UT - West Valley City, 5 family members dead, 17yo boy wounded, 17 Dec 2024

[Chimera]

Now, that's interesting. Maybe the 17-year-old was from a previous relationship and didn't live there full time?

Yes, I'd wondered about that ?
Hmm.

 

[tlcya]

Police in Utah believe a father killed his wife and three children and critically injured their 17-year-old son at the family's home this week then turned a firearm on himself, according to new details released by authorities.
[snip]
A small handgun, police reported, was found under the father's body, that police believe was used in the shootings.
'A heavy heart': Police believe Utah father shot himself, wife and couple's 4 children

 

[seasideForest]

Regardless, I do agree there is NEVER any reason to harm others (barring self defense). We have been jobless and stressed in the past when our kids were very young, eventually filing for bankruptcy. Nothing this tragic ever entered our minds. The worst we considered was rehoming a pet because we couldn't afford it, but even then we found a way to make it work.

Agree, no reason to harm others, as you say. I'm sorry you were jobless and stressed in the past, but good on you for finding a way out and not having anything tragic enter your minds!

Based on my own experience with mental health, some people like you maybe have a built-in resilience, which helps when things go massively wrong, and others don't have that resilience for whatever reason and go internally haywire instead. Resilience can, however, be learnt and practised if you weren't born with it, that's partly what good therapy is about imho. (You may well have learnt and practised too, pandamonium, might not have been gifted to you either.) How to recognise when you're on the verge of going haywire and how to get help fast rather than doing anything this destructive.

Filing for bankruptcy is a responsible thing to do; that kind of thing takes courage, which some people don't have. If you grow up hearing you're a failure and a loser and the laughing stock of your extended family, then being honest about being bankrupt and that kind of thing can be pretty difficult. I used not to be able to admit to all kinds of things, just kept it all stored up, which can lead to external explosions so to speak, tho mine were mild in comparison. Again, therapy can help reduce fear of reaching out.

Events like divorce, no matter how tragic, don't actually cause suicide, murder-suicide, murder... There's either a large desperation in the person and/or some major callousness - to be able to murder your own family, your own children in cold-blood. The latter just doesn't fit for me with depression, tho yes I do know, depression takes many forms...

JMO

 

[legalmomma]

Neighbors say murder-suicide victims were found by relatives and church leader

The 17-year-old teen found barely alive with his deceased family members, killed in what police suspect was a murder-suicide, was discovered by relatives and a church leader, according to next-door neighbors.

ksltv.com

West Valley City family killed in likely murder-suicide identified

Police have identified the West Valley City family found shot and dead inside their home earlier in the week.

kutv.com

According to police, Bu Meh, 38, Boe Reh, 11, Kristina Ree, 8, and Nyay Meh, 2, were all killed in what investigators believe is a murder-suicide.

The suspect is the family father, Dae Reh, 42, who was among the deceased.

 

[pandamonium]

Agree, no reason to harm others, as you say. I'm sorry you were jobless and stressed in the past, but good on you for finding a way out and not having anything tragic enter your minds!

Based on my own experience with mental health, some people like you maybe have a built-in resilience, which helps when things go massively wrong, and others don't have that resilience for whatever reason and go internally haywire instead. Resilience can, however, be learnt and practised if you weren't born with it, that's partly what good therapy is about imho. (You may well have learnt and practised too, pandamonium, might not have been gifted to you either.) How to recognise when you're on the verge of going haywire and how to get help fast rather than doing anything this destructive.

Filing for bankruptcy is a responsible thing to do; that kind of thing takes courage, which some people don't have. If you grow up hearing you're a failure and a loser and the laughing stock of your extended family, then being honest about being bankrupt and that kind of thing can be pretty difficult. I used not to be able to admit to all kinds of things, just kept it all stored up, which can lead to external explosions so to speak, tho mine were mild in comparison. Again, therapy can help reduce fear of reaching out.

Events like divorce, no matter how tragic, don't actually cause suicide, murder-suicide, murder... There's either a large desperation in the person and/or some major callousness - to be able to murder your own family, your own children in cold-blood. The latter just doesn't fit for me with depression, tho yes I do know, depression takes many forms...

JMO

Thank you for your kind words! Yes, it was a very stressful time. We had two babies under 2 years of age, I was dealing with postpartum depression and creditors calling all the time, putting our mortgage payment on credit cards, and falling deeper into debt. As our kids grew older, we have reached out to therapists for various reasons and I can personally attest to how hard it is to find good treatment for any mental health issues. It's an issue many continue to struggle with.

