A man has killed his wife, ex partner and two sons in a devastating murder suicide which has shattered a tight-knit community.
Anthony Nephew, 46, was found dead with a self inflicted gunshot wound inside his home on West 6th Street in Duluth, Minnesota on Thursday afternoon.
His wife, 45-year-old Kathryn Ramsland, and seven-year-old son Oliver were also found dead with gunshot wounds inside the home.
Earlier, police had made a grim discovery inside the home of Nephew’s ex, Erin Abramson, less than one mile away.
Responding to a welfare call about 2pm, police found 47-year-old Abramson and her 15-year-old son, Jacob Nephew, dead with multiple gunshot wounds.
The blended family had appeared close. Kathryn, who went by Kat, was often sharing public messages on Facebook about Erin.
She described Erin as her ‘son’s brother’s mom’ and said she was the ‘best baker,’ sharing snaps of Erin’s baked goods and videos of little Oliver asking for them.
‘He was such a sweet little boy,’ one neighbor said, describing Oliver.
Kathryn always gushed about Nephew, describing him as ‘elite’ when wishing him a happy Father’s Day recently. The pair celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary last month.
Anthony, meanwhile, appears to have descended into somewhat of a conspiracy theorist in recent months, discussing aliens and ‘harnessing the power of the center of the galaxy’ in bizarre social media rants.
‘Life is just a fantasy of your own construction drawn from the lattice of your own experiential reality,’ he said just last month.
He also appeared increasingly concerned about the prospect of a Trump-led government.
‘My mental health and the world can no longer peacefully coexist, and a lot of the reason is religion,’ he said in July.
‘I am terrified of religious zealots inflicting their misguided beliefs on me and my family. I have intrusive thoughts of being burned at the stake as a witch, or crucified on a burning cross.
‘Having people actually believe that I or my child are Satan or, the anti-Christ or whatever their favorite color of boogie man they are afraid are this week.’
He had also accused Republicans of ‘making it harder for women to leave’ domestic violence relationships, writing ‘Gilead here we come.’
Gilead is an apparent reference to the Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian republic which overthew the United States and stripped away women’s rights.
The Duluth Police department said in a statement: ‘Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims’ families and loved ones involved in this tragic event.’
Police said there is no ongoing threat to the community.