commentary by Patrick H. Moore
Feuds are a traditional part of the American landscape. For example, the Hatfield–McCoy conflict is now an icon of American folklore. Between 1880 and 1891, it claimed the lives more than a dozen members of the two families, and made headlines all across the country. The Earp-Clanton feud is another legendary one and produced the Gunfight at O.K. Corral where the three Earp brothers, Wyatt, Morgan and Virgil, along with the enigmatic Doc Holliday, killed Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury and Tom McLaury.
Feuds, however, do not have to be between families or rival groups; they can be within a single family as was proven on Friday Sept. 27, 2013 in Asheville, PA, about 40 miles southwest of State College, home of Penn State University. Gary Baranec of the Associated Press writes:
A two-decade family feud came to a violent end when a man shot dead the two home invaders that killed his wife and son, not knowing the assailants included his long-estranged daughter, authorities said Sunday.
Though the investigation of Friday’s shootings continues, authorities said it appears Josephine and Jeffrey Ruckinger planned to murder her family at their rural central Pennsylvania home — but it remains unclear what exactly led to the deadly confrontation.
According to Cambria County District Attorney Kelly Callihan, Josephine and Jeffrey parked at the bottom of their parents’ long driveway and walked up the hill to their white mobile home, heavily armed, with murder in their hearts. Josephine carried a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun and her husband had a Derringer pistol and a .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun.
When the J & J gang arrived at the door, Josephine’s father John Frew, her mother Roberta, and her brother John Jr., 47, had just returned from a Friday night dinner out on the town. Perhaps predictably, they were watching TV and digesting their food in the living room when the knock sounded at their door.
According to the police, Roberta, 64, answered the knock. She only had time to cry out something like “Oh my God, they have guns!” before her daughter shot her at point-blank range. By then, John Jr. was apparently attempting to arm himself, but he was too slow and Jeffrey Ruckinger shot him multiple times in the chest, killing him.
Up tho this point, things were extremely one-sided, but they turned around quickly when John Frew Sr., 67, came out from the bedroom brandishing a .22 revolver. He reports that his daughter, whom he didn’t initially recognize, was pointing the shotgun at him. It’s not clear why Josephine didn’t fire immediately when her father came out of the bedroom — perhaps she had a self-justification spiel prepared – but she didn’t. Frew shot her in the head from across the room. One bullet and his daughter was down; he then turned and exchanged fire with Jeffrey Ruckinger, killing him almost instantly. Then he called the police.
Josephine Ruckinger was still alive when police arrived, but expired later at a local area hospital. John Frew apparently did not suffer so much as a scratch.
D.A. Callihan stated that the preliminary investigation suggests that the elder Frew and his family were victims “of a pre-planned murder” plot, and that it’s pretty clear that he acted in self-defense. Based on the fact the police found a can of gas and lighter fluid in the Ruckingers’ car, it appears that the assailants’ plan was to torch the place after murdering mother, father and brother.
Ballistics and toxicology tests are pending, according to the investigators.
A relative, Virginia Cruse, noted that Josephine and her mother did not get along, but that she had no idea what triggered Friday’s tragedy. She did state that Josephine hated her 
family and that when she was about 20, she and a boyfriend wrecked her parents’ home and stole various items including a pistol, before fleeing to Pittsburgh. After that, Cruse said, John Sr. and Roberta “more or less, they disowned her.”
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About all I can say in response to this bizarre and disturbing quadruple murder is that family values in the Frew-Ruckinger clan certainly left a lot to be desired.