That being said, I think people who struggle in different ways, know that these crimes are not the answer. I don't know what causes these people to crack, but I think it goes even beyond mental health; meaning lots of people struggle with mental health and yet they do not commit these awful crimes. Imo, there is something different in their wiring or dna that makes them turn to these acts of crime that most of us cannot fathom, even during the worst of times. Many can (and do) blame it on social media, the internet causing more access to information we did not have years ago, however, these crimes have been occurring for years--we just hear and read about them now with 24/7 internet access at our fingertips.

 

[Marysmith]

Thank you for your kind words! Yes, it was a very stressful time. We had two babies under 2 years of age, I was dealing with postpartum depression and creditors calling all the time, putting our mortgage payment on credit cards, and falling deeper into debt. As our kids grew older, we have reached out to therapists for various reasons and I can personally attest to how hard it is to find good treatment for any mental health issues. It's an issue many continue to struggle with.

That being said, I think people who struggle in different ways, know that these crimes are not the answer. I don't know what causes these people to crack, but I think it goes even beyond mental health; meaning lots of people struggle with mental health and yet they do not commit these awful crimes. Imo, there is something different in their wiring or dna that makes them turn to these acts of crime that most of us cannot fathom, even during the worst of times. Many can (and do) blame it on social media, the internet causing more access to information we did not have years ago, however, these crimes have been occurring for years--we just hear and read about them now with 24/7 internet access at our fingertips.

I'm so glad you are doing well now!
Life is so hard!
I do feel there are more murder suicides now but maybe that's just my pessimistic mind...

 

[seasideForest]

Imo, there is something different in their wiring or dna that makes them turn to these acts of crime that most of us cannot fathom, even during the worst of times.

imho this 'something different in their wiring or dna' is part of their mental health. I do think you bring some of it with you in your genes, or at least a tendency towards it.

I agree it's far more complex than social media 24/7 because yes, these crimes happened in the past too. We especially didn't hear about them across the globe decades ago.

Two babies under two! I feel for you. But you made it. Good for you and your partner!
I know it's really hard to get good mental health treatment, and worse in some countries than others e.g. in the US, apparently. I'm forever grateful to live in a country that provides a lot of good mental health treatment. There are waiting lists of course, but still, even non-private patients like myself can get good and long treatment if necessary.

 

[seasideForest]

According to police, Bu Meh, 38, Boe Reh, 11, Kristina Ree, 8, and Nyay Meh, 2, were all killed in what investigators believe is a murder-suicide.

The suspect is the family father, Dae Reh, 42, who was among the deceased.

Interesting collection of last names, unless Ree is a typo.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

"Over 10 years ago, she fled a violent situation in her home country of Myanmar, where her people were being ethnically cleansed by their government. She came to the United States with her husband and young family with little more than the clothing on their backs. Since coming to the United States, she taught herself English, learned valuable skills, and worked tirelessly to support her growing family. Her dream was to one day own her own home and to live comfortably alongside her husband and their four beautiful children," according to Meh's extended family.

'Our hearts ache': Relatives of slain West Valley family react to tragedy

The names of the four members of a West Valley family who were shot killed over the weekend have been released, as relatives react to the tragedy.

www.ksl.com

Heartbreaking.

 

[tlcya]

https://www.facebook.com/KUTVHeidiHatch/posts/pfbid02oCHzXbnXCEkpwz24dAg7KHPQ7WLkizqYjtEasBgquU3n6PXZTng4zVEHjRUaRNQ6l

 

[tlcya]

mother Bu Meh's FB
father Dae Reh's FB

 

[KaylynnCouture]

mother Bu Meh's FB
father Dae Reh's FB

Looks like they have a dog. Hopefully he/she was unharmed.

 

[Bounceycat]

Neighbors say murder-suicide victims were found by relatives and church leader

The 17-year-old teen found barely alive with his deceased family members, killed in what police suspect was a murder-suicide, was discovered by relatives and a church leader, according to next-door neighbors.

ksltv.com

West Valley City family killed in likely murder-suicide identified

Police have identified the West Valley City family found shot and dead inside their home earlier in the week.

kutv.com

According to police, Bu Meh, 38, Boe Reh, 11, Kristina Ree, 8, and Nyay Meh, 2, were all killed in what investigators believe is a murder-suicide.

The suspect is the family father, Dae Reh, 42, who was among the deceased.

