A mother's story of madness, murder, and loveA mother's story of madness, murder, and love
All In The Mind
One Sunday afternoon Mary Pershall received a devastating call from the police that her daughter Anna had murdered someone. Anna had struggled throughout her life with mental illness and drug addiction, and the tragic event lead Mary to ask how society can protect a child in crisis.
29:29•2 Dec 2018
A Mother’s Love Amid Madness, Murder and a Broken System
Episode Overview
- Family love can coexist with clear recognition of harm and the need for punishment.
- Early, accurate diagnosis and mental health support in childhood may change later outcomes.
- People with both severe mental illness and addiction can be excluded from existing services.
- Families often feel unheard when asking for involuntary, longer-term care for very unwell relatives.
- Writing and speaking out can help start conversations about systemic gaps in care.
“"It's not my job to punish her. It's my job to love her, as I always have."”
How do people find hope in the darkest times? This conversation on All In The Mind follows author and mother Mary Pershall as she shares the story of her daughter Anna, whose lifelong struggle with mental illness and addiction ended in a tragic murder. You’ll hear Mary recount the moment police told her that Anna, pregnant and acutely unwell, had killed a man she admired and called "daddy".
She now calls that day "Black Sunday" and admits, "You can't come to terms with your daughter killing someone." From there, the episode traces Anna’s path: an imaginative, enchanting child who was ostracised at school, a teenager nearly lost to anorexia, and an adult haunted by voices that pushed her towards alcohol, cannabis, ice and prescription drugs.
Mary explains how Anna fell through the cracks of two systems: "She was turned away from the mental health sector because she was abusing substances and turned away from the addictions section because she was too mentally unwell." The story speaks directly to families watching a loved one deteriorate while being told to simply take them home from emergency departments, despite clear risk. There’s also a tender look at family love.
Mary, her husband John and older daughter Katie form a tight unit around Anna and her son Ollie, who now visits his mum in prison. Mary insists, "It's not my job to punish her. It's my job to love her, as I always have," capturing the mix of grief and unconditional care that runs through the episode.
For anyone touched by mental illness, addiction, or the complicated emotions around crime and responsibility, this is a raw yet hopeful account that raises hard questions about how society supports those at breaking point. It might leave you wondering: how should systems change so families like Mary’s aren’t left to cope alone?
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