Mason Jenkins and the murder of his sister Jennifer Jenkins
This is a link to the trailer for a documentary called "Life with Murder":http://www.nfb.ca/film/life_with_murder_clip/
The case is a little old (the murder occurred in 1998), but the "facts" of the case continue to evolve. It's an absolutely gripping documentary, one which I think falls perfectly within your wheelhouse, and it is currently available on Netflix if you happen to have it. A brief synopsis follows:
"Chatham, Ontario, 1998. Eighteen-year-old Jennifer Jenkins is brutally shot to death by multiple rifle rounds in her family home. The main suspect: her brother, Mason Jenkins, who fled the scene of the crime. After fabricating a story about what occurred, Jenkins was incarcerated. His parents, facing the loss of both their children, chose to support his claims of innocence, repressing the dark secret of their son's true intentions. Concurrently shocking and heartbreaking, John Kastner's finely crafted mystery slowly reveals the many layers of a family dynamic that becomes its own enigma, drawing from a decade's worth of coverage, including police interrogation videos, home movies, and incredible interviews with Jenkins, his family, and the case's investigators."
Thanks for considering it.
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Anonymous commented
I'm a relative, I did'nt watch the movie but instead had the unfortunate situation of watching Mason grow up. He was a bad seed from the getgo and his parents ignored the fact that he was becoming a menace to society, even though his mother worked for Mental Health Kent. How dare they try to protect the one who took their daughter. Brian is now in a nursing home and will never recover from his depression.
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Rhonda commented
I've watched this Doc' today & can't believe that this degenerate expects to get out of prison.... He has not only killed his sister for no other reason than greed, but has put his poor father one step out of a grave. Why is there a small percentage of children that expect their lives to be handed to them on a gold platter? How does one KILL a family member (In his mind) just to look successful with a nice car or home.. Do they truly think that they can get away with the worst crime a person could ever commit?
This young man seems to be of in GaGa land somewhere.. He still to this day can't admit the whole truth regarding his beautiful sisters murder... Saying it was an accident is hogwash, if the circumstances had of been different the whole family would of been in his crosshairs... He doesn't deserve the love of his parents, but then again If it was my son I truly don't know what I'd do? I don't think I could live with the fact that your own blood would turn on a sibling like that.. He should think about teliing the WHOLE truth regarding this heinous crime if he wants to one day be considered for parole, but not until his parents have lived a long & stress free life (if only that was possible). That way he can't finish what he started.. God Bless Brian & Lesley Jenkins, my heart truly goes out to you both. Stay strong.
Cheers Rhonda. Australia. -
H commented
Mason is a terrifying being. He is clearly sociopathic, and can only imitate real emotions. He has no idea the impact of his actions. I notice this particularily when he calls his parents on the anniversary of he death or Jennifer's birthday (I forget which). His comments are completely selfish, and his parents never express their anger towards him. I believe they feared him for a long time and let him get away with a lot. I don 't think his parents did anything really wrong in raising him. He was born with these tendencies. Prison is the only place he should ever live.
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jay commented
I believe the murder happened to cover up a family secret... you can guess what kind of abuse would fit that family dynamic
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H commented
I wish the documentary went into Mason's childhood and previous involvement with the law. He had just come out of jail when this happened. I don't judge Leslie and Brian on their continued support for Mason. They have nothing else, it is a rare glimpse into watching a destroyed human being's existence - especially Brian.
I am frustrated by the parents minimizing of anything Mason did. Mason is clearly a sociopath, but of the rarer less intelligent type. -
Mary commented
I think he was planning a triple murder that day and for whatever reason....how loud the gunshots were, his fear of getting caught in the act.....he fled instead. I don't think he should ever get out. Clearly he isn't as stable as he would have everyone believe. His words..."it was an accident". An accident is one shot...not four in four different locations. I don't have a great knowledge of guns but what I do know is that a rifle cannot go off accidentally....and then again three more times. That is pre meditated and deliberate.
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JaneA Doe commented
Just finished watch the movie. Vey interesting. Very sad as well. Clearly Mason is missing a screw. I feel for the parents because they've lost two of their children and their sense "normal" as they knew it. I think he should remain behind bars for the protection of his parents, himself and society.
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Anonymous commented
It's funny how the second time that he is trying to explain his story to the last cop about what happened and he kept saying it was an accident he studdered at the end and accidentally said and I shot my sis... I mean you know accidentally and he looks to be breathing heavy and had a look like oh fuck did I just say that? The truth always comes out no matter how many years go by. It always comes out. He killed his sister because I think he felt that he should have his parents all around attention and he was just jealous of bet because she was 18 and she was better then him. His obviously mentally ill.... And I swear it says he is going to be coming out of prison soon I give it a year till he snaps and probably ends up killing those two poor old people.....
