - watch the video til the end!
29:24 - 29:34 Oprah was done with this man's denial 😂😂
I agree! I respect and appreciate Oprah. She's a special lady.
😂
I couldn't have forgiven him if i were the dad.
Everyone thinks that. People surprise themselves in these circumstances every day.
But not forgiving too often ends up destroying the person, and often everyone around them that’s close to them, because they can’t ever let go of their anger.
And that anger can bleed into every faucet, every relationship, every work experience, etc. in their lives.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean you still don’t hold onto some anger & a lot of other feelings, but you are choosing to let go of the destructive feelings that negatively affect your life - you’re choosing not to hurt yourself, moving forward.
Because that’s what inevitably happens when you hold onto those deep, intense negative feelings.
People need to stop thinking of forgiveness as some kind of weakness, and instead as an act of self-love.
Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the person who did harm to your life, but instead you’re choosing yourself and not sacrificing your future happiness in order to hold onto anger that doesn’t actually affect or hurt the person who did something wrong to you or loved ones, it only hurts you.
If you can’t forgive, how can you be expected to be forgiven.
I feel like the father is naïve and the mother questioned it when she found out that he wanted to kill his family but unfortunately she didn’t do with that information and this Unfortunately happened
The father is so naïve
Obviously!
He does not want to leave his house it’s full of memories people should not be cruel to the dad, he is doing his best he’s been through enough without reading. Horrible comments
He remarried in 2009 and moved into another home.( see end of this docu)
Watch the movie "we have to talk about Kevin'. It is all about this. Left me haunted for a couple of days. BTW my parents lived in this same subdivision for 20 years. The movie was made from a novel about a kid who grew up as a sociopath who did it during his sophomore year of hs. I assumed he hated his happy family because he had zero feelings. His mother survived and had to love him in prison just like this poor man.
The movie "we have to talk about Kevin“ is NOT about this case! It’s a fictional school m@s$acr3.
@@PhnxI3 yes, I didn't mean it was an account of the same case. It's just about the topic. As I said in my comment, the movie was made from a novel (fictional).
Modern parenting techniques & lifestyle has created a generation of entitled monsters!!!
Bart was a gen Xer but nice try though!
Bart was born in 1979. He’s literally a year younger than my mom. Wtf are you talking about ?👎🏾
The son has dead eyes.
Yes he does
My heart realy goes out to Kent this is realy a lot to handle may the Lord strengthen him 🙏
If the police coming to your door and telling you your son is going to kill you. If that isn't a flag, I don't know what is. That father is in complete denial. His pride won't allow him to believe he raised a monster. It's like the wife and other son didn't matter. Even in the prison interview it's all about him.
Learn to listen. The son gave him a convincing lie. If you think that the police telling you your son is going to murder you, and he feeds you a convincing lie, and you believe THEM over your son, then you don't love your son. Most parents who love their children BELIEVE THEM. It's so easy in retrospect, with hindsight, but the lie he told him was a terrific one. You cannot deny that. But I know you didn't even catch that part and ran over here just to JUDGE, which says a lot about you.
"His pride won't allow him to believe he raised a monster" What the hell does this even mean? Raised a monster? So you're one of those, completely ignorant people who have no idea what turns people to sociopaths, but are so delighted in blaming the parents. You sound hateful, which again, is a YOU problem that I hope you fix. Because it's nasty to read. Can't imagine being in your head all day.
Theres absolutely no way i could forgive. Not a chance.
Same here. Someone murdered my brother 8 years ago. I would never forgive that person for wat they did to my family
I'm very sorry to hear. 😢
My uncle got murdered in the 90s by 3 men,he was 40.
@cc-fi1lw
@@cc-fi1lw I did reply but my comment has gone? 🤔
@@cc-fi1lwSorry to hear.💔
My uncle was mu.rdered too,in the 90"s in a pub,his local. He was 40.
@@GA-fz2wt oh, wow. Thank u tho
What a sweet and kind-hearted father but he is also very gullible and evasive. I would be very suspicious of Bart had I been his mother!
