DULUTH — In a chilling social media post, a Duluth man has confessed in advance to his plans to take his own life after killing his aunt, uncle and their two young children.
“Now I’m posting to say that I made the absolutely horrible decision to not only take my own life, but also the lives of my aunt… my uncle… and my two sweet, beyond angelic cousins,” Brandon Cole. Skogstad wrote Wednesday on Facebook.
An hour later came a second post: “Bye now. Love you all.”
Within hours of those posts, Duluth police found the bodies of Riana and Sean Barry and their two daughters, Shiway, 12, and Sadie, 9, dead at Barry’s home in the East Hillside neighborhood of the town.
They had been killed with a 9mm pistol in their sleep, presumably late Tuesday or early Wednesday, Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken said.
Cole-Skogstad was also found dead in the house, along with the family’s dog Barry. The gun was close to his body. Police have called the case a murder-suicide, saying it is Duluth’s worst murder in at least 30 years.
“It’s a terrible and traumatic event,” Tusken said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. “We all have very heavy hearts.
“It’s just a sad day.”
According to Tusken, police in nearby Hermantown received a call around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday to check on Cole-Skogstad, 29, who was described as having a mental health crisis. When they got to his house, he wasn’t there.
Hermantown police tracked down a family member who said Cole-Skogstad had sent a message to family members saying he intended to harm himself and other family members. Duluth police were called and told they should search the Duluth home of Cole-Skogstad’s aunt and uncle, where he had previously lived. They were also told that Cole-Skogstad might have a gun.
Around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, police knocked on the door of Barry’s home and heard what they believed to be a single gunshot.
Robots and drones were removed and brought in to search the property. A tactical team entered the house around 3:00 pm and found the bodies.
Tusken said neither Hermantown nor Duluth police had any records of calls involving Cole-Skogstad. He has no criminal record, according to Minnesota court records.
Counseling is being offered to officers and others who responded to the scene, Tusken said. The walls of the house were covered with family photos, he said, making the horror of what happened all the more vivid.
“You can’t unsee it,” Tusken said, a lump in his throat.
fight for mental health
In her Facebook post, Cole-Skogstad said that she had struggled with mental health.
“I am 29 years old and have suffered many years of mental illness. I hardly ever sought help because I felt like I never deserved it,” she wrote. “I want so badly to come back and make better choices in life. Ignore the hate my peers hurled at me for so long.
“I wish I could have accepted the love given to me by my family who I loved so much, but I couldn’t express it.”
The family’s tidy green house sits in a tight-knit neighborhood where many residents have lived for decades. Sean Barry worked in an oil field in Alaska, neighbors said, while Riana Barry was a social worker who had transitioned to stay home and care for her children.
“They were really nice people, very friendly,” said Jodi Eaton, who lives across the street. Riana Barry was “very down to earth” with her children, Eaton said.
“He did a lot of crafts with the kids; he was always taking them places,” she said.
heartbreaking video
In a video posted on Facebook by Riana Barry in February, a smiling and happy Sadie Barry launched her campaign to sell 4,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies.
“Hello! My name is Sadie!” she said, wearing her Girl Scout sash and waving at the camera. Sadie reviewed the cookie varieties and offered comments on each one.
“Butterbread: They’re basically like bread but in cookie form,” he said. Fine mints: very minty.
“Peanut Butter Patties: Too much peanut butter,” he said. “Caramel DeLites: Caramel and delicious.”
His mother, while filming the clip, asked him what his favorite part of selling cookies was.
“Well, actually it’s meeting new people,” Sadie replied. “I just like meeting new people and selling cookies.”
where to find help
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call National Lifeline for Suicide Prevention at 800-273-TALK (8255). Or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor Text Line.
Reference-www.startribune.com