Vic: Father, three children dead in suspected murder-suicide

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2010
Vic: Father, three children dead in suspected murder-suicide

By Steve Lillebuen

MELBOURNE, April 10 AAP - People who knew him say he was always happy, a gym junkie
and caravan salesman who was incredibly proud of his three young children.

But on Saturday the 37-year-old man was found dead in the bedroom of his Roxburgh Park
home, in north Melbourne. Beside him on the bed, police found a firearm and his three
children dead.

Two of them were slumped over the bed with gunshot wounds, the oldest was dead on the floor.

"Sometimes it's difficult to understand man's inhumanity to man," Homicide Detective
Senior Sergeant Ron Iddles said of the suspected triple-murder-suicide.

"When a father takes the lives of his own three children, I can't comprehend it and
I don't think anyone in the community can comprehend it."

The father had told his girlfriend, her young daughter and his mother, who lives with
him, to go shopping around 10.30am.

He stayed at home with his two daughters, 7 and 12, and his son, who had just turned 10.

The children's biological mother lives in another Melbourne suburb.

When his girlfriend and mother returned around 1.15pm, the front door was locked, and
they figured the man had left the home with the kids.

It wasn't until they entered the house in Johnson Court and turned towards the main
bedroom that the horror was revealed.

Adding to the tragedy, police say, the girlfriend's young daughter saw all four bloodied
bodies in the bedroom.

Hearing the women's screams, neighbours dialled triple-zero.

Next-door neighbour Vasa Ikenaiso said the family, who moved to Melbourne a few years
ago, had shown no signs of being unhappy.

They had been at her house the night before and were laughing and enjoying life, she said.

"He was always a happy dad. He loved his kids," she explained, rubbing her jaw.

"How do I explain this to my own kids? Why did this happen? I don't understand it."

Friends of the slain children flocked into the street upon seeing police cars rush
up to the home.

Parents spoke in hushed tones as forensic investigators crossed the police tape and
entered the single-storey brick home.

"I'm very sad now," said 12-year-old Nicholas, who went to school with the children.

"I'll never see them again."

Another child simply pondered to anyone who would listen: "Is it true the man killed
his own children?"

The deceased children's mother was notified by police by 6pm.

The man's girlfriend and mother have told police they are completely baffled and saw
no warning signs.

Sometimes there are no explanations, just pain and sorrow.

"I think everybody here, every member of the police force, even the coroner's office,
will be affected by this," Det Iddles said, holding back tears.

"Every member of the police force here has children, and grandchildren."



* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline
on 13 11 14 or SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263).

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