I was reading that they gave him the death penalty and then they retracted and gave them life I hate when they do that if you’re gonna get the death penalty Follow through I’m sick and tired of paying taxpayers money with these killers
I agree completely. I had heard on BBC / NPR, it costs $200k to keep those incarcerated per year. All I can think of is what good could be done with this money. I feel it's good money thrown after bad. A waste.
Let he without sin cast the first stone
Abbott did it because his father pleaded for his son’s life. SMH.
Oprah acts like she would've done something about it before hand from the first warning. She could never understand what it's like to be a parent. Even if you see signs of problems, you think it's not a big deal, and whether or not you help get them into therapy, we as parents would never see it escalate to something this horrific!
Well said, she DOES NOT know what it's like to be a parent......a billionaire though. 🤔
it's so easy as an outsider looking in to say "I would've done this" or "I would've suspected" etc. I hope just as a host she's trying to open him up by playing devils advocate, but in this case, the man's been through enough! does not need a non-parent questioning his past decisions.
She was very in attack mode ! She never should let to do the interview horrible?!! She's a narcissist
What could you do to prevent it anyway? Almost impossible by that point.
You don’t have to be a parent to know you would do something when the police tell you your kid is plotting your murder.
Very spoiled, narcissistic kid.
Basically his parents loved him too much and he has everything what other wish they have
I just don't understand, why a child will want to kill their parents. If the parents are abusive extremely abusive which some parents are. I might can understand still there is no excuse to kill your family 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
I’m baffled by the same thing , there’s something very wrong with him .
Simple. Evil exists. The eldest son is evil and a cold blood murderer. No conscience.
If he had got away with it he'd have inherited all their money.
@@sarahholland2600 well is kinda is …… Dad is supporting him monetarily I am sure …. Blood money!
In cases of extreme abuse it's justified
Kent actually petitioned the Governor of Texas to spare his son’s life. Kent Whitaker pleaded to the governor that Bart was all he had left. So in an unprecedented move the governor commuted Bart’s death sentence to LWOP. If I am telling something that was in the video just consider this reinforcement because I did t read all the comments or watch the whole video.
Oh wow, so Bart didn’t get the death sentence?
Something is very wrong with this individual.... the father..
He seems fake. Creepy.
Agreed!!
😢This is story is so sad. This brought tears to me.
My heart goes to the father, n to his son too.
Only God Knows why.
I don't condone what Bart did. It's horrible and there would have been other choices for him to deal differently with the situation. However, I think what Bart said in prison was truthful. It can be extremely painful for a child to not be "seen" truly. He said his parents loved their optimized version of him. That's typical for narcissistic parents. It doesn't matter how many excursions or presents the parents made and gave to their son, what matters is the true connection. Probably noone wanted to connect to Bart and his true feelings , the father is still in denial about his feelings as he probably was all his life. As a result Bart never developed a identity and was left with an inner emptiness. For that he had to create a "show identity" (which is what narcissism is).
There are reasons in childhood for such behaviour, we should never pretend it all came out of the blue. The father is taking absolutely no responsibility. That's also typical. Now he can forgive his son and be again the "great dad".
Sad and tragic story lovely Ms Oprah 💖💗💯👍
“I don’t know what anything FEELS like.” Classic narcissist. Not capable of feeling.
Narcissists do feel emotions
That’s more like a psychopath
Psychopath.
I saw this case on Forensic Files. So shocking! That dad is strong.
Dad is not strong. He is oblivious...I'm sure his wife tried to confide in him before she went to her friends and he probably dismissed her. He knows what a narcissist is but he blew it off and umbrellaed it like he was "cocky" n arrogant... He is stronger than I am....I couldn't do it.
@@florinerhodes8543I thought the same thing. The father seems to be in some fog. This whole story seems contrived. What happened to the shooters? Did I miss something? How could the father not know the son was not in school. He couldn't have been paying tuition if the son was not enrolled? Where was he sending the $? I am very confused. The father can forgive his son but how can he not forget? That's a hard call for me. Maybe father is more God fearing than I.
