Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of domestic violence and murder. Reader discretion is advised.
The docuseries Six Schizophrenic Brothers looks into the lives of the members of the Galvin family. Don and Mimi, who hailed from Colorado Springs, had six of their twelve children diagnosed with schizophrenia. Robert Kolker’s book Hidden Valley Road previously brought the family’s unsettling story to light. Now, the Six Schizophrenic Brothers’ siblings are opening up in Discovery’s new docuseries.
Six Schizophrenic Brothers: Who were the Galvin Family siblings?
The Galvin family siblings are Donald, Jim, John, Brian, Michael, Richard, Joseph, Mark, Matthew, Peter, Margaret, and Mary. The youngest, Mary, shared in the docuseries that six of her brothers who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia were Donald, Jim, Brian, Joseph, Matthew, and Peter.
Mary further shared that “there was something going on with Jim,” while “Peter was breaking all the windows in the house.” She continued, “Donald dismembered a dog in the bathtub at home.” The youngest Galvin described the situation as a “Snowball Effect.”
Mary shared that their parents blamed themselves, adding there was “so much despair, and so much helplessness, and so much confusion.” She further revealed, “Brian had murdered his girlfriend and committed suicide.” The parents didn’t know “what to make of it” as “never in their worst nightmares would they have believed such a thing could happen.” Mary continued, “Their children, young men, that are so promising, to end up in a mental hospital.”
Meanwhile, Mark, the eighth child, talked about an incident when his father and Donald got into a physical altercation. He said that “nobody challenged their dad up until Donald.” Mark added that Donald “won” the fight.
Mary also shared that Donald went after their mother “physically a few times” and it was around when she would tell him to take his medications. She added about her brother’s fight with their dad: “I remember being terrified that Donald was going to kill my father,” as a crystal mushroom was being used as a weapon.
Six Schizophrenic Brothers: Where are they now?
The Galvin Family Trust notes, that out of the six brothers who were diagnosed with schizophrenia, two remain alive in 2024. Donald is now “quiet and reserved,” and “he enjoys going for a ride, ballet, opera, symphony, or theater.” Meanwhile, Matthew has been living at a nursing facility since 2020 after previously living independently. Their brother, Peter, sadly passed away in his sleep in 2023.
The docuseries Six Schizophrenic Brothers is streaming on Discovery Plus, HBO Max, and Prime Video.
