Tennessee man allegedly kills wife's young lover

Shaun_C · 03-19-2007, 12:25 AM

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(3/18/07) - The latest student-teacher sex scandal wasn't just about lust -- it had deadly consequences.

Eric McLean is accused of killing Sean Powell, an 18-year-old high school student who was allegedly having an affair with his wife, Erin, who worked as a counselor at Powell's Tennessee high school.

The McLeans seemed to lead a happy life. They were married for 11 years and had two children.

"Everybody liked Eric," said his mother, Tanya McLean. "He was a good father, an excellent father, good husband."

Both were students at the University of Tennessee when Erin took a teaching internship at a high school in nearby Knoxville. That was where the 30-year-old first met Powell, then a high school senior.

"She's started an affair with him," said Norman McLean, Eric's father. "There was alcohol involved a lot. Eric loved his wife and tried to stop it. & It all culminated Saturday evening."

At their home on March 10, the McLeans got into an argument about the teenage student who had come between them. Police say Eric shot and killed Powell outside his home, leaving a trail of shattered glass in his wake.

"Eric called 911 to get police help to get him out," his father said. "He said from there it's all a blur, he doesn't remember what happened."

Text Messages Reveal Teacher's Feelings

On "Good Morning America Weekend Edition," Powell's mother, Debra Flynn, spoke about his murder.

"He was a teenager, he was a kid, he was a beautiful son," she said, her voice shaking. "It was just heartbreaking. This is every parent's worst nightmare."

Flynn said she found out about her son's death from Erin. At first, she couldn't believe the news.

"She had called me Saturday evening probably five minutes after it happened and she said Sean been shot," Flynn said. "I thought it was a joke."

Powell had told his mother that he had a high school counselor, but Flynn had no idea that his relationship was sexual until after he died.

"I think he wanted to keep it under wraps because she might have said not to say anything," Flynn said.

After Powell's death, Flynn discovered more than a dozen text messages from Erin McLean on his phone.

"I found 13 text messages from her saying 'Come home baby, I love you, you're so beautiful,'" she said.

A Troubling Trend

Erin McLean seems to be part of a troubling trend. From Mary Kay Letourneau, who married her former sixth grade student, to Debra LaFave, the Florida teacher who had sex with a 14-year old, some teachers are searching for love and companionship in their classrooms.

"It's normal for kids to like a teacher," said psychologist Dr. Cheryl Shakeshaft. "It might even be normal for kids to fantasize about teachers. What isn't normal is for adults to take advantage or to exploit that."

Eric McLean has been charged with first-degree murder. But Flynn believes his wife should also shoulder some of the blame for her son's death.

"I think she should be held accountable," she said. "These teachers are in our school and they teach our children, and they're feasting on them."

Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures

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This is a surprising twist to an all too common occurence

But in some way I expected to hear about one of these occurences to end in murder. It was only a matter of time

DragoUnicron · 03-19-2007, 12:35 AM

Not suprising, though she technically wasn't a teacher, but a counselor. I say we have robots teach our children. Robots with guns. That will solve both this problem, and the disciplinary difficulties in our schools today in one fell swoop.

TheIncredibleHulk · 03-19-2007, 01:49 AM

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Originally Posted by DragoUnicron

Not suprising, though she technically wasn't a teacher, but a counselor. I say we have robots teach our children. Robots with guns. That will solve both this problem, and the disciplinary difficulties in our schools today in one fell swoop.

Cruellock · 03-19-2007, 02:01 AM

Is it really that hard to exercise a bit of self-control in a teaching environment?

llamatron · 03-19-2007, 04:18 AM

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Originally Posted by Cruellock

Is it really that hard to exercise a bit of self-control in a teaching environment?

Apparently it is.

LigerPrime · 03-19-2007, 06:43 AM

Well, it had to happen sooner or later...but I'm amazed that older females hit on your guys in the "west"...these type of affairs are non-existent in my part of the world (South East Asia)...where females go for the richer guys...in this translates to older men.

Lumpy · 03-19-2007, 10:35 AM

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Originally Posted by Cruellock

Is it really that hard to exercise a bit of self-control in a teaching environment?

well, im a teacher, and i have quite often had sex with my students

KIDDING....no, theres no excuse for this crap. IF you are a teacher and you ARE really into a student, wait til they turn 18 (at least this kid was) but also dont cheat on your husband (or wife) its just nonsensical stupidity.....

Team Jetfire · 03-19-2007, 11:07 AM

This kid was 18 and the lady was not a teacher.

This was just another person cheating on their partner with terrible consequences.

thoughtcrime · 03-19-2007, 11:23 AM

*obligatory "where were these teachers in heat when I was that age" response*

pscoop · 03-19-2007, 11:40 AM

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Originally Posted by thoughtcrime

*obligatory "where were these teachers in heat when I was that age" response*

I see your response and raise you an obligatory "I'd hit it" response.