Midwest mom murdered by husband always kept abortion pills to hand

To most in their quiet Midwestern beach town, Amanda and Kristopher Karolkiewicz appeared to have the perfect ‘Hallmark movie’ life.

She was a stay-at-home mom for years, caring for their four sons and two adopted daughters while Kristopher worked for the American Heart ᴀssociation.

The couple smiled alongside their six children in pH๏τographs snapped around the world, but back at home their 15-year-marriage was crumbling.

Kristopher, 47, cheated on Amanda six years ago with an intern at his former job that his wife described as a ‘younger, wilder’ version of herself.

Amanda, 39, forced him to ‘switch companies’ in the wake of the ’emotional affair,’ but still struggled with the pain and insecurities that she said were exacerbated by his infidelity.

The once ‘staunchly pro-life’ mother kept abortion pills on hand after an unexpected pregnancy five years ago and vowed that if ‘we ever find ourselves pregnant again, I will take the abortion meds.’

The family of eight was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ inside their $750,000 home in Grand Haven Township, Michigan, on Friday morning in what police believe was a murder-suicide.

Investigators say Kristopher sH๏τ and killed his wife and their children, aged five to 15, and started several fires throughout the house before turning the gun on himself.

Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, cheated on his wife Amanda six years ago with an intern at his former job that she described as a ‘younger, wilder’ version of herself 

The couple had four sons and two adopted daughters. Above, the family with Amanda’s mother Becky Lawwill and stepfather Steve

Amanda had recently returned to the workforce as a subsтιтute teacher after staying at home for years to raise the children.

In a series of Reddit posts unearthed by the Daily Mail, she revealed how her life plan was uprooted by the birth of her youngest son.

‘I used to be staunchly pro-life. I birthed three boys and adopted two daughters. I was ademant [sic] that five kids was my max. Then I was unexpectedly pregnant,’ she wrote in an abortion subreddit thread two years ago. 

Amanda said her youngest son is ‘hilarious’ and that ‘I love him so much,’ but also described him as the ‘hardest child I have had.’

‘My husband will be sixty when he graduates high school. I am stretched way too thin, and am often on the brink. I have had to ask for so much help this time around,’ she shared.

‘I am now staunchly pro-choice, because no one should be forced to the brink of a mental health crisis bc of failed birth control. I am loud and proud that if we ever find ourselves pregnant again, I will take the abortion meds I now keep on hand in case myself or my daughters find ourselves in need.’

Their youngest was born amid the couple’s apparent battle to strengthen their marriage, which Amanda claimed was destroyed by Kristopher’s infidelity.

The couple, who were wed in 2009, met while Amanda was interning at the company where Kristopher worked, her posts revealed.

The family of eight was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ inside their $750,000 home in Grand Haven Township, Michigan, on Friday morning in what police believe was a murder-suicide

Investigators say Kristopher sH๏τ and killed his wife and their children, aged 5 to 15, and started several fires throughout the house, before turning the gun on himself

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‘He was divorced and older than me… fast forward ten years and five kids, he was cheating with the intern again – the same age I was when I was the intern,’ she said of the relationship.

She admitted to acting violently towards Kristopher when the affair came to light, saying that she ‘shoved’ him in what she described as a moment of ‘fight or flight.’

Reflecting on her initial reaction, Amanda said, ‘I don’t feel bad still. He towers over me and destroyed me mentally. It felt like I was being ᴀssaulted and needed to fight back.’ 

The affair, which appears to have occurred more than six years ago, took place while Amanda was child-rearing.

‘I was five babies in, and was actually not in bad physical shape, but I was in the trenches of little kids, and just couldn’t be who I was before,’ she said. 

She felt so belittled by the affair that she spent Kristopher’s work bonus on Botox, Invisalign, hair extensions and new clothes in a bid to make herself feel ‘pretty.’

Kristopher was no stranger to cosmetic procedures himself, with Amanda revealing that he’d had an eye lift, known as an upper blepharoplasty, in one Reddit post. 

