On January 20, 2006, Kim Crespi came home to her beautiful house in Matthews, North Carolina after a hair appointment, only to be stopped by a police barricade. She was informed that her two, five-year-old twin daughters, Tess and Sammie, had been murdered, and her husband, David, had confessed and was in police custody. David, a man who had never outwardly shown any signs of violence or aggression. A man who, to his friends, co-workers, and family, seemed like a hard-working, loving, and happy person. Even more frightening than the reality that David had murdered two of his daughters, was the likelihood that David would have murdered his wife and remaining 3 children had they been home. What could have caused this husband and father to brutally kill his two twin girls? Was it a conscious choice he made or was it induced by his recent changes in medication prescribed for his depression and anxiety?
Who are the Crespis?
David Crespi met Kim Vande Brake at California State University in Sacramento. Kim recalled that she first saw David standing in the student union during their pledge semester for the fraternity of honors accounting. The two grew close and became good friends. She immediately saw that David was funny, smart, and nice. She always wanted to be in his group during assignments and loved studying with him. David graduated in 1983 with high grades and national honors on the Certified Public Accountant Exam and Certified Internal Auditor Exam. He was a dedicated student and had a great intuition for math.
The year after college graduation, David married his college sweetheart, who was, coincidentally, also named Kimberly. He began his career in accounting, first working as a certified public accountant, then a certified internal auditor, before leaving public accounting to work in banking. Despite still being young, David earned the position of chief financial officer at the Sacramento bank. He and Kimberly had two children, Jessica and Dylan. Successful in his job, respected and liked by his co-workers and friends, and a loving husband and father, David seemed to be living a perfect life. Unfortunately, Kimberly was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died about a year later.
Ten years after graduating from college, Kim Vande Brake was wondering what her future would hold. Soon, Kim and David reconnected and became a permanent fixture in each others’ lives. In 1994, David and Kim married in a big Catholic Church. Kim happily adopted Jessica, who was 6, and Dylan, who was 2, and the two began their life together. Two years later, Kim gave birth to Joshua, then in 2000, she had identical twin girls, Tessara (Tess-uh-ruh) and Samantha.
Tessara Kate Crespi, known as Tess, and Samantha Joy Crespi, known as Sammie, were born on October 17th, 2000. The girls loved to dance and play games with neighborhood children. Sammie loved lambs, pink poodles, and the color blue. Tess’ favorite color was purple and she loved playing with her sister and their older siblings. Both girls had American Girl dolls that they loved dressing up and playing with. The girls could often be seen in princess dress-up clothes or wearing plastic tiaras.
In the summer of 2001, the family moved to Matthews, North Carolina, just outside of Charlotte. David would be working in one of the major banking capitals in the United States, as the senior Vice President at Wachovia. The family of 7 was nervous, but excited about what life on the other side of the country would bring.
Though the Crespi family seemed to adjust well to life on the east coast, David was facing some problems. Kim said that throughout their marriage, David had problems with anxiety and difficulty sleeping. His responsibilities at work were stressful and contributed to the anxiety he was already having. He felt that he needed a specific amount of sleep at night to function well, and when he wouldn’t get that amount, he would stress more, causing further anxiety and further sleeplessness. It felt like once David slipped into one of these “episodes,” he would continue spiraling further into a deep depression.
Kim, on the family’s website, says that they noted “six key anxiety episodes” that occurred during David’s adult life. She said that all of the episodes began the same way: sleeplessness and anxiety. In hopes of treating David’s symptoms, the couple went to six different doctors. She said that these doctors all prescribed medications, which would ultimately lead to even more depression. The episodes would last between 2 months and fifteen months. Kim said this was “due to the medication treatment and subsequent withdrawal.” In addition to seeing different doctors, David participated in counseling. Kim said “David was always better when he could come off the medication and function in a normal way.”
In October of 2003, David began treatment for testicular cancer. The treatment lasted through the end of the year. By March of 2004, he began experiencing anxiety and was unable to sleep. Kim said that this episode was the first one that David had experienced since moving to the area, so they had to form a new grouping of doctors and therapists to treat him. Kim said that David was highly medicated throughout the summer of 2004, with his depression continuing to deepen. In April of 2005, David felt prepared to stop taking his prescribed Paxil. Paxil is an SSRI medication often prescribed to treat depression and anxiety. He felt that the medication had worsened his anxiety and depression. In addition to having a negative affect on his mental health, David had gained a significant amount of weight, which he also attributed to the medication. With the guidance of his psychiatrist and therapist, David began tapering down the doses of his Paxil until he was completely off of it.
