Mary Landrieu: Cousin's murder-suicide was mercy killing

[orleans]

3/14/2008, 3:14 p.m. CDT
The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Stephen Landrieu, a cousin of Sen. Mary Landrieu and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, killed his wife because she had suffered for years, and then killed himself, the senator told a New Orleans radio station.

"It was a mercy killing," Landrieu told WWL-AM in an interview posted Friday on the station's Web site. "She had been suffering a great deal physically for years and years. They were very close. It was not a situation of violence, domestic violence in the traditional sense."

Brenda Burke, 50, had a chronic health problem that caused great pain, the couple was having problems with health insurance and they had "lost a great deal," Landrieu said.

They "just couldn't take it anymore," she told the station.

Press secretary Stephanie Allen confirmed the interview, but said Landrieu herself was grieving, had been on the Senate floor until 3 a.m. Friday, and would have no further comment.

"Our hearts break for Uncle Joe, Aunt Phyllis and the Burke family," Mitch Landrieu said in an e-mail sent by his office Thursday night. "We ask that everyone keep them in their prayers during this difficult time."

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-37/1205522388301020.xml&storylist=louisiana

on edit: i wonder if cousin mary helped them out with some of her millions.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

1. this is horrible - all because of insurance issues

because pain is often treatable, maybe not always, but often.

But I know about the costs of health care, paying cash for a doctors visit for my teenager
cost me $80 some dollars, and that is after the 20% discount for paying cash.

Imagine hospitalization and or chronic illnesses.

This proves that its a big lie that our country has the best health care in the world.

Our RICH people have the best health care in the world. (maybe)

[flordehinojos]

2. mary landrieu. for the record: killing--mercy or not--is violent.

[bean fidhleir]

3. I read statements like this and wonder whether it's not another Kennedy-style coverup

(I'm referring to how everyone claimed that Rosemary was "retarded" when in fact her mind had been destroyed on the orders of her father, Joseph P.)