1. Michael said that his father beat him and that "just a look would scare you." Michael said that he would get physically sick — as a child and as an adult — just at the sight of his father. He also spoke of emotional abuse. "I was so shy I would wash my face in the dark," Michael said, referring to an acne outbreak. "I wouldn't look in the mirror and my father teased me. I just hated it. I would cry every day. He would tell me I'm ugly."

2. Michael had a pet guinea pig "sparky" that Joe absolutely hated. One day Michael came home to find the cage empty. Joe explained that sparky had run away. That night, Michael was surprised when his father served him dinner (beef stroganoff), as Katherine usually did the serving. After dinner, Joe asked Michael if enjoyed dinner and Michael replied that he had. Joe then dropped the bombshell that he had killed sparky and mixed him into the beef stroganoff. Michael was horrified.

3. One night while Michael was asleep, Joseph climbed into his room through the bedroom window. Wearing a fright mask, he entered the room screaming and shouting. Joseph said he wanted to teach his children not to leave the window open when they went to sleep. For years afterward, Michael suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his bedroom.