ND- 1 parent and 3 children found dead in Grand Forks, ND home

[MelmothTheLost]

It appears she has an older son as well that was living somewhere else because of behaviour issues.

I gather that around 80% of autism cases are genetic / hereditary, which is why a family that has one affected child will usually find many or even most of the others affected by the disorder to some degree or other. By the sounds of it, 3 out of the 4 were affected.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

His social media says separated. The daily beast article lists his last name the same as the children’s, but it’s not. His last name is the same as hers and from what I could tell, her children are from a prior relationship before him.

In which case the question is, where is the father of the kids?

 

[MittenScarpetta]

In which case the question is, where is the father of the kids?

From what I can tell from sleuthing, he’s in Grand Forks.

 

[cattlekate]

Thank you for starting this thread, MomGN2BMD. I just cannot make sense about how Astra believed herself to be in such dire financial straits.

Guessing from Astra’s FB - the Dad is Talmage. Where is he and did he pay cs and health premiums?

If Astra didn’t get much from cs and her ex didn’t supply health coverage, then she should’ve qualified for the ND Medicaid Expansion, assumming her “baggage technician” job at Cirrus Aircraft didn’t pay above the Medicaid cut off of about 35k. Plus one child, Tyler, according to her FB Page, had autism. That should’ve been totally covered under Medicaid.

We’ll find out eventually why her wages were being garnished for 3750. That’s a stiff amount for someone who, I’m guessing, should’ve been covered under Medicaid Expansion.

Reports said she went to food pantries and yet had just leased a single family house. If the house was Sec 8, then her finances should’ve been okay. Did she not qualify for Sec 8 and if so, why not?

So many questions. But she shouldn’t have fallen through so many safety net cracks. Right?

 

[Memo30]

So many questions. But she shouldn’t have fallen through so many safety net cracks. Right?

"Safety net" is becoming an oxymoron. These are some of the problems she may have faced: http://familiesusa.org/product/defending-health-care-2017-what-stake-north-dakota

 

[TTF14]

Thank you for starting this thread, MomGN2BMD. I just cannot make sense about how Astra believed herself to be in such dire financial straits.

Guessing from Astra’s FB - the Dad is Talmage. Where is he and did he pay cs and health premiums?

If Astra didn’t get much from cs and her ex didn’t supply health coverage, then she should’ve qualified for the ND Medicaid Expansion, assumming her “baggage technician” job at Cirrus Aircraft didn’t pay above the Medicaid cut off of about 35k. Plus one child, Tyler, according to her FB Page, had autism. That should’ve been totally covered under Medicaid.

We’ll find out eventually why her wages were being garnished for 3750. That’s a stiff amount for someone who, I’m guessing, should’ve been covered under Medicaid Expansion.

Reports said she went to food pantries and yet had just leased a single family house. If the house was Sec 8, then her finances should’ve been okay. Did she not qualify for Sec 8 and if so, why not?

So many questions. But she shouldn’t have fallen through so many safety net cracks. Right?

Navigating all of that you just described might have just been too overwhelming for someone with her mental illness. This is such a sad story.

 

[cattlekate]

"Safety net" is becoming an oxymoron. These are some of the problems she may have faced: http://familiesusa.org/product/defending-health-care-2017-what-stake-north-dakota

I did not know. These safety nets are supposed to capture these burdened, yet working, parents.

I’d like to see how the garnishment happened. For medical bills, wtf.

It looks like, from Astra’s FB Page, she married Heath Volk in 2015 so my guess is that he has no financial or biological connection to the kids. So where is the dad Talmage?

 

[cattlekate]

Navigating all of that you just described might have just been too overwhelming for someone with her mental illness. This is such a sad story.

I know. So that is why I’m kind of throwing out questions to fish it out.

I live in a state where my daughter-in-law does exactly this - she helps navigate mothers to sign up for help. She specializes in disabled children and helping mothers. She works for the State/county and is a first responder when kids/poor Moms come in with some problem but without insurance. She goes to the houses/trailers/apartments and makes sure each parent understands the resources out there. If a parent is confused, (because it is confusing!) she follows up.

