Roy Murder/ Suicide Family to be Buried Together; Family Issues Statement
The statement reads as follows :
“On behalf of our family and as the father of Russell Smith, this horrible tragedy has ripped apart and broken the hearts of Shawna’s family, innumerable friends, and people who care and our own hearts.
Our family deeply appreciates Shawna’s family for working through the sorrow and the grief to honor both children, Russell and Shawna and grandchildren, Tylee and Blake, in one service and burial to be held June 27, 2015. The forgiveness and graciousness Shawna’s family has demonstrated is beyond words.
Shawna was a wonderful mother, wife, mother and daughter. She was loved deeply not only by family and friends, but also by parents, children and staff at the day care where she worked for nine years.
Russell was a loving father, son, brother, and friend to many. He loved and cared for his family, he loved life, and he was looking forward to a new job he had just started.
We are in as much shock and disbelief as everyone else. We don’t understand what happened or why. Unfortunately we may never know, we may never understand.
We put our trust in God our Father and Creator to somehow, someway get us, our families and friends through this. God is our hope.
We humbly and gratefully thank everyone for your forgiveness, love, prayers and concern for all those involved.
Larry and Joanne Smith”
Russell Smith apparently shot and killed his wife, Shawna Smith, and their two children, Tylee, age 6, and Blake, age 2 on Fathers day in their home in Roy, Utah, before turning the gun on himself.
Police say there had been no previous history of violence at the home and the motive for the killings remains unclear.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
For the love of God people! Are you kidding me? You don’t understand so let’s bury a mother and her children next to their killer?! It’s not bad enough what he did?? I’m appalled.
Agreed, Jenna.
This is DISGUSTING!
A murderer shouldn’t be buried with his victims, even in the unfortunate circumstance of this crime.
To the family of the wife and the children: WHY honor a man who KILLED YOUR DAUGHTER and GRANDCHILDREN? Why give him a funeral? Why honor his life as a senseless murderer while trying to HONOR the lives of your daughter and her babies?
As a survivor of violent crime, I cannot fathom having my abuser’s life honored at any time or place near me.
The husband’s funeral should be shameful. He’s a despicable, senseless murderder and coward.
To the family of the wife and her children, who were murdered at the hands of this awful man. Their lives should be celebrated and honored SEPERATELY from their killer. STAND YOUR GROUND AND HONOR YOUR DAUGHTER! I am prepared to make a large donation to a GoFundMe for the wife and kids- but I will NOT donate to the cause of burying a monster. Make his family deal with his sorry carcass.
Why don’t you let the family and friends of these four individuals make the choice for how they would like to honor and remember their loved ones. Spewing out your own judgements on the situation is not helping those affected. Let the family grieve how they choose. We (the friends and family) have decided to all grieve together and remember the individuals of this family for the amazing people we all knew and loved. Hopefully you will never know this kind of pain but if you ever do, I pray that others will respect your wishes and choices and not criticize them.
Why don’t you let the family and friends of these four individuals make the choice for how they would like to honor and remember their loved ones. Spewing out your own judgements on the situation is not helping those affected. Let the family grieve how they choose. We (the friends and family) have decided to all grieve together and remember the individuals of this family for the amazing people we all knew and loved. Hopefully you will never know this kind of pain but if you ever do, I pray that others will respect your wishes and choices and not criticize them.