The dad is not facing reality. He is void of any feelings for the truth
@florinerhodes8543
The wife told her friends she did not believe her son was plotting to kill the family/ both were in denial not just dad
Bart was the worst of the worst, I would not support him after murdering his family, I understand forgiveness but not talking & seeing him after the fact, I don’t get that at all!!!! He needs to be reminded of what he done everyday, the dad needs to leave him alone & let him face the consequences
I don’t think Bart has ever had to face consequences of his actions….The Dad keeps it going.
Correct,this is what's up with the world today,kids are being excused or parents are to soft,if they do the crime they do the time it's as simple as that! My child knows this,I won't cover or excuse, they know right from wrong.
I give everyone grace. I understand the father's not thinking the son they raised would harm him
I couldn't imagine the hurt he feels I'm glad that he was able to heal and move towards forgiveness and even found love 💕
We feel in order to heal. Otherwise, how do we know we are healing? At one point, dad said, "This person..." when referring to his son. forgiveness is a process, not just a principle. We must be careful not to think because we have the ability to forgive, the feeling eventually goes away by itself. I hope dad continues to check in with himself from time to time. It can be surprising what can get buried in the mind and body. Peace and condolences.
Well-Said
It begs to question , what was their parenting like? I’m not blaming them , I am questioning them. Narcissists are made. You can have a genetic predisposition but something has to trigger it.
Just look at the Dad’s behavior now….. totally forgiving him, supporting him. I think this says why this brat child could get away with it.
I feel like young people are bombarded with narcissistic role models from reality TV and just media in general. Parents need to make sure their kids don’t get corrupted by it.
Thank you
11:10 this so familiar! Casey Anthony lying compulsively to her parents George and Cindy who believed the most ridiculous lies out of her - Kent and Tricia automatically believing Bart’s academic probation was actually due to scheduling problems??? No school is going to ruin a student’s academic record due to a scheduling conflict!! The ability a parent has to blind themselves from the truth about their kids is unbelievable! I’m trying to put myself in Kent’s place - cops come to my door and tell me my daughter tried to have me killed? It all depends on that child’s behavior leading up to that .., were there issues and concerns before that ?
Yes,burglarized 7 places, spoiled him!
So soon, to be
"Remarried" makes me wonder if , forgiveness there means , I'M OVER IT ! MOVIN' ON....
Great pics
I don't like how Oprah is so short with people her demeanor is just odd it's like this man's family was murdered by his only living son left and she shows no sympathy
This happened in 2003… Oprah’s being respectful as possible. HES HIDING SOMETHING!!! IDC IDC.
Remember interviews are cut and join
She's cold and she is NOT a parent. She loves money.
@QuadriviumNumbers to be honest when you deal with fact
This son is clearly a sociopath and narcissist and like a classic narcissist, he NEVER gives straightforward answers and says what he thinks people want to hear in that moment to evoke a certain emotion from the person they’re looking to manipulate. Being in denial is a choice, and it’s clear his father has been in denial about his son for many years prior to the tragedy. He’s gaslighting the hell out of everybody in this interview. Look at how careful he’s being with his words when he speaks.
Who is choosing words in the interview? The father or the son?
@@Potsticker2They’re stating that the dad isn’t giving straightforward answers while Oprah is interviewing him which is correct. Rewatch how he answers everything as if he’s trying to protect something.
@@Potsticker2it was the son that was being referred to as not giving straight forward answers…the dad is just being a dad irrespective of the son’s personality
I’ll pray that Kent moves on yes forgiveness but also don’t keep on going to the jail and gets stuck with visiting him all the time and then you can’t move on and start another life with him being in the way
thank you for this, I miss the Oprah show
Every single man woman and child is loved and embraced by my Heavenly Father Love makes the world go round don’t you think?
I know it’s hard for the dad but it seems like the Dad still doesn’t wanna believe his son could do this
Obviously not??? lol??? It’s his son and he did it to his own mother and brother. That man is living in a constant nightmare. Y’all really don’t seem to get it still???