Our state’s expanded Medicaid goes back in time so no overwhelmed mom gets pissed off, and on the financial hook, for a child/Mom with an issue.

 

[human]

Cirrus pays crappy wages. She probably made just enough to qualify for nothing.

People think there is so much help out there, but there is not. People fall through the chasms.

Medical bills are a huge part of financial devastation for people. It is a travesty

 

[Damarna]

Sometimes the mom herself has a mental health issue that may limit her ability to advocate for herself let alone hey family. Certainly not dating this is the case here.... But it could be.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Rocco]

Interesting comments. Seems like everyone is assuming the mother shot her three children and then shot herself. It was reported that she hated guns and would never have had one. How about the 14yr old shot his two siblings and then his mother---is that a possibility? (sure it is).

http://www.grandforksherald.com/new...-friends-family-grand-forks-mother-3-children

 

[MomGN2BMD]

http://www.wdaz.com/news/crime-and-...ide-victims-make-plea-mental-health-awareness

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Rocco]

How ironic that people are being so generous with donations for the funerals but when she was alive, she struggled to put together money to get the mental care she and her children needed.

 

[Rocco]

''Zimmel also didn’t answer when asked if police believe Volk had killed her children and herself, saying the agency needed further investigation before assigning action or motive to anyone in the home. But he did tell reporters to consider what authorities have said -- they found a gun in the house and aren’t looking for any suspects right now.

As he spoke, the dark clouds and drizzling rain of night closed over a neighborhood that stunned neighbors had earlier described as “quiet.”

So the gun must have been found in her hand or next to her. Having mental issues and being overwhelmed by circumstances in life and committing suicide is one thing but geeeezzz---she murdered 3 children before shooting herself. Her children. Innocent children.

 

[always reading]

''Zimmel also didn’t answer when asked if police believe Volk had killed her children and herself, saying the agency needed further investigation before assigning action or motive to anyone in the home. But he did tell reporters to consider what authorities have said -- they found a gun in the house and aren’t looking for any suspects right now.

As he spoke, the dark clouds and drizzling rain of night closed over a neighborhood that stunned neighbors had earlier described as “quiet.”

So the gun must have been found in her hand or next to her. Having mental issues and being overwhelmed by circumstances in life and committing suicide is one thing but geeeezzz---she murdered 3 children before shooting herself. Her children. Innocent children.

She might've wanted them all to go together.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[kirkassoc]

Wonder where dad was during all these heartbreaking illnesses? I wonder if he contributed support for these children.

8 days ago, the mother, opened a to help pay for medical treatments related to reported mental illnesses of her children. Today they are all found dead of gunshot wounds. Did mom crack? Yikes. This is devastating.
http://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Names-released-surround-4-deaths-in-Grand-Forks-481689261.html





Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[kirkassoc]

So sad that she suffered all those years with mental disabilities. Judging from her FB posts, one would never have guessed. She could not seem to get help with financial aide for her children or herself. Still, she tried to work and provide. It would be so helpful if there was some section of government which might counsel these women and encourage birth control. It's so sad to read these stories, time after time, and they always involve multiple children. Just heartbreaking. Those poor children!

 

[Rocco]

She might've wanted them all to go together.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I don't care what SHE wanted. The children did not want to be shot to death.

 

[cattlekate]

I’d like to know how much was garnished from her wages due to her medical bills. Was it 20%? 30%? Aren’t there rules for civil judgments when the paycheck is small? Rules for the hospital to follow? Rules for the judge to follow?

I bet her salary was so low that what was garnished triggered other things falling by the wayside. Not just food, but power/heat/water/rent. And she couldn’t seek treatment/medication out of fear that more bills would accrue.

And where and when did she get the gun? She obviously had mental issues, but no gun rights are generally afringed unless one has been decreed mentally incapacitated or a felon, which she wasn’t. I have to wonder if this was an impulse purchase.

 

[human]

There are so many . Some are scams. Some are legit.

It is ridiculous that people have to beg for their lives