This is from the first link, a quote from a neighbor. The "Mom" the nephew is referring to is the deceased wife's sister. It's pretty telling, IMHO:

“My older sister told them you should do another welfare check because there could’ve been a gas leak, carbon monoxide,” the next-door neighbor said. “(The victim’s nephew) replied, ‘My mom is worried that (the father) is in there with something.’ When my sister heard that it took her aback.”

 

[wendybtn]

On the flip side, I am surprised that we don’t see more of these occurring. Mental health care is often not provided to people who need it the most. Depression is real, and it is overwhelming. It is a tougher job market now, and often people are barely making it, feeling like a failure, if they can't afford the "American Dream".

Rent, food, on and on...I would be interested in the debt and finances of this family.

So few people take any medications as ordered, especially men and even more so the mentally ill. Assuming this man sought out treatment.

 

[airportwoman]

Neighbors say murder-suicide victims were found by relatives and church leader

The 17-year-old teen found barely alive with his deceased family members, killed in what police suspect was a murder-suicide, was discovered by relatives and a church leader, according to next-door neighbors.

ksltv.com

West Valley City family killed in likely murder-suicide identified

Police have identified the West Valley City family found shot and dead inside their home earlier in the week.

kutv.com

According to police, Bu Meh, 38, Boe Reh, 11, Kristina Ree, 8, and Nyay Meh, 2, were all killed in what investigators believe is a murder-suicide.

The suspect is the family father, Dae Reh, 42, who was among the deceased.

I live in an area with a significant population from Myanmar/Burma, and that looks like the origin of the names.

ETA: I see that this has been mentioned. I also know that there's a big stigma attached to mental health issues in that population; they often think it's demon possession (even if they are not Christian) or something similar.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

On the flip side, I am surprised that we don’t see more of these occurring. Mental health care is often not provided to people who need it the most. Depression is real, and it is overwhelming. It is a tougher job market now, and often people are barely making it, feeling like a failure, if they can't afford the "American Dream".

Rent, food, on and on...I would be interested in the debt and finances of this family.

It's not about mental healthcare being provided or not. It's available to people on Medicare/Medicaid. Community health clinics even do free clinics in some areas. It's wait times that's the problem because not enough people go into the mental health field due to a number of reasons, and the ones that do work with insurance are often underpaid so they decide to do cash-only practices. This leaves a small subset of providers who are booked for months in most cases.

But also, I think we try too hard sometimes to find a reason to explain criminal behavior and when we don't have an answer, it's blamed on mental health. Sometimes, criminals are just criminals.

MOO.

 

[airportwoman]

This occured it Utah last year. The father killed his wife, her mother, and their 5 kids before killing himself

N

Thread 'UT - Family of 8 found dead in home by gunshot in Enoch, Jan 2023'

Jan 4, 2023

Utah police find eight dead people, including 5 minors, inside home

Enoch city police in Utah performed a welfare check at a home on the 4900 block of Albert Drive, where they found three adults and five children dead, all appearing to have gunshot wounds, according to reports.

www.foxnews.com

• ND2014
• Replies: 252
• Forum: In the News

• 
• 
• 

THAT story made worldwide headlines, especially when the group obituary had the father's/murderer's face covered with the face of Jesus!

 

[airportwoman]

It's not about mental healthcare being provided or not. It's available to people on Medicare/Medicaid. Community health clinics even do free clinics in some areas. It's wait times that's the problem because not enough people go into the mental health field due to a number of reasons, and the ones that do work with insurance are often underpaid so they decide to do cash-only practices. This leaves a small subset of providers who are booked for months in most cases.

But also, I think we try too hard sometimes to find a reason to explain criminal behavior and when we don't have an answer, it's blamed on mental health. Sometimes, criminals are just criminals.

MOO.

In this case, they quite likely also faced a language barrier.

 

[Bounceycat]

THAT story made worldwide headlines, especially when the group obituary had the father's/murderer's face covered with the face of Jesus!

That didn't bother me one bit - but the obituary his side of the family (presumably) wrote for him in glowing terms about how great a father he was made me want to throw things. Delusional.

 

[airportwoman]

That didn't bother me one bit - but the obituary his side of the family (presumably) wrote for him in glowing terms about how great a father he was made me want to throw things. Delusional.

And the obituary was quickly taken down, online anyway, after the newspaper and funeral home got so much backlash. However, one of my favorite YouTubers, Kari the Mortician, did a video about why they might have done something like this, because she has personal experience with violent crime in the family; her niece was murdered by her sperm donor, who then took his own life. She was equally criticized for her viewpoint, but thankfully most of us really don't understand, based on personal experience.