Hello Orpha I really do miss your Talk Show. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Ok so you want revenge for being alive but instead of taking your own life you take theirs? That makes no sense.
Oprah’s behaviour as interviewer is bizarrely clinical and cold to me. I understand her frustration with the father but my god show some empathy, this man has lost everything! Not even a ‘sorry for your loss’ was uttered.
If the cops came to my home and told me that one of my kids are planning on Killing me, I'm 🏃♀️ for the hills
What a story! Wow!😮
The son that wanted his father dead.
The father that saved his son from death.
Later, the Gov commutes his sentence because of his father’s persistence to save him. That man is indeed, Christ-like and is an absolute example of Christianity. 🙏
was searching for a comment like this, i am glad that father didnt also have to bury his other son. thank god the govenor listened to him
Terrifying! Appears to be a sociopath and a psychopath. He didn't experience abuse, but a lot of love and is still incapable of feeling anything himself including remorse. He will only get worse in prison when it's the survival of the most evil.
Maybe he knew he was his son who did it.
That's why he made the choice at the hospital to forgive!
Poor Dad.
I believe you can take a mother’s Gut INSTINCT to the bank every time!
Yeah it really worked out well for her. Gotta love that gut instinct.
Something is “off” with that father. Anyone else see it?
Yes. I agree.
I also noticed something was not adding up here…
I think the Dad is/was a huge part of the problem….. too passive and forgiving, if I was a relative I would never forgive the Dad.
Yep 💯
100%
This son is the height of any parent's nightmare... it's frightening to understand that your own blood has the capacity to do this... it's beyond... something to remember, - a mother's intuition...
He didn’t complete his freshman year?.. so the parents were still paying tuition for years. The college didn’t send notice your son dropped out ? Makes no sense?
This man lost so much and the last piece of what was before that night I feel like he is holding on to. Such a sad and horrific story.
This father is the epitome of Unconditional LOVE from a parent! He fought so hard to keep his son from the DP! He didn’t and doesn’t want to lose his only child to the DP. I do understand that. To think he will lose everything from a marriage of 27 yrs. What will this father be left with? For the Fathers sake, I wish the son wasn’t given the DP!
Go see my comment at the top of this thread. The Governor commuted Bart’s sentence to LWOP.
@@deloreslate4028
Thanks for sharing this!
The son is a narcissist. He has no remorse. Sick.
The parents took part in creating this situation. They were enabling their son every single day. The way the father is, shows exactly why his son was allowed to get away with everything.
That’s why he became a narcissist. Narcissist are made through abuse or over indulgence.
This Dad is nuts. He raised a sociopath and ignored so many red flags and the mom and son had to pay a big price.
Sounds like the dad is in denial. I would have never allow him to live in the home. Son or not.
I don't think I could ever forgive him. He killed his mother a brother
My heart goes out to the dad. The Son that did the killing I think maybe is a psychopath. Your mother your brother your dad how could you do this to your family 😢
L0p
what i am thinking is that mb of greedy and thinking that he get everything when he wipe up his family,it so anoying that he recruit these young man to do his horrible thing,
I can’t wrap my brain around how you wouldn’t have known your child wasn’t attending College for 4 years? Did they ever visit him at school? Parents weekend? Help move him in to dorm? Was he that good of a manipulator?!
Kent. How could he act so calm after that! Who is the narcissistic? Something wrong here…
Have you walked in this man's shoes!!!How should he be acting!!!..What h has been through is absolutely shocking...your own child trying to kill you,killed his mother and brother!!! What is a correct way to act after that!!easy to judge and comment when your watching the story,and not part of that story
He wanted revenge for being alive? Then why kill THEM?? Why not take yourself away if you hated being alive?? Manipulator 100% what a wonderful father he’s got! Mine is terrible! If I could trade fathers I would ask for this amazing man. ☹️💔
Kent is truly a good Christian that naturally forgives.
I love the way his sleeve is pulled up to show his sympathy brace!