The holidays were always a stressful time, but December of 2005 brought even more stress than normal to the Crespis. His job continued to contribute to his anxiety. He also was facing multiple health problems and Kim said that his anxiety began to spiral deeper due to his fear of a relapse of his cancer. In early January of 2006, David had begun to feel his increasing anxiety coming on. In hopes of avoiding another significant episode of depression, he asked his psychiatrist what he should do. He didn’t want to use Paxil due to the significant weight gain it caused, so the doctor prescribed him Prozac. Prozac, also an SSRI, wasn’t typically associated with weight gain.
On January 19th, 2006, David went to a therapy appointment with Kim. He told his doctor that he was still having a lot of issues sleeping, so the doctor sent him home with samples of Lunesta, a sedative used to treat insomnia. During the therapy session, Kim recalled that David was talking about concerns that seemed very extreme. This wasn’t the first time he’d expressed these concerns to her. He was set on the belief that he was going to lose his job, that they were going into bankruptcy, and that they’d be losing the house. Kim said that both she and the doctor told David multiple times that those thoughts weren’t real, that they were just part of the depression. That night, David took the Lunesta in hopes of getting some sleep. Kim said that he woke up about an hour later with severe nausea. It’s possible that he took an Ambien to try to fall back asleep, but neither David or Kim remember for certain.
The Day of the Murders
On Friday, January 20, 2006, the 5-year-old Crespi twin girls, Tess and Sammie, both stayed home with their parents due to a cold. David had taken several days off of work because of his depression. One week prior, he had begun taking his prescribed Prozac, hopeful that it would help. At 11:30AM, David’s mother called to check on him. She knew that he was struggling with his depression and often called to see if there was anything she could do to help. They spoke for about 15 minutes and David told her that everything was just fine. At about 12:15PM, Kim left the house for a hair appointment. When she left her home that afternoon, the girls were eating mashed potatoes and gravy.
The girls asked their father if they could play one of their favorite games: hide and seek. While the girls hid, David later told investigators that he was hearing voices. The voices were telling him that there was no future, that everything was ruined, he should kill them. He had thoughts about the girls suffering from depression, and began to believe that was why they were home from school. David said it wasn’t the first time he’d had these thoughts about hurting his family, but he never believed he’d act on them. Today though, he felt like them asking him to play hide and seek was a sign.
David picked up two kitchen knives and proceeded to stab Sammie on the kitchen floor. Once his daughter was lifeless, he made his way upstairs and found Tess hiding in his closet, her favorite hiding spot. He pulled her out of the closet and proceeded to stab her to death. David said that his mind was simply telling him that it was a task he had to do, that he wasn’t seeing them or feeling anything, that there was no connection to them being his children. After murdering his daughters, he changed out of his bloody clothes and called 911. Here are some excerpts from the 911 call:
- David: I just killed my two daughters.
- 911: You just what?
- David: I just killed my two daughters.
- 911: Sir, tell me what happened. Okay. How? I mean, what’s going on right now?
- David: I just freaked out.
- 911: Are you on medication?
- David: Yes…antidepressants
- 911: Keep talking to me because you sound a little bit tired and stuff and we’re wondering if you maybe took too much medication.
- David: No, this is real.
- 911: Are they breathing or anything now?
- David: No.
- 911: What did you do to them?
- David: I stabbed them.
- 911: Okay. How many times did you stab them?
- David: I don’t know.
- 911: And you’re sure they’re deceased?
- David: Yeah. Yeah, they’re dead.
- 911: Sir, did you have a fight with your wife? Is this what happened?
- David: No.
- 911: No? You just couldn’t handle it anymore?
- David: Yeah.
David’s voice was calm throughout the call, almost emotionless. Police quickly arrived on scene to find David sitting out in front of his house. He was arrested without issue. Inside the large home, they found Sammie lying in the kitchen near the refrigerator, covered in blood. She had been stabbed 18 times in the chest, back, and the head. Upstairs, they found Tess, bloodied like her sister, stabbed 14 times across her body. When asked later why he killed BOTH girls, David said that with parenting twins, they always did things together, and even in death, he couldn’t show favoritism.
Kim returned from her hair appointment, pulling into the neighborhood at 1:20PM. When she pulled in, she found herself stopped at a police barricade. They allowed another vehicle to enter the neighborhood in front of Kim, then stopped her and asked her to step out of the vehicle. Kim said she immediately had a bad feeling. Police officers told Kim that her two twin daughters had been murdered and that David had confessed. Kim had been away from the house for just over an hour.
The Aftermath
David was brought to the police station where he was questioned in depth about what could’ve led to the brutal double murders he’d just committed. He told them about the severe depression he’d been suffering from over the years. He admitted that he’d had thoughts of killing his children, parents, and wife. He even told them that when the twins were younger, he would carry a large knife in his back pocket because he had thoughts of hurting them. When explaining why he had never acted on his thoughts back then, he said,
“I came to my senses and I didn’t do it. I think I convinced myself then that I could make things work financially.”