Amanda said she ‘lost tons of weight during the aftermath,’ but despite her physical glow-up, she ‘never felt better’ and ‘still internally blamed myself for not being ‘enough’ of what he wanted.’

Amanda had recently returned to the workforce as a subsтιтute teacher after staying at home for years to raise the children

Amanda forced Kristopher to ‘switch companies’ in wake of his ’emotional affair,’ but still struggled with the pain and insecurities that she said were exasperated by his infidelity

She and Kristopher started attending individual therapy and marriage counseling, but in 2024 – more than four years on from the affair – she was still angry at the other woman.

‘Forgiveness took me years,’ she wrote, noting that she had not extended that courtesy to his mistress. ‘To be honest, I haven’t forgiven [her] 4.5 years later. I hate her with every fiber of my being and she should be worried if she ever ended up in the same room as me.

‘It’s frustrating to feel like someone who caused so much trauma in your life is getting off scot-free. I still wish I could witness her pain and see some karma hit her hard.’

The affair caused her pain for years, with Amanda claiming that even on the good days she found herself ‘triggered’ by the ‘trauma.’

The 39-year-old also admitted to inflicting her own ‘karma’ on Kristopher by forcing him to leave his job.

She hated seeing him thrive in his career, receiving two promotions at two different companies while she ‘spiraled into depression.’

‘I couldn’t even start healing until I felt that I saw him recieve [sic] some negative karma. He ended up being let go from a company, was unemployed for six months, then got a new job that wasn’t that great, and was then laid off again nine months later,’ she recalled.

‘I watched his ego FINALLY break, and together we searched, manifested, and finally landed him the best career he’s ever had. I finally feel like he experienced consequences from his choices.’

The once ‘staunchly pro-life’ mother kept abortion pills on hand after an unexpected pregnancy five years ago, and vowed that if ‘we ever find ourselves pregnant again I will take the abortion meds’

Amanda said her youngest son, seen with his siblings, is ‘hilarious’ and that ‘I love him so much,’ but also described him as the ‘hardest child I have had’

She also struggled with her family’s response to their strained relationship, which she seemingly kept them in the dark about.

Amanda shared how her mother, Becky Lawwill, would tell her to treat Kristopher as the ‘treasure he is’ which was ‘enraging.’ It was not until Kristopher admitted the affair to her stepfather, Steve, that her parents stopped interfering.

‘My mom and step-dad really kiss my ʙuтт now! It’s really opened my eyes about who I will keep close and who I will keep at arm’s length (or not at all),’ she said.

In another post, she revealed that her support system now only includes Kristopher, their children, Becky, Steve, and Kristopher’s mother, stepfather and brother.

She had ‘no contact’ with her sister, biological father, and his entire side of the family. They put a similar boundary in place with Kristopher’s biological father’s family.

Throughout their years of therapy, the couple seemingly made positive strides in their marriage.

Amanda said they both adopted a lifestyle of sobriety and that although they still had their struggles, she was ‘happy’ with her life. 

‘For me, ‘safety’ is the ability to trust that (he) will not get angry or defensive when I’m triggered, and will help to carry me through it,’ she wrote. 

‘We’re almost five years out, and he’s trying, but still struggles with defensiveness. But in general, am I happy? Yes. I wouldn’t say I feel safety in my emotions, because he still struggles with receiving my triggers without defensiveness, and that’s slowing down my ability to regain feelings of safety.’

None of the children has been named, but four of them were boys, aged 15, 12, 11, and five. Their daughters were 11 years old, police said

Amanda and her children’s deaths have been ruled a homicide, and Kristopher’s has been ruled a suicide, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said.

It remains unclear how exactly the blazes began, and Michigan State Police arson investigators are looking into the case. 

Four of the six children were Kristopher’s biological children. The other two were adopted by the couple. 

None of the children has been named, but four of them were boys, aged 15, 12, 11, and five. Their daughters were 11 years old, police said. 

The family’s pets also died after inhaling smoke from the fires. It is unclear how many there were. 

If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.