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Anonymous commented
I guess I have watched too many horror movies, but in the end when the parents came to visit on Mason's birthday, I was afraid he was going to flip out and stab them. The prison guard lady made a point to say "four knives," then there were several shots with the knives on the wall in the background with one missing and then the camera on Mason trying to peel the garlic ( or whatever it was) with the knife. I would have been scared to death to be there alone with him if I were them.
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Anonymous commented
Angie, I got the same feeling that something is truly amiss in the family. It seemed like they were all on drugs or characters out of a Twilight Zone episode. The only family members who seemed ok to me were that first aunt with the longer hair and Jennifer! Mrs. Jenkins said she worked in the mental health field, so I wonder if she recognized something was deeply wrong with Mason? I wish I could have seen how they acted before the murder. Maybe the trauma just pushed them to a place I don't recognize. The film left me wanting to know more background information and wondering how they are doing today. One of the saddest parts, to me, was when Mr. Jenkins was saying this was as good as it gets for them, this was all they had and they were just trying to do the best they could each day. But who knows how anyone would handle the cards they have been dealt?
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Angie commented
I hope this vile being never gets out of prison (prison?), and yet he has it better there than so many hard working tax paying citizens. He smugly smiled when discussing the murder of his sister. Canada is too soft.
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Angie commented
i am watching now, about half hour in, and thus far, the father appears Very strange - not all there - emotionally immature and unstable, and just not right, above and beyond his daughter's recent murder at the time. Something is truly amiss in rhis family - the mother is controlling and cold, the father bends to her will, and I don't know about the son yet.
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Fay commented
Just watched this documentary about two stoic parents and their support of son, Mason Jenkins. This man appears developmentally challenged, to say the least, not to mention amoral and incapable of expressing remorse he does not feel. May he live out his life in the apartment/prison where he presently resides.
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Diane commented
My main question after watching the documentary...how can Mason claim the shooting was accidental at one point, and have his parents believe that? No one is shot accidentally multiple times....
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Joe Foerster commented
I just watched this and I noticed how detached and mechanical Mason is during the weekend visits in the trailer. (Awfully nice accommodations, I must say.) I went from thinking maybe Mason was wrongly accused at the beginning, to realizing at the end he was still not completely telling the full story that will hopefully come out eventually. A handsome, healthy looking young man on the outside but so wrong on the inside. Very tragic. But I agree with others that a bit more insight to his earlier offenses and how his family reacted to those would have been helpful, but might also have tipped us to the real story earlier on.
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Joanne commented
I watched this a few times and its on telly now. But please I don't feel sorry for Lesley and Brian. Lesley answers questions directed at Mason. It seems she has a problem accepting that her child is an adult never mind a criminal. There will always be problems in families where parents refuse to create healthy boundaries. She and Brian are so obsessed with the idea of being Parents and The Family Unit that they forgot the healthy part. They're just all-in come hell or high water. They seem the type of parents that give excessive praise to their children- so their kids have a warped sense of entitlement and reality. In the end all the self delusion made Brian ill, Lesley is still answering Mason's questions, Jennifer's dead and Mason tried to kill everybody. Mmm, this family unit is defunct me thinks.
For me this programme illustrates how inappropriate boundary setting can result in seemingly normal families falling apart.
The parents weren't redeemed in my eyes, I was really pissed they were so irresponsible and in the end Jennifer, the most innocent and vulnerable had her head blown off in her house.Also this programme shows us that some sociopaths are actually quite stupid- cue Mason's ridiculous stories.
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Anonymous commented
The documentary is intriguing, but full of holes. There is very little info about Mason 's earlier brushes with the law or behaviour. More info on the long legal course this trial took would have been enlightening also. As far as thevrelationship between Mason and is parents it is fascinating and cannot help but make you think about you would do.
Mason is a horrific person, there is no remorse, he at times seem to be developmental. -
Just saying.... commented
I feel for his poor parents who are dealing with it in the only way that feels natural in standing by your offspring when your offspring is actually your worst nightmare
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Miranda commented
I watched it and was mad that his explanations were lies upon lies...even after admitting he killed his sister. But the most intriguing thing about this film was to see the unconditional love that these two parents have for their child...especially with something as horrendous as this.
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John Doe commented
He should be put to sleep. He's dangerous to society. A waste of flesh. I feel he is mentally ill. He makes no sense & has no remourse for what he did.