He said that he had even thought about stabbing Kim in bed while she slept or hurting his other 3 children. David continued to tell investigators that he felt he could control the feelings, that he wouldn’t ever act on them. He again said that he didn’t believe the feelings were real. Excerpts from David’s interview are documented on Murderpedia, and show exactly how David felt just before and during the murders:
- David: I was home. I was typing. And then I said, ‘If I do this, then I won’t have to take care of everybody anymore.’
- Detective: If you do what?
- David: I kill Tess and Sammie. And the thoughts kept going…I was tired of not feeling well.
- The detectives asked why he’d stabbed both of them so many times, 32 in total.
- David: I wanted it to be over. I wanted it to be over for both of them…It’s a bad thing to do. It’s very bad.
- The detectives asked David if they felt he could’ve stopped himself from killing the girls, if he believed that he made a conscious choice to murder them.
- David: Probably—no. Had to happen today…because the thoughts weren’t stopping…I didn’t want to go to the doctor this afternoon.
- Detective: Why could you not kill just one?
- David: Because they’re twins. They go together.
- Regarding the violent thoughts he said he’d been having for quite some time, David said he never talked to anybody about them, not even his therapist. They asked David if he felt he had a good life, if he liked being married and having a family.
- David: I did. I didn’t see a way to pay for it. I didn’t see a way to take care of everything.
- Detective: So what was the best remedy for your not having to be responsible for upkeep of your family and their needs and their wants? What was your remedy for that?
- David: I guess to do something that would be awful like this.
- Detectives asked if things would be easier now that he’d killed the twins.
- David: Maybe it will, in a way.
- He agreed with the detectives that stress and family problems were not a reason to kill his children. He also said that he hadn’t thought enough about the consequences of his actions. He was frightened of what was going to happen to him now, but said that his urges to hurt someone were gone now. They continued to question him, asking him what he was thinking about just before the murders.
- David: I was going back and forth. ‘Don’t do this. Don’t do this.’ And then I was going back, ‘You have to do it.’
- Detectives: Why? Why do you have to do it?
- David: Because then I’ll be bad, and I’m already feeling bad…If you’re bad, you do stuff like this.
- Detectives: But you’re not a bad person.
- David: I guess I am now.
Open Up Your Windows…
There were two services for Sammie and Tess, one in California and one in Charlotte. Kim said that she believes it’s possible that David might have taken his attack even further, and killed her and the other children. She’s thankful that he called 911 when he did. Speaking about her daughters, Kim said,
“We will never forget their humor, their love of life, and their love for all of us and especially their love for each other.”
From early on, Kim was adamant that this was not her husband, that it was the medication. She said that there was never any indication that David was going to hurt her or their children. He had made threats against his own life however, to which Kim made him promise not to do anymore. She said that David would leave home, pretending like he was going to work. When she was able to finally reach him, after hours of not being able to get in touch with him, David would tell her that he was out driving looking for a place to die. When she asked why, he’d say that the world was just too dark. One day, he’d promised Kim that he wouldn’t just drive off again. When the officers were with Kim at her house on the day of the murders, they said that David wanted to make sure that Kim knew that he hadn’t driven off that day.
One time, David told Kim that some days, the world was just too dark. She’d asked him if it was too dark for his children and he’d responded, it’s just very dark. She asked him if he’d ever hurt her or the children. He said no. In a later interview, Kim said that after hearing what her husband had said during his police interview following the murders, she believes that David was very likely going to kill the whole family. Kim told the interviewer, “he said his darkness was for all of us.”
Despite the struggles that the Crespis were facing behind closed doors, they had appeared to outsiders to be a perfect family. According to friends, family, and co-workers of David, they never would have imagined that he’d be capable of committing such a horrific crime. He never outwardly showed any signs of violence and just seemed to be an all around nice guy. All of this pushed Kim even further towards her insisting that David had suffered from a psychotic break that was induced by his medication.
The Defense
It was about two and a half months before Kim was able to see David. She traveled from Charlotte to Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina. Both Kim and David’s brother told David’s counsel that they believed the change in medication was what caused David to murder the girls. They said that David had never shown any signs of violence prior to that day. The only change in their life, according to David and Kim, was the medication. On Kim’s web site, she documents the medication that David had taken leading up to the day of the murders.
- 10 days of Clarithromyocin, an antibiotic for a respiratory infection
- 10 days of Trazadone, an antidepressant
- 7 nights of Ambien, for sleep
- 1 night of Lunesta, also for sleep
- 7 days of Prozac, the newly prescribed antidepressant
Like all medications, these can come with side effects, some which include worsening anxiety and depression. Kim was extremely concerned about David being in prison and the treatment for his mental health. The psychiatrists in the jail told his family that he was suffering from bipolar disorder and that Prozac was not an appropriate drug for him to be taking. Just a few days after the murders, David was taken off Prozac and switched to Lexapro. He was also prescribed Risperdal, an antipsychotic medication used to treat people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
David’s hearing was set for July of 2006. The state was planning on a capital murder trial with the intention of the death penalty. Rather than drag his remaining family members through a graphic trial, he pleaded guilty to two counts of first degree murder and was sentenced to two life sentences to run back to back.
