Ontario

Deaths of 4 family members a murder-suicide: Toronto police:

Reason to Blow Up the World…

The deaths of four adults found in an east-end Toronto home on Wednesday were the result of a murder-suicide, according to police.

Two males and two females died as a result of a triple homicide that was followed by a suicide, Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Pauline Gray said at a press conference Thursday. A family dog was also found dead at the home on Welwyn Avenue.

Police are not confirming the names of the victims nor the causes of their deaths, saying only that the incident appears to be a “case of familial violence.”

Neighbours have identified the couple living in the home as Keith and Wanda Delong, believed to be in their late 50s or early 60s.

The retired couple had two grown children — a son in his 30s named Richard who lived with the couple as he dealt with a prolonged illness and a daughter, Elizabeth Tompkins, who had reportedly arrived Tuesday night for a visit, neighbours said.

Police sources reportedly told the Toronto Star Thursday that autopsies, expected to be conducted Saturday, will indicate the father killed his family before taking his own life.

While police haven’t publicly indicated who may have been responsible for the homicides, Gray said Thursday investigators aren’t looking for a suspect and are confident the individual who committed the homicides also died in the home.

A man who called in the incident to police was initially arrested near the scene, but has since been released after it became apparent he was not involved in the homicides. No charges were laid against the man, who neighbours identified as Tompkins’ husband.

Police received a call around 8:20 a.m. Wednesday regarding a suspicious incident in the residential area east of Markham Road. Along with the bodies, police discovered a note taped to the front door of the house that read: “Do not enter, call police.”

Some neighbours told CBC News there were no signs of trouble among family members, who were described as “lovely” people, but the Delongs had reportedly remortgaged the house they bought 34 years ago in September.

The family was also struggling to care for their terminally ill son, a friend of the Delongs said Thursday.

Keith Delong was said to be a gun collector and an avid sportsman who rarely showed signs of stress.

Tompkins’ husband found the note on the front door of the house, she said, when he went to check on his wife, who had apparently gone to her parents’ house Tuesday evening after receiving news there was a “big problem” with her grandmother.

The man who was arrested at the scene was already facing a family tragedy when he discovered the murder-suicide, the sister said. Their family learned Wednesday that an elder brother, who is in hospital with colon cancer, has one week to live, she said.

I felt bad for the guy up until he decided to pull the trigger in his family. Let’s face it, that’s what it was or else they wouldn’t have mentioned his gun collection and love of hunting. And the dog? Really? Was that really necessary? I’m not holding the dog’s life above everybody else’s but come on. Who I really feel bad for is Mr. Tompkins to find his wife like that. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain he must be going through. And it needs to be said whenever this happens. If you’re going to off yourself do the world a favor, be a man, and go alone.

One point for each murder including the dog (4), another for taking the coward’s way out, one more point for taking a man’s wife away from him and making him find the crime scene, hell I’ll give 2 for that. That’s seven.

Nod of Doom to Richard.

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