When men choose to annihilate their families before killing themselves, communities and surviving family members are left shocked and reeling. Fortunately, familicide is extremely rare. Recently, however, a Minnesota man killed his two kids and their mothers in a quadruple murder-suicide.
Anthony Nephew, 46, of Duluth, Minnesota, was discovered dead November 7 with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. At the same residence, his ex-wife Kathryn Nephew, 45, and his 7-year-old son, Oliver Nephew, were also found deceased. The bodies of Anthony’s ex Erin Abramson, 47, and her 15-year-old son, Jacob Nephew, were discovered in another home a mile away.
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The deaths were discovered after a welfare check.
On November 7, officers arrived at a home in Duluth approximately 3 p.m., according to a Duluth Police Department press release, per People. The welfare check came after Abramson’s coworkers called to say she did not show up for work. Inside, officers discovered her and Jacob dead from gunshot wounds.
Police quickly identified Anthony Nephew as a suspect.
It wasn’t long before police identified a suspect. They pinpointed Abramson’s ex and Jacob’s father as the likely shooter. Before long, officers set up surveillance at Anthony Nephew’s home, located roughly a mile away from the crime scene.
At his home, they discovered Anthony Nephew and two more people dead.
Police used a drone to enter the home, Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa explained during a November 8 press conference. Once inside, officers found Kathryn Nephew and Oliver Nephew dead from gunshot wounds. Additionally, Anthony Nephew was dead in the home “from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
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Police suspect the Minnesota man carried out a quadruple murder-suicide.
The police chief explained during the press conference that Anthony Nephew had a history of mental health issues. Additionally, police had been called to the house on multiple occasions. Ceynowa said investigators were still using cellphone data to pinpoint when the shootings happened. A motive has not yet been confirmed.
After the tragedies, the Duluth mayor issued a statement.
“This is not something that happens often in our community,” Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert said of the five deaths, according to Minnesota Public Radio. “It’s been a couple years since we’ve seen something like this, and we’re going to grieve, but we’re also going to make sure that we support those families and support our public safety team.”