Kim stood firmly behind her husband, despite his actions. She didn’t understand the bipolar diagnosis. The doctors at the jail said that David was simply being medicated incorrectly for this diagnosis prior to his arrival. On her site, she explained what she realized:
“What we know now, that we did not realize then, is that David was not suffering from severe mental illness. In light of the tragic events of January 20th, 2006, the details of the various episodes seemed to indicate that each medicated episode was a precursor of an overall mental illness. But, after really analyzing the timeline, he was suffering from anxiety and the medication treatment transferred him into depression. The medication’s side effects created a new level of symptoms that, without realizing it, created more harm than good. The talk therapy he so willingly engaged in could have ultimately helped provide tools for coping with anxiety if not for the damaging medication side effects heightened during the process. This awareness would not come to light until the summer of 2008…”
She said that neither she nor her husband were ever warned of the possibility of violent side effects and psychosis when David was prescribed the medications.
Still on Meds
In 2006, the Oprah Winfrey Show approached Kim and David about doing an interview. Oprah visited with Kim in Charlotte, as well as David in prison. Oprah didn’t hold anything back as she asked David questions that still lingered about what he did. When asked if he believed that he deserved to be punished for what he did, David said, “The fact that I was mentally ill, in some ways, explains it.” Kim is adamant that the murders were not willfully done, that her husband was truly ill.
David admitted that he briefly considering taking his own life after he murdered Tess and Sammie, by jumping off a nearby overpass, but he decided not to, and instead called 911. He said that initially after the murders, he felt numb, that he hadn’t really grasped what had happened. David explained that reasoning was distorted when he was in a depressive state, what he refers to as “the dark place”. According to David, he’d had thoughts of hurting and killing his family for 11 years. When he first began having these thoughts, he didn’t think they were real, so he didn’t tell anyone. He was also scared that his children might be taken away from him. While Kim and his doctors told him that his fears about losing his job and not being able to support his family weren’t real, he just assumed that his fears about hurting his family were also not real.
Getting Off Meds
While in the prison, David had been prescribed Lithium, which is used to treat bipolar disorder. After some time, it began to negatively affect his organs. David asked his doctor if he could start to come off of the medication. The doctor had already let him stop his other medications. Kim said that when he came off of his antidepressant and antipsychotic, he had violent nightmares and spent days crying. David began to go through withdrawal from the Lithium, which was extremely difficult in prison. Eventually, he made it through the withdrawal and, about six months after he stopped the Lithium, Kim said that her husband started to act like himself again. She said that he began to understand what he’d done and what he believed had “happened” to him. Kim refers to the murders as a “medication-induced response”.
Now, David is reportedly medication free and, according to his wife, “back to his authentic self and is horrified as much as anyone…actually more so.” David and Kim are vocal regarding how they disagree with the fact that prison is about punishment, rather than helping and rehabilitation.
Kim said that she has forgiven David, that it was not her real husband who committed those two brutal murders of their daughters. She said, “I actually think he was ill in a way we didn’t understand…so I look at it like I don’t really even think I needed to forgive him because I don’t think he controlled what he did that day.” She visits her husband every week and speaks to him over the phone as often as he’s able to. David has been helping educate other prisoners to obtain their GED. Kim said that she still loves being married to David, but it is a very different marriage now that he’s in prison.
Though David has many supporters and people who still love him, there are still a lot of people who don’t buy the medication argument. They believe that David made a conscious choice to stab his twin daughters to death that January day.
Unfortunately, in the chaos of the Crespi family trying to make sure David was treated appropriately while in prison, the victims are rarely talked about. Tess and Sammie were beautiful, bright, young girls whose lives were cut short by their own father. In their obituary, it’s noted that the girls were survived by their mother, Kim, as well as their father, David. David is still in prison in North Carolina and Kim continues her crusade to bring attention to the dangerous side effects of medications.
**It’s important to note that medications CAN be prescribed appropriately and can truly help with mental health issues. In fact, it can be life-changing for some, when taken appropriately, along with full understanding of the drug’s potential side effects and monitoring by a doctor.
Sources for this episode
David Lauren Crespi | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
Tessara and Samantha Crespi – Chilling Crimes
Woman fighting for prescription warnings after husband kills twins
Mother of twin girls, 5, stabbed to death by their father driven crazy …
Tessara Crespi Obituary (2006) – Charlotte, NC – Legacy.com
10 years later: David Crespi pens letter